New Mexico faces a significant physician shortage, especially in primary care. HRSA’s 2026 shortage-area data show that 997,702 New Mexico residents live in primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas, representing 35.03% of the state’s population. Like the rest of the country, New Mexico may also be affected by retirements in an aging physician workforce. For students who want to pursue medicine, especially New Mexico residents, the state’s medical schools play an important role in training future physicians.
Here is a list of the main medical schools you can enroll in in New Mexico.
Top Medical Schools in New Mexico
1. University of New Mexico
Established in 1961 and admitting its first class in 1964, the University of New Mexico School of Medicine is a public medical school with a strong reputation in primary care, rural health, and service to underserved communities. In the 2026 U.S. News & World Report medical school ratings, UNM was listed as Tier 1 for Best Medical Schools: Primary Care and Tier 3 for Best Medical Schools: Research. Additional U.S. News rankings include #17 for graduates practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas, #39 for graduates practicing in primary care, and #63 for graduates practicing in rural areas.
The MD curriculum is divided into three phases. Phase I is a 23-month preclinical phase in which foundational science is organized into organ-system blocks, with clinical reasoning, clinical skills, continuity clinic, and practical immersion experiences. Phase II is a 12-month clinical clerkship phase with required clerkships in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery. Phase III is the final 12 months and includes clinical and non-clinical electives, a required sub-internship, an ICU rotation, a Comprehensive Ambulatory Care experience, and Medicine in New Mexico, a community-based clinical experience.
The school also offers combined pathways such as the MD/PhD and MD/MPH programs, as well as the Combined BA/MD Degree Program. The BA/MD program was created to help address New Mexico’s physician shortage by recruiting diverse students who are committed to serving communities across the state. Students first complete a baccalaureate degree through the UNM College of Arts & Sciences and, after meeting the undergraduate academic and eligibility requirements, move into a reserved seat at the School of Medicine.
Applications are made through AMCAS. Current minimum requirements include a minimum GPA of 3.0, a minimum MCAT score of 494, completion of all required prerequisites, and meeting residency requirements. As a state-supported institution, UNM School of Medicine prioritizes applicants who are New Mexico residents, graduates of New Mexico high schools, or dependents of New Mexico residents. Nonresident applicants may be considered under specific categories, including WICHE-participating states without medical schools, enrolled members of federally recognized tribes, active military stationed in New Mexico, graduates of New Mexico colleges, high school graduates from bordering counties in adjacent states, and exceptionally qualified MD/PhD candidates. Estimated resident tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year is $15,328, with additional required fees such as curriculum, library, and technology fees.
2. Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, now organized under Burrell College of Health Sciences as the Burrell College School of Osteopathic Medicine, is a private osteopathic medical school with a public-private affiliation agreement with New Mexico State University. The college was incorporated in 2013 and welcomed its inaugural class in 2016. It received full accreditation from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation in 2020 and was granted Accreditation with Exceptional Outcome, COCA’s highest level of accreditation, in 2024.
The DO program is divided into preclinical and clinical phases. During the first year, systems-based courses emphasize basic biomedical science with clinical correlates, while coursework in osteopathic manipulative techniques, clinical practice skills, medical informatics, and ethics is presented alongside the science curriculum. During the second year, systems-based courses emphasize pathology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, disease, and differential diagnosis. The third and fourth years focus on clinical rotations, including core clerkships and elective clinical experiences.
This medical school in New Mexico has modern facilities at its Las Cruces campus, including lecture halls, seminar rooms, a hybrid gross-virtual anatomy lab, a standardized patient facility, a physical diagnosis lab, a simulation center with high-fidelity mannequins, and a medical education center and library. Clinical training takes place through a network of physicians and Regional Academic Centers, with rotations available throughout New Mexico, Tucson, El Paso, and Florida. Current clinical training locations include Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Eastern New Mexico, El Paso, Tucson, Rockledge, and the Four Corners region.
Admissions are handled through AACOMAS. For the 2024 entrance year, Burrell reported 5,837 AACOMAS designations and 312 matriculated students across its Las Cruces and Melbourne campuses. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents and must submit an MCAT score. Rather than limiting admissions to one region, the school emphasizes a mission of improving health care access in underserved communities.
New Mexico can be an appealing location for anyone interested in pursuing and practicing medicine, thanks to the high demand for medical practitioners and the state’s ongoing need for physicians. The medical schools above are the main accredited medical school options in the state, so if you are still trying to decide which medical school you want to enroll in in New Mexico, consider these two. Additionally, you can use the free medical schools on our page to explore lower-cost and tuition-free medical degree options.
We hope this article on medical schools in New Mexico was helpful. To learn more information on how you can study in the United States, you can also visit Study in the USA Page or check out the Available Courses for International Students!
