Medical Schools in Utah: How to Get In (2024)
/Learn admissions strategies to get into the best Utah medical schools
learn everything you need to know about medical schools in utah
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Part 1: Introduction
With a population of 3.44 million, “The Beehive State”—better known as Utah—is no small territory! At just under 85,000 square miles, Utah is ranked as the 11th largest state (by geography) in the United States and is home to America’s tallest peaks. If you were to average the elevations of Utah’s tallest peaks and compare them to the tallest peaks of other counties in the U.S., you’d find that Utah comes out “on top.”
Utah’s elevation isn’t the only thing peaking in the state. Being home to three distinct medical schools, each with its own characteristics and medical missions, the medical schools in Utah offer something for every student. The University of Utah School of Medicine (Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine) offers an MD degree, while Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine and Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine offer DO degrees. Not to mention, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine specifically focuses on rural healthcare. In contrast, the University of Utah tends to focus on larger communities.
In this guide, we’ll examine each school's ranking, interview rate, and overall profile. We’ll also talk about strategies you can pursue to make you a better candidate for medical schools in Utah.
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Utah: Rankings & admissions statistics
Med school hopefuls have three medical schools in Utah to choose from: the University of Utah, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. The table below outlines important stats based on the schools’ most recent class profiles. As we researched to complete the table, here are a few things we also noted:
The University of Utah is the only MD-granting school in Utah.
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine is quite innovative. It is complete with a 140,000-square-foot building that includes not only 70 learning pods but also a simulation center and an anatomy lab.
The University of Utah has been involved in breakthrough medical research, including creating an artificial heart!
| Utah Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Utah* | $87,728 OOS |
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| Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine* | $54,439 OOS |
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| Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine* | $66,604 OOS |
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Part 3: Utah medical school profiles
University of Utah School of Medicine (Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine)
Founded in 1905 as a two-year medical institution, the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine became a four-year medical degree-granting school in 1941. The school serves all communities in Utah by intentionally educating its students to become compassionate physicians who are patient-centered in their medical model of practice. Additionally, its “One U” motto furthers its desire to “solve big problems in society.”
At the University of Utah, you won’t just receive a traditional clinical education alone. The school also emphasizes the need to develop nurturing, empathetic, and culturally competent physicians. In this manner, the school helps shape your professional identity and coaching. The school divides the curriculum into phases, so students receive an education in a logical way that aligns with the school’s mission and vision.
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine sits on 30 acres overlooking the Wasatch Mountain region and the Timpanogos Golf Club. In an impressive 140,000-square-foot building that spans four stories, its students have access to 70 learning pods, customized anatomy and OMM labs (osteopathic manipulative medicine), a library, a multi-faith room, and so much more! Noorda-COM aims to educate students academically while developing soft skills such as communication and empathy. Its innovative features help further these goals while creating forward-thinking physicians ready to make a difference in healthcare.
The curriculum at Noorda-COM is delivered via student-centered learning pods and simulators, providing students with access to cutting-edge medical technology. Beginning in the first year, students also have unique research opportunities, enabling them to update their resumes almost immediately.
In the first two years, students remain in learning pods, and they spend the last two years engaged in clinical rotations. Every year, students will have access to the simulation labs and learn OMM tactics. Research begins immediately in year one but increases in skills over the years.
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine is a private school located in three states, including Utah. The Utah campus was the second to open, and it admitted its inaugural class in the fall of 2017. Its mission is to thoroughly educate students in osteopathic medicine while also teaching students to meet the community's needs holistically. Its core values include compassion, diversity, inclusivity, equity, and integrity. To that end, they wholeheartedly work to instill those same values in their students.
Its application-based teaching methodology is unique and ensures students learn the material. In Years 1 and 2, students will first study bodily systems to understand how they function in the body (Year 1) and, later, the pathophysiology and clinical approach to each system (Year 2). Years 3 and 4 are dedicated to clinical rotations, though students are still expected to be involved in academic objectives.
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Part 4: Utah medical school admissions strategies
Strategy 1: Maintain a strong GPA
Academic excellence is not only essential for medical school; it’s expected. The best thing you can do is shoot for a GPA (especially your science GPA) above the average of recent matriculants (see table). To this end, balancing your undergrad coursework is vital so you’re not overwhelmed.
While your science classes will carry much weight (especially for schools that make a point to look at both), your cumulative GPA is critical. Just as important as maintaining a high GPA is scoring well on the MCAT. Be sure you pace yourself as you study for the MCAT so you’re not left cramming at the last minute. Additionally, you’ll want to allot enough time to possibly retake the MCAT for a better score if you’re unhappy with your first score.
(Suggested reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
Strategy 2: Gain clinical experience
Along with maintaining a high GPA and earning a high MCAT score, you’ll need to carefully consider the extracurricular activities you pursue before applying to medical school. Volunteering or working in a healthcare setting—shadowing a doctor, working as a scribe, or working as a medical assistant—can help you gain valuable patient care experience. Additionally, you can engage in medical research. You don’t necessarily have to be a first publisher, but spending time in a research setting will teach you much-needed skills and possibly earn another recommendation letter!
Suggested reading: (How to Get Into Medical School: The Ultimate Guide)
Strategy 3: Craft a robust personal statement and obtain solid letters of recommendation
After you reflect on why you want to be a physician, pour that into your personal statement. Be sure to highlight experiences and skills that make you a strong candidate. Many students think a personal statement is a biographical essay, but it’s far more important than just that. If you’d benefit from reviewing over 200 examples of med school personal statements, check out our personal statement hub, where you’ll find exactly that!
Looking for unique personal statement examples to accelerate your writing? We’ve got more than two hundred of them.
Gain instant access to the most in-depth personal statement resources available so you can write an essay that stands out. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will soon increase for new subscribers. (Note: You can end your subscription at any time and retain access to the content through the end of the period for which you signed up.)
Securing solid letters of recommendation will also be important as you choose from among the medical schools in Utah. You’ll need at least two from a science professor who can speak to your ability and passion, and you’ll likely need professional recommenders who speak to your professionalism. You might even be asked to develop your letters of recommendation to help. Whatever the scenario, be sure you have letters that support you, and don’t settle for any mediocre letters.
Strategy 4: Develop strong secondary essays
Once you’ve completed your primary application, you’ll have some time before you will need to submit your secondary application. Secondary applications usually require that you respond to essay prompts, providing you with another opportunity to share more information about yourself with the school.
We advise students to pre-write their secondary essays so they’re not stuck writing many essays at the last minute. Wondering what to say in your secondary essays? Check out our secondary essay example hub, where you can find every question for every school and example responses to every question!
Looking for medical school secondary essay examples? We have a sample essay in response to every prompt required by every medical school in the US and Canada. You can subscribe below.
Gain instant access to med school secondary essay examples for every single prompt required by every medical school in the United States and Canada. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
Final thoughts
Getting into one of the medical schools in Utah will take grit and resilience—along with a high GPA and MCAT score. With three schools to choose from, you’ll have your choice between allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. All of the schools in Utah seem to have a similar mission, though their execution styles may vary slightly. Nonetheless, if you get into one of the medical schools in Utah, you’ll be prepared to improve the healthcare system in Utah at large.
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Appendix A: Utah medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in Utah (MD)
University of Utah School of Medicine (Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine)
Osteopathic medical schools in Utah (DO)
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix B: Utah medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in Utah
University of Utah School of Medicine (Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine)
Private medical schools in Utah
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
