MD · Albuquerque, New Mexico · public
University of New Mexico School of Medicine prerequisites
What New Mexico asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 4 lines differ from the standard medical school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab. The single most universal prerequisite: essentially every MD and DO program asks for it, and it is the foundation the MCAT assumes.
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab. Take it early: organic chemistry, biochemistry, and most upper-division biology all sit behind it, so a late start pushes the whole sequence past your MCAT date.
- Organic chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two semesters with lab at most schools. A meaningful and growing minority accept one semester of organic plus one of biochemistry. Do not drop the second semester on that assumption until you have checked the schools you actually want.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester, expected at the 400 level. An introductory survey course may not satisfy it. Check the course number before you count it.
- Physics with labrequireddiffers
6 credits
Most medical schools ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
A full academic year of general physics, but this school does not require the laboratory, one of the few that does not. Take the lab anyway if any other school on your list wants it.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English or writing requirement appears on New Mexico's prerequisite chart.
- Statisticsnot required here
New Mexico lists no mathematics or statistics prerequisite at all. It does not even appear among its recommendations.
- Calculusrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. Required outright at a minority of schools (several of them highly selective) and accepted in place of statistics at most of the rest. Take it if calculus is already in your major's path.
- Psychologyrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. A minority of schools require it, but a quarter of the MCAT is psychological and social foundations: this is the cheapest points on the exam.
- Sociologyrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. Same reasoning as psychology: required by fewer schools, tested directly on the MCAT.
- Geneticsrecommended
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester. Required by a small number of schools and a common way to fill the upper-division science coursework that strengthens a science GPA.
Experience hours
- Clinical experiencerequireddiffers
150+ hours
Most medical schools ask for 150+ hours and list it as recommended.
New Mexico publishes no hours figure but states the expectation plainly: 'every applicant should reflect a vibrant interest in medicine demonstrated by clinical experiences with direct patient contact.' Hospital, clinic, nursing home or hospice settings all count, paid or volunteer. The rule that matters now is the format: 'since we have come to the end of the Covid pandemic, applicants are expected to return to in-person clinical/shadowing experiences', so virtual hours no longer carry weight. Source: https://hsc.unm.edu/medicine/education/md/admissions/apply/clinical-experience.html
- Physician shadowingrecommended
50+ hours
Aim for 40-50 across more than one specialty, including primary care. DO programs weigh shadowing more heavily and several ask for hours with a DO specifically. If DO schools are on your list, get those hours and the letter early.
- Non-clinical volunteeringrecommended
150+ hours
Service with no medical angle. Committees are reading for a habit, not a total, so one commitment held for two years beats five one-off events.
- Researchrecommended
100+ hours
Effectively expected at research-heavy MD programs and genuinely optional at many DO and community-focused schools. If research is not your path, put those hours into clinical work and say so clearly rather than padding a semester in a lab.
Also on the school’s page
New Mexico's list is close to the standard one with three differences worth knowing: physics needs no laboratory, neither English nor mathematics appears at all, and biochemistry is expected at the 400 level. Every prerequisite needs a C or better: a C- does not count. From summer 2023 the school caps online prerequisite lecture courses at two and stopped accepting online labs entirely, and AP or IB credit only counts for introductory biology, chemistry, or physics if your institution granted college credit for it.
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what New Mexico still needs from you.
See it for medical school