UTRGV School of Medicine MD Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Application: TMDSAS opens May 1 and accepts Entry Year 2027 submissions May 15-October 1, 2026. Timeline
• School step: A UTRGV supplemental is required; the current cycle does not publish its regular deadline or exact fee. Catalog
• Academic processing: 3.0 overall GPA, 3.2 science GPA and MCAT above the 50th percentile with every section at least 122 proceed to holistic processing; some lower files receive special review. Requirements
• Interview: Mandatory half-day group interview in Edinburg, then two 30-minute Zoom interviews on a later date. Interview

Admission requirements

Applicants need at least 90 semester hours or 135 quarter hours. The current regular-MD page does not state that a bachelor's degree is mandatory. Prerequisites must be completed at an accredited U.S. college or university with grades of C or better. Pass/fail and credit/no-credit do not count. AP is accepted only when the official transcript lists specific course numbers and hours. Online prerequisites require prior or case-specific Admissions review; current official wording does not promise acceptance. Requirements Prerequisite acknowledgment

Required coursework is 14 biology hours including 12 lecture and two lab; eight general or inorganic chemistry hours including six lecture and two lab; eight organic chemistry hours including six lecture and two lab; three hours of non-introductory biochemistry that may count toward the biology or chemistry total; eight physics hours including six lecture and two lab; three hours of statistics taught by mathematics or statistics, with calculus not accepted as a substitute; and six hours of English.

The published GPA processing thresholds are 3.0 overall and 3.2 science. Applicants below either threshold go to a special-evaluation subcommittee rather than automatic regular processing. The MCAT must be above the 50th percentile with every section at least 122 for regular holistic processing; lower scores go to special review, but totals below 495 are not considered. Scores older than three years are invalid. Requirements

Applicants submit at least three evaluations or a Health Professions Advisory packet. The school considers only U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents with permanent documentation in their possession. Current official regular-MD sources do not confirm Casper, PREview, Duet or another situational-judgment test. Current catalog

Important dates

TMDSAS makes the Entry Year 2027 application available May 1, 2026 at 8 a.m. Central, opens submission May 15 at 8 a.m. and closes the primary at 11:59 p.m. Central on October 1. Letters should be uploaded or postmarked by October 15. Applicants submit school rankings by 5 p.m. Central on January 29, 2027, and match results are released February 12. Multiple offers must be narrowed by April 30, and from May 15 schools cannot offer a Texas applicant already holding another seat. UTRGV timeline TMDSAS deadlines

UTRGV interviews from August 2026 through January 2027. Pre-match offers may begin October 15 and rolling admissions continues after the February match. Interview

The current catalog generically says applications close at the end of September, but the dated Entry Year 2027 UTRGV and TMDSAS materials specify October 1; October 1 controls. The current official pages do not publish the regular supplemental deadline, exact fee, Fall 2027 orientation or class-start date.

How selection works

The Admissions Committee uses holistic review to choose interview candidates. Published evidence includes academic accomplishment; research, clinical and volunteer experience; leadership; cultural competence; essays and recommendations; service orientation, social skills, teamwork and leadership, oral communication, ethical responsibility, reliability, resilience, adaptability and capacity for improvement. The school also names intelligence, integrity and personal and emotional maturity as core qualities. Application process

After all interview stages, the committee completes a final review and places applicants in Accept, Waitlist or Not Accept categories before TMDSAS pre-match, Match and rolling decisions. The school publishes no numeric GPA/MCAT weighting beyond its processing screens, interview or post-interview weights, group-exercise rubric, committee voting threshold, Texas-resident allocation or waitlist formula.

Interview details

Confirmed for Entry Year 2027

The interview has two mandatory stages. First, applicants attend a half-day in-person group interview at the UTRGV School of Medicine in Edinburg, usually on Friday and occasionally Saturday. The visit also includes presentations about financial aid, curriculum, the Rio Grande Valley and other opportunities. Failure to attend the group interview withdraws the application. Interview process

After completing the group stage, applicants use the portal to choose a later Zoom interview date. The Interview Committee conducts two 30-minute Zoom interviews. Applicants choose the date but not the time; the school tries to place both meetings in the same morning or afternoon. Remote interviews run Monday through Friday.

Not published

The school does not publish group size, exercises or prompts; group or Zoom scoring rubrics; Zoom interviewer identities or file access; question domains; the relative weights of the three interviews; or the final committee voting method.

Who this program may suit

UTRGV's mission emphasizes the Rio Grande Valley, underserved communities, cultural competence and a representative physician workforce. Applicants should connect sustained clinical or community work to what they learned from the people served and explain why that evidence fits the Valley's needs without assuming geographic connection alone earns admission. Application process

This page covers one regular UTRGV School of Medicine MD identity. The Edinburg admissions venue and distributed Rio Grande Valley clinical footprint are not separate school applications. Vaqueros MD is a high-school early-assurance pathway, Early Decision has separate deadlines, and the School of Podiatric Medicine awards a different degree; none of those rules belongs in the regular-MD guide.

Practice and next step

Prepare for both interview modes. First, run a small-group exercise in which you must invite quieter voices, summarize disagreement and move the group toward a decision without dominating. Then record two separate 90-second answers on service orientation and resilience for the later Zoom interviews. Review the recording for evidence, reflection and cultural humility, improve the least specific answer and make a second attempt to compare.

Frequently asked questions

What GPA and MCAT does UTRGV publish?

A 3.0 overall GPA, 3.2 science GPA and MCAT above the 50th percentile with every section at least 122 proceed to regular holistic processing. Some lower metrics receive special subcommittee review, but a total MCAT below 495 is not considered. Requirements

What is the Entry Year 2027 interview?

A mandatory half-day in-person group interview in Edinburg, followed on a later date by two 30-minute Zoom interviews. Interview process

Is there a secondary?

Yes. The current catalog requires a supplemental and recognizes fee-assistance waivers, but current official pages do not publish the regular deadline or exact fee. Catalog

Are Vaqueros MD thresholds the same as regular admission?

No. Vaqueros MD is an early-assurance pathway with its own thresholds and deadlines; they must not be applied to regular applicants.

Sources

Verified August 12, 2026. Current official sources: regular-MD requirements, prerequisite acknowledgment, Entry Year 2027 calendar, Entry Year 2027 timeline, Entry Year 2027 interview process, application-process summary, 2026-27 School of Medicine catalog, TMDSAS deadlines and TMDSAS MCAT instructions.