College of Medicine - Tucson HEAP

Program Overview

This Honors Early Assurance Program (HEAP) allows students to apply for conditional admission to the College of Medicine -Tucson during their junior year. HEAP College of Med - Tucson seeks applicants who are poised to be the next generation of physicians, physician-leaders, and physician-researchers for Arizona communities and throughout the United States. 

Eligibility Requirements

HEAP College of Med - Tucson is open to all undergraduate Juniors from any major. Juniors are defined as having three semesters remaining until their intended undergraduate graduation date upon application to the program. 

Once accepted to the program, students will matriculate into the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson upon completion of program requirements, including satisfying all Franke Honors College graduation, bachelor’s degree, and COM-Tucson pre-requisite requirements. 

Applications will be considered through a holistic review process. To be eligible, applicants must: 

• Be an active W.A. Franke Honors College Student with a minimum 3.6 cumulative GPA.
• Receive a minimum score of 506 on the MCAT.

The College of Medicine-Tucson looks for the following attributes in applicants. This is not an exact list and meeting these attributes will not guarantee admission in any capacity:

• Are clearly motivated to pursue a career in medicine.
• Have previous healthcare and clinical exposure.
• Hold a high level of resilience, integrity and emotional maturity.
• Are strongly service and community oriented.
• Have previous research experience.
• Possess strong leadership and interpersonal skills.

Application Process & Timeline

Applications will typically open in late October and remain open until March. Students apply during their junior year via a Qualtrics submission and a letter of recommendation request form. The HEAP application is separate from the traditional application to the College of Medicine-Tucson. Please note that applications submitted through the traditional pathway will not be considered for HEAP admission, and HEAP applications will not be considered for the traditional admissions pathway.

Students are encouraged to submit the letter of request form as soon as they know they intend to apply; they do not need to, and should not, wait until their full application is ready for submission to request letters of recommendation.

Students who are selected for the HEAP cohort will need to complete the AMCAS process for the College of Medicine-Tucson during the summer between their junior and senior year of undergraduate coursework; College of Medicine-Tucson staff will assist in this process. Accepted HEAP students will be eligible for scholarships, if available. 

Applicants who are invited to interview will participate in both College of Medicine-Tucson and Franke Honors College interviews virtually. Opportunities to tour the campus and meet with current medical students and administrators will also be available. 

The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson uses a mission driven approach when reviewing applicants for admission. This process ensures each application receives fair and equitable consideration by evaluating the full range of an applicant's experiences, attributes, and academic achievements. Rather than placing emphasis on any single component, the College considers how each element contributes to an applicant's overall readiness for medical school. This mission-driven review process looks beyond academic metrics to identify individuals whose experiences, values, and commitment to medicine align with the mission and values of the College of Medicine–Tucson. 

At the time of application submission, applicants are not required to have their MCAT score. However, applicants must take their MCAT by early March of their application cycle to ensure that they have an eligible score prior to the commencement of cycle interview processes. MCAT exam dates fill quickly so it is recommended that students schedule their exams early to ensure they can get a date to complete the exam. Exam scores are typically released one month after the testing date. Only eligible applicants who reach the minimum MCAT score of 506 will be invited to interview. Reaching the required MCAT score minimum does not guarantee that an applicant will be invited to interview for the program.

Matriculation Requirements

Students accepted to the program receive a conditional acceptance, contingent upon successful completion of College of Medicine-Tucson pre-requisites and graduation from the University of Arizona and Franke Honors College. Students who are unable to maintain a minimum University of Arizona GPA of 3.6, do not complete Franke Honors Graduation requirements, and/or do not complete all pre-requisite courses will have their College of Medicine-Tucson offer rescinded. Disqualified students would be eligible to re-apply for admission to the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson via the traditional admissions pathway.

Once all requirements are completed, acceptance will be offered. No deferrals or gap year will be allowed for HEAP participants.

For questions about the College of Medicine-Tucson Matriculation Requirements, MD processes, MCAT process, visits, or HEAP, contact Elise Smith, Coordinator, HEAP & APME (elisersmith@arizona.edu).

Program-Relevant Information:

Students accepted into HEAP will complete a summer program between their junior and senior year which will provide an immersive, mentored experience with the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine-Tucson faculty and medical students. The length of the summer program will be determined in the spring semester, but the program typically spans a few weeks in late summer. For questions about the summer program contact, Dr. Zoe Cohen, Director, HEAP. 

The goals of the program are to:

• Train and inspire students in research-based approaches to problem-solving.
• Foster interactions with University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson faculty, researchers, and clinicians.
• Immerse Franke HEAP Scholars in University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson culture. 

Applications will be available on this website once the application period opens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Affiliated Program Staff & Faculty

College of Medicine-Tucson:

• Dr. Tejal Parikh | Associate Dean, Admissions | tparikh@arizona.edu
• Dr. Zoe Cohen | Director, HEAP & APME | zcohen@arizona.edu
• Larissa Gronenberg | Director, Admissions | larissag@peds.arizona.edu
• Elise Smith | Senior Coordinator, HEAP & APME | elisersmith@arizona.edu

Franke Honors College:

• Dr. Karna Walter | Assistant Dean, Student Engagement | karna@arizona.edu
• Tori Nardinelli | Assistant Director, Research, Creative Expression, and Professional Initiatives | outfleet@arizona.edu
• Gloria Cota Aguirre | Coordinator, Research & Early Assurance Programs | gcotaaguirre@arizona.edu