BA/BS-MD Program Information

The BA/BS-MD degree program at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) and Anschutz Medical Campus aims to promote diversity and to better serve the health care needs of the State of Colorado.  Students who have an interest and passion in becoming a physician, and practicing medicine in the State of Colorado, are encouraged to apply to the BA/BS-MD Program.

We believe it is our responsibility to help meet the healthcare needs of the State of Colorado by selecting talented students that intend to practice medicine in Colorado. The BA/BS-MD Program Admissions Committee will consider all aspects of an applicant's experiences, academic performance, and background including but not limited to:

• Excellence of academic record
• Array of community and/or volunteer service experiences
• Characteristics and capabilities that would make you an excellent physician
• Extracurricular activities
• Honors and Awards
• Full or part-time jobs held during school or in summers

Students must meet the following minimum criteria to be eligible to apply to the BA/BS-MD Program:

• Applicants must apply to CU Denver by October 23, 2023, and be accepted for admission as a degree seeking student at the University of Colorado Denver Downtown campus by November 20, 2023.​ *This is a program for CU Denver undergraduates only. Students wishing to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, the Univerisity of Colorado, Colorado Springs, or any other college/university are not eligible for this program; however, it is encouraged that you still apply to multiple universities and colleges, as there is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the CU Denver BA/BS-MD Program.
• Applicants must be current residents of the State of Colorado and a citizen of the United States​, a DACA recipient, or a U.S. permanent resident with a Form I-551, I-151, or I-551C.
• Applicants must be current high school seniors planning on graduating from high school in the fall of 2023 or spring of 2024.

​Colorado public colleges and universities consider the following in making admissions decisions:

•     High School GPA

•     Test Scores

•     Academic course mix and rigor

•     Extracurricular activities and other considerations 

***A successful BA/BS-MD applicant should have:

• A minimum high school grade point average of 3.5 (weighted or unweighted; whichever is higher).
• A composite ACT Score of 27 or higher and or an Evidenced Based Reading & Writing +Math SAT Score of 1185 or higher. 

***Please Note: The BA/BS-MD Program does not require test scores for admission consideration, however, you may submit these scores as supplementary material for your application if you choose.

We are currently seeking qualified candidates who have a strong interest and desire to become physicians and who will eventually practice medicine in the State of Colorado and have an interest in serving diverse communities. This program is focused on Colorado high school seniors such as the following: 

• From educationally disadvantaged backgrounds
• From financially disadvantaged backgrounds
• From federally designated rural/frontier communities in Colorado
• From ethnic groups who are currently under-represented in the medical community in Colorado including:
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​Black or African American
  • Hispanic/Latino
  • Native American/Alaska Native
  • Pacific Islander
  • Vietnamese
• First generation college students-someone whose parents did not attend or graduate​ from college or did not complete a baccalaureate degree.
• Desire to practice medicine in Colorado as a physician after the completion of medical school and residency.

The University of Colorado BA/BS-MD Program conducts its review practices holistically; in a manner which treats each applicant fairly, on the basis of experience, attributes and metrics without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, in accordance with federal law.

*NOTE: Students wishing to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, or any other college/university are not eligible for this program if admitted. The Program is a University of Colorado Denver and Anschutz Medical Campus Pathway Program.

Interviews will be offered to a select group of applicants by the University of Colorado School of Medicine Admissions Committee.  Factors that will be considered in choosing interviewees include activities that indicate a strong desire to participate in a career in medicine, leadership, academic achievement and potential, and one's unique lived experiences. Interviews will be conducted by members of the CU School of Medicine's Admissions Committee on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Each interviewee will be interviewed separately by two committee members, and each interview is 30 minutes in length. Students must be available for a virtual interview on the date scheduled to be considered for this program. We will not be able to accommodate any alternative dates for interviews. Interviews will be held virtually on Saturday, December 2, 2023.  Students can expect the interview process to last all​ day; 8:00AM to 4:00PM.

IMPORTANT: Applying to the BA/BS-MD Program requires the completion of two separate applications. Students must first apply for admission to the University of Colorado Denver Downtown Denver Campus before applying for admission to the BA/BS-MD Program (Fall 2024 Admission). Admission to the University of Colorado Denver can take up to six weeks.                                                                                          

***Please read through this entire page before requesting a supplemental application. The request link for the application can be found at the bottom of the page.

Applicants must apply to CU Denver by October 23, 2023, and be accepted for admission as a degree seeking student at the University of Colorado Denver Downtown campus by November 20, 2023. Completed applications for the BA/BS-MD Program and all required supplemental materials must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 27, 2023.  No exceptions to the deadline will be made.

The CU Denver Undergraduate Application for Fall 2024 is now available. The BA/BS-MD Supplemental Application is also available.  Please follow the instructions below to complete both applications.

1. CU Denver Undergraduate Application

• ​Before accessing the BA/BS-MD Supplemental Application, you must first complete an online application for undergraduate admission to the University of Colorado Denver.                                                                                                                 

***Please note, if you have completed CU Succeed, concurrent registration, or Pre-Collegiate courses at any CU Institution, you still need to complete the undergraduate application for first-time students.

Instructions for completing the CU Denver Undergraduate Application are available on the CU Denver Undergraduate Admissions Web page at:

     http://www.ucdenver.edu/admissions/apply/Pages/apply.aspx

• To schedule an informational appointment with a CU Denver Admissions representative and a tour of the downtown campus, please select an available date from the site below:

     https://www.ucdenver.edu/about-cu-denver/visit-cu-denver​

*Note: A completed undergraduate application consists of the following:

• $50 non-refundable application processing fee
• An official high school transcript
• Applicants who have earned a GED should also submit a copy of their certificate of high school equivalency, GED test scores, and an official transcript of all high school work completed 
• ***ACT or SAT scores- CU Denver is test-optional and does not require test scores for admission consideration. It is up to the applicant if they want their test score to be considered in the admission process. Applicants who choose not to submit a test score for admission will be considered the same as students who submit test scores.

2. Supplemental BA/BS-MD Application

Before you begin the application, please click through the entire application to review the contents of the application. Plan on spending at least 4 hours to complete the application thoroughly.

• The application does not require you to complete it in one sitting; however, once you add content to the application, you will have to go back  and review your selections and content added from the beginning before you can advance to the next section.
• As part of the supplemental application, you are required to submit the following items directly to the BA/BS-MD Program via Email.

1. Please submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation (no more than three):
   • One from a science (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics) and/or Math teacher.
   • A second from someone who has supervised you in a community volunteer experience working with a disadvantaged or underserved population in Colorado; i.e. working with the homeless; working in a nursing home or assisted living center; working in some capacity in a low income urban community; working in a neighborhood clinic that serves the indigent; working for an after school program in neighborhoods with lower socioeconomic status, etc.

Please Note: All letters must be sent in PDF format, and they must be signed and dated. Additionally, for security purposes, we cannot accept letters emailed by you or anyone other than the letter writer. Letters of recommendation must be sent directly from the letter writer, and they must use a .org, .edu, or .gov email address to send their letter. You will receive a "receipt of letter" email as we receive your letters of recommendation.

2. Please submit all official high school and/or college transcripts as well. You must have every high school and/or college you have attended send us official transcripts. These transcripts can be sent via Parchment or by your school's Registrar or a School Administrator, i.e., Principal, HS Counselor, etc. Also, if you have coursework from the University of Colorado Denver, we will not automatically include your CU Denver transcript in the BA/BS-MD supplemental application. You must also include your CU Denver transcript for submission with the supplemental application.

Program Process & Details

The BA/BS-MD combined program will take a minimum of eight years to complete; four years of undergraduate studies and four years to complete an M.D. Students will not be able to graduate early from their undergraduate program.

Students must attend the CU Denver Downtown Campus and complete a Bachelor's degree of their choice within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. A list of all undergraduate programs within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is available here.

Students will be guided in applying for scholarships to help cover their educational costs.

Students will be required to complete a sequence of required premedical coursework while pursuing their Bachelor's degree.

As a participant in the BA/BS-MD Program, students are expected to live in City Heights Residence Hall for their freshman year and participate in the Pre-Health Learning Community Seminar (Pre-Health LC). Students will live with other students who are also in the BA/BS-MD Program and with students who have similar academic interests in the Health Sciences. Program participants have the option of living off campus their sophomore, junior, and senior year.

Students will be required to participate in, and attend, co-curricular seminars on the Anschutz Medical Campus and the Downtown Denver Campus, and participate in full time summer programs each summer of their undergraduate education. This includes participation in a four-day Summer Bridge program that occurs in June prior to the start of the students’ academic career at CU Denver as well as a week-long academic boot camp starting the week before classes begin in August. Participation in both of these summer programs is required. The goal of the seminars and the summer programs is to enrich a student's education and enhance their knowledge about Colorado's public health issues, and to gain further knowledge about cutting edge research and biomedical ethics.

Upon successful completion of a Bachelor's degree, all academic, non-academic, and professional program requirements, the MCAT, and all CU School of Medicine admission requirements, including a successful SOM Interview, students can enter the University of Colorado School of Medicine (SOM) to complete their M.D. degree.

Program Criteria

All BA/BS-MD students are expected to aggressively apply for all scholarships for which they are qualified; the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office on the downtown campus will work closely with successful applicants to the program.

Summer Programs and Living On Campus
An important component of the BA/BS-MD Program are summer programs designed to help students successfully make the transition to college as well as enrich their educational experiences and prepare them for medical school. Student participation in each of these summer programs is mandatory. With the exception of the Summer Bridge Program, Academic Bootcamp, and MCAT preparation and Medical School Application processes, students will be paid for the time spent in the summer programs.

The summer before matriculating to the University of Colorado Denver, students will be expected to participate in a mandatory Summer Bridge Program and an Academic Boot Camp.

Summer Bridge will take place over a four-day period of time in early summer after acceptance into the BA/BS-MD Program. If held in-person, overnight housing for students and scheduled meals are provided.

The goal of the Summer Bridge Program is to help students with the transition to college by developing key skills that will set up a lifelong pattern of success.

Examples of the areas for skill development included in the program are:

• Identifying and Understanding Your Learning Style
• Time Management Skills
• Note Taking Skills
• Enhancing Your Communication Skills
• Understanding and Valuing Diversity
• Mental and Physical Wellness 

Students may also participate in subject assessments: Biology, Math, and Chemistry. The assessments will test the student’s readiness for honors courses and their performance on each assessment will help identify any knowledge gaps they may have.

Academic Boot Camp starts one week before the start of the academic year; Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Students will be participating in intense academic and non-academic activities on the Downtown Denver Campus and at the Anschutz Medical Campus.

​BA/BS-MD Longitudinal Experiential Curriculum (LEC)​-Students are required to engage in the LEC throughout their BA/BS-MD undergraduate experiences with planned periods of intensification of their activities during six-week dedicated periods during the summers between freshman/ sophomore and sophomore/junior years. Periodic LEC meetings with BA/BS-MD program leadership will provide continuity and guidance to the LEC experiences. Students will receive stipends during the summers in which they participate in the LEC program.​ The LEC supports activities in three main areas:​

• Community engagement 
• Research (basic, translational, or population-based)
• Clinical experiences
  • Direct Patient Care Experiences
  • Shadowing/Observation Experiences

MCAT Preparation​

​The Summer between junior and senior year, students will participate in intensive Medical School Application processes. This includes MCAT exam prep, the MCAT exam itself, the AMCAS application, the CU SOM secondary application, and transition activities related to the School of Medicine.

Course Work

In order to remain in good academic standing in the Program, students must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours during their first two academic years and must maintain an overall college grade point average of 3.50. In addition, students in the program cannot receive a grade lower than a B (3.0) in any of the required medical school pre-requisite courses. Finally, in April 2015, an updated version of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) was launched. Scores are reported in four sections:

• Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems
• Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
• Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior
• Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills

An appropriate MCAT score for matriculation to the CU School of Medicine will be announced at a later date. 

Students can major in any undergraduate discipline within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, at the University of Colorado Denver that leads to a B.A. or B.S. degree. However, all students must complete the medical school pre-requisites in accordance with the course list provided upon admission, while pursuing their undergraduate degrees.

All students will be required to enroll in Honors General Biology I and II and their associated labs as well as Honors General Chemistry I and II and their associated labs.  Students who completed AP, IB, or Community College Biology and Chemistry courses, will be asked to repeat those courses at the University at an honors level. Students who have taken courses at local community colleges or are transferring a large number of credits to the University, should note that this will not reduce the amount of time they will be required to spend in this program. Early graduation is not an option through this program.

Promotions Committee

At the end of every academic year, the BA/BS-MD Promotions Committee will review the progress of each student. If concerns are raised about academic performance, and or, professional development of a student, the concerns will be shared with the student and the student will be counseled and given an opportunity to address deficiencies. If problems are not adequately addressed by the student, the Promotions Committee can recommend dismissal from the program. Any recommendation made by the Committee must be affirmed by a majority of the BA/BS-MD Promotions Committee and approved by the Program Directors. 

It should be noted that dismissal from the program does not preclude a student from applying to the University of Colorado School of Medicine as a regular applicant.

Upon successful completion of the bachelor's degree, all program requirements as described above, and a successful School of Medicine Interview, students will be deemed to have met the academic, non-academic, and professional qualifications for admission to the University of Colorado School of Medicine.  While completion of the BA/BS-MD program will academically qualify the student for admission to the University of Colorado School of Medicine, final admission as a student to the University of Colorado School of Medicine is conditional on meeting all non-academic qualifications of School of Medicine applicants, including but not limited to the completion of a background check.​​