The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine Office of Admissions
910 Madison Avenue, Suite 1043 | Memphis, TN 38163
Dear Future Physician,
I am absolutely delighted to invite you to embark on an extraordinary journey with us at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine. As you consider where to begin your medical career, I want to share why our college stands out as a place where your dreams can take flight and your potential can flourish.
At UT Health Science Center College of Medicine, we are more than just a school—we are a community united by a passion for transforming healthcare and improving lives. Our commitment to excellence in education, groundbreaking research, and compassionate clinical care sets the stage for you to become not only a skilled physician but also a leader in modern medicine. With accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and membership in the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), we uphold the highest standards to prepare you for the dynamic challenges of today’s healthcare landscape.
What makes our Doctor of Medicine (MD) program truly unique is our immersive clinical training model. During your first two years on our Memphis campus, you’ll build a strong foundation in medical science. Then, you’ll have the opportunity to rotate through all four of our campuses—Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville—gaining invaluable experience with diverse patient populations and healthcare systems. This unparalleled exposure ensures that you graduate ready to make an impact wherever your career takes you.
Our institution is also a hub for innovation and discovery. With over $95 million in research funding annually, UT Health Science Center is at the forefront of medical breakthroughs that are shaping the future
of healthcare. Whether your passion lies in advancing treatments for chronic diseases or exploring cutting-edge technologies and advances in medicine, you’ll find endless opportunities to contribute to meaningful research. But it doesn’t stop there. We are proud to offer one of the most robust graduate medical education programs in the country, with over 1,200 residents and fellows across more than 100 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited training programs. This means that as a student here, you’ll be part of a vibrant learning environment enriched by collaboration with peers and mentors who share your drive for excellence.
Our clinical partnerships with renowned institutions such as Regional One Health, Methodist University Hospital, Erlanger Health System, UT Medical Center Knoxville, and Ascension Saint Thomas ensure that you’ll train alongside some of the best physicians in the field. From day one, you’ll be immersed in real-world clinical settings that will sharpen your skills and ignite your passion for patient care.
At UT Health Science Center College of Medicine, we believe in more than just producing great doctors—we believe in building healthier communities. Guided by our mission — “Healthy Tennesseans. Thriving Communities. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of collaboration and service. Here, you’ll find not just a place to learn but also a place to belong.
So why wait? Take the next step toward an exciting future by reaching out to our Office of Admissions today. Let us help you become part of our legacy—a legacy defined by innovation, compassion, and excellence. We can’t wait to welcome you into our family at UT Health Science Center College of Medicine. Together, let’s change lives.
Warm regards,
Michael Hocker, MD, MHS Executive Dean
CURRICULUM
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
The Doctor of Medicine (MD) curriculum has two phases. The pre-clinical phase has foundational courses in anatomy, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, pathology, pharmacology and clinical medicine, all presented in an integrated format. There are ample research and community service opportunities. The clinical phase consists of seven clerkships in the third year, and a wide range of specialty electives and junior internships in the fourth year.
Options to complete an MD/PhD or MD/MPH are available, as is a Scholar’s Year in which students can complete a year of research, typically taken between the preclinical and clinical phases of the curriculum.
Clinical Rotations
Students in the College of Medicine complete their clinical rotations across the state of Tennessee in locations such as Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. During the clerkships, students focus their attention and efforts on patient problem-solving and experience an increasing level of responsibility throughout the rotations.
Affiliated Hospitals Across Tennessee
Include but not Limited to:
Regional One Health, LeBonheur Children’s Hospital, Baptist Hospital, The Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Methodist Hospital, St. Thomas Acencion, Erlanger Hospital, and UT Medical Center
Co-Curricular Certificate in Social Determinants of Health
The Co-Curricular Social Determinant of Health Certificate teaches students core content knowledge about how the conditions in which people live, work, and play impact health outcomes. Students have the opportunity to use this knowledge in practice through community-based service-learning opportunities. Students may enroll in the certificate at anytime and may complete the required components at their own pace.
MD/PhD
The MD/PhD Program seeks to provide highly motivated and unusually qualified students with an integrated clinical and basic biomedical training program leading to both an MD and a PhD degree. The program’s goal is to prepare graduates with the skills needed to function independently in both clinical and basic research environments. The first and last two-year periods of the program contain the medical curriculum; the intervening three or four years are devoted to graduate study in selected departments of the College of Medicine under the auspices of the College of Graduate Health Sciences. Students must be accepted to the College of Medicine to be considered for admission to the MD/PhD Program.
Scholar’s Year
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine encourages its students to expand their knowledge and skills by seeking research or scholarly experiences outside the established curriculum. The Scholar’s Year program at the University of Tennessee is available to students who have completed their second or third year of the curriculum and who are interested in completing a year-long experience in research, international medicine, or another pre-approved scholarly project.
Accelerated 3-Year Track
3-Year MD Program – This pathway allows students to complete medical school more rapidly and with reduced cost. The 3-year parallel curriculum is directed at highly motivated students who have pre-determined their specialty area and who wish to complete their residency here at the UT Health Science Center within one of the following specialties: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Medicine-Pediatrics, Neurology, Pediatrics, or Psychiatry. This program is designed to benefit students by reducing student debt, allowing them to get a head start in residency training and their income earning potential, and provide them with early access to faculty mentors within your chosen specialty.
Chattanooga: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine
Jackson: Family Medicine
Murfreesboro: Family Medicine
Knoxville: Internal Medicine, Family Medicine
UT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER CAMPUS
Nestled in the heart of the Memphis Medical District, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine campus is part of the largest medical university in the southeastern United States and stands proudly as the flagship public academic institution for training, research, and clinical care serving the citizens of Tennessee and the region. Our 55acre campus is strategically located centrally to a top children’s research hospital, a Level I trauma center, a major Veterans Administration facility, and dozens of outstanding private hospitals and specialty clinics. Students are provided access to the best in instructional facilities and an exceptional faculty of nationally recognized teachers, clinicians, and research scientists.
Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Simulation (CHIPS)
At the UT Health Science Center students embark on a journey of interprofessional and hands-on learning unparalleled by most colleges of medicine nationwide. Students from medicine, nursing, and pharmacy train together in the campus-based Interprofessional Simulation and Patient Safety Center, developing skills to deliver team-based health care, which is the model for the highest-quality care today. High-tech manikins and employees hired to portray patients in clinical encounters help learners hone their communication skills in sharing treatment plans with patients. The state-of-the-art facilities include one of the largest standalone buildings dedicated to healthcare simulation in the country at 45,000 square feet, including the Robert Kaplan Clinical Skills Center.
The Robert J. Kaplan, M.D. Clinical Skills Center (CSC) is a place for teaching, assessment, and improvement of clinical skills and communication for future health care professionals. Clinical skills include physical examination, medical history taking, and interpersonal communication skills. Through the use of standardized patients (SPs), students have the opportunity for hands-on experience. The program uses standardized patients to provide realistic clinical experience to students in risk-free, simulated patient situations, and also allows students to get immediate feedback on these skills.
Student Life Academic Support
The Office of Student Academic Success supports students through services to enhance learning, coping, and student performance. Academic Success provides free unlimited programming, services, and resources to assist students in adjusting to the emotional, academic, social, and physical demands of the health science curricula and health science professions.
Campus Recreation
Campus Recreation services provide group fitness classes, personal training, intramural sports, and affordable outdoor camping and boating rentals. The fitness center includes group fitness rooms, weightlifting and cardio equipment, a bouldering wall, swimming pool, and hot tub.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center campus is part of an investment region spanning downtown, Mud Island, South Bluffs, and the medical district. Twentysix thousand residents enjoying the heart of the city trend younger, highly educated, and active. The city touts 167 parks totaling 3,219 acres, 60 miles of bike lanes, 300 bikes from 45 Bike Share stations, fleets of thousands of electric scooters, and miles of running/biking/walking paths along the Mississippi River, the Green Line, Overton Square, and Shelby Farms, the second largest urban park in the nation.
Named the Next Hot Southern City by Travel and Leisure Magazine, Memphis is emerging as a destination for living, working, and playing. Consistently recognized as one of the most affordable cities in the nation, the city allows students to enjoy numerous festivals, museums, and cultural landmarks. Between the Memphis in May International Festival, iconic Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, Rock ‘n Soul Museum, Sun Studios, Stax Museum, Dixon Gardens, the Broadway Series at the Orpheum, the Memphis Grizzlies, Redbirds, and one of the most diverse food scenes in the country, it’s no wonder Memphis was included in TIME Magazine’s “100 of the World’s Greatest Places”.
The rich, cultural history of the city has been shaped by the roots of blues, soul, and rock ‘n roll, a legacy of civil rights movements, and an authenticity that can embrace character and welcome the future at the same time.
CHATTANOOGA
The University of Tennessee College of Medicine and Erlanger signed a formal affiliation agreement effective January 16, 1974, to officially recognize that the University would provide oversight, clinical experience, and education for UT Medical Students at Erlanger, as well as Graduate and Continuing Medical Education. Practicing physicians involved with medical education were appointed as Faculty of the University and local Department Chairs were identified.
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine - Chattanooga being responsible for all Undergraduate, Graduate, and Post-Graduate Medical Education in Chattanooga. Through that affiliation, Erlanger is designated as the primary clinical training site for all medical education in Chattanooga. Our medical and PA students, residents, fellows, and faculty are involved in the clinical care of almost every patient seeking treatment at Erlanger.
Knoxville, Tennessee provides a wealth of educational and clinical opportunities to our students. In addition to being on-site at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center and only academic medical center, our students have access to several other area hospitals and dozens of excellent clinical and community practice sites in Knox and surrounding counties. Students participate in multi-disciplinary learning experiences with physicians, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, as well as students from the same backgrounds. This allows us to provide tremendous learning, research, and clinical experiences for our students and faculty.
In addition to top-notch educational opportunities, our students have access to all the best in university and community resources, activities, and events. Our students in Knoxville may take advantage of all of the student programming and activities at the University of Tennessee Knoxville: speakers, plays, sports and exercise facilities, even tickets to athletic events! In addition to all of that, there are a number of festivals and events that happen in and around downtown Knoxville throughout the year: the International Biscuit Festival, Dogwood Arts Festival, Rossini Festival, Greek Fest, Festival on the 4th, Brewers’ Jam, and the Market Square Farmers’ Market, to name just a very few. There is always something happening around town!
We also have plenty of scenery and fun for those of you who like to spend your time outdoors. Of course, there is Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with miles of trails, activities, and camping. But there are also eighty-five miles of greenway around Knox County, as well as regional trails, nature parks, rock climbing, and too many lakes and rivers to count. If there is an outdoor sport you love, there is a place to find it in Knoxville!
Students rotating in Nashville have interprofessional learning opportunities with students in pharmacy, nursing, physician assistant, and social work. Nashville offers the excitement of experiencing Music City! Major attractions include the Ryman Auditorium, Grand Old Opry, Madame Tussauds Nashville, and Parthenon, as well as our professional sports teams, The Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. Nashville hosts one of the most active music scenes in the country, from country to rock and indie and is home to the CMA Music Fest and CMA Awards show, the famous Music Row and a host of records companies!
Ascension Saint Thomas is a ministry of Tennessee acute care hospitals, medical practices, and market partnerships united by a single mission: to provide spiritually centered, holistic care that sustains and improves the health of the communities we serve. Comprised of nine acute care facilities, one of the region’s largest medical groups and a vast network of health and wellness partnerships, Ascension Saint Thomas is the only faithbased, non-profit health system in Middle Tennessee, serving as the area’s low-cost, high quality care provider.
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE STATISTICS
(2025 ADMISSIONS CYCLE)
2,744 Applications received
415 Interviews conducted
277 Offers of acceptance
174 Matriculated
MCAT
155 In-state matriculants
19 Out-of-state matriculants
8 Enrollees from rural areas
129,366 Research hours completed
86,344 Service hours completed
24 with an advanced degree
Residency Match Statistics (2025)
States Represented in the 2025 Match
Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
Our mission reaches across the entire college, from students to faculty, staff, and alumni. We create programs and educational opportunities that strengthen our community and support student success. Faculty and leadership are committed to guiding students and helping them feel connected throughout their medical education. Our students are also our best ambassadors and meeting them during the interview process is one of the best ways to see what makes our College of Medicine a great place to learn and grow.
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Our students in the College of Medicine also possess a heart to serve humankind. The College of Medicine has many active student organizations to foster community and serve the city of Memphis through volunteerism. The organizations listed are just a few of the many that we have on campus for students to build relationships and collaborate with fellow classmates and colleagues. In addition to a variety of student organizations, the College of Medicine has many student interest groups related to various medical specialties in which students can become involved.
We use a holistic admissions approach to evaluate candidates that are ready to add their individual stamps of honesty, intelligence, compassion, integrity, and hard work to the profession of medicine. In this process, numerous factors are considered including academic performance, references, extracurricular activities, and work experience.
Our students in the College of Medicine are dedicated to serving their communities through healthcare and they spend a significant amount of time volunteering within Memphis and across the state of Tennessee. Donating their time to give back to the community and gaining valuable experience in patient care sets our students apart. We invite you to apply to join a future class!
ADMISSIONS
Application Deadline: November 15
All students apply to UT Health Science Center College of Medicine through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Please visit the AMCAS school directory for updates. The College of Medicine invites the most competitive students to an interview
which is conducted virtually via Zoom. Interviews take place during the late fall and spring. The college utilizes a rolling admissions process, which concludes by March.
All admitted students begin the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program in the fall semester.
Admissions Requirements
In order to be considered for admission to the College of Medicine, applicants must complete 90 semester hours of required prerequisite coursework at an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. Applicants may submit their AMCAS application prior to completing all prerequisite courses. A bachelor’s degree is not a requirement for admission. Although a student may be given a conditional admission, no student will be enrolled who has not finished all required courses prior to enrollment. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the spring semester. Admission to the College of Medicine requires the completion of a minimum of 90 hours of pre-professional coursework, distributed as follows:
Acceptable courses in physics must include laboratory credits and must adequately cover mechanics, heat, light, sound, electricity, and magnetism. Survey types of courses will not satisfy this requirement. Eight semester hours in modern concepts of mammalian biology, including laboratory are required. Courses in botany do not meet this requirement. Applicants who have been awarded advanced placement credit or other non-traditional credit in prerequisite science courses by their undergraduate institution will have those credits honored in fulfilling requirements for the College of Medicine, provided such placement has been followed by a more advanced course in the same discipline. Example: an applicant granted credit for biology will be required to complete the eight (8) semester hour requirement by taking advanced courses in that discipline..
Eight semester hours must be in organic chemistry and another eight semester hours must be in inorganic chemistry, which may include general or analytical chemistry. Each of these courses must be a complete, standard, college-level course utilizing full laboratory facilities.
Facility in the use of both oral and written English is considered highly essential to the successful study of medicine. Introductory freshman English (six semester hours) will meet the admission requirement. Students who qualify for advanced placement credit in English will not be required to take additional English courses, although such students are encouraged to do so.
TUITION, FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS
2025-26 Annual Tuition
In-State Tuition: $36,823 | Out of State Tuition: $56,318 | UT Health Science Center FAFSA Code: 006725
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Most medical students at UT Health Science Center College of Medicine receive some form of financial assistance to cover their educational expenses. To be eligible to receive financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid Application (FAFSA).
The three types of financial aid include grants, scholarships, and loans. While most of the aid awarded to medical students consists of loan programs, there are also scholarships available to medical students.
The Committee on Admissions selects accepted applicants to be considered for the College of Medicine merit-based scholarships. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership ability, interview performance, and personal qualities. Assuming continued demonstration of academic success, these scholarships are available up to four years. Additionally, students may be considered for diversity scholarships, with preference given to those from underrepresented backgrounds.
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is an EEO/AA/Title VI Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services.
