However, beginning the 2009–2010 incoming class, the school changed its policy to allow for admission of "highly-qualified," non-residents.

[4] Beginning in the early 1990s, a Phoenix program was established to allow the school's 3rd and 4th year medical students to complete clinical clerkships at Phoenix-area hospitals.

To address this issue, Planned Parenthood implemented a rotation for obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn) residents to receive abortion training to meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements.

In the last two years, students complete clinical clerkships at a number of Tucson-area hospitals and have the option to rotate in Phoenix as well.

[8] Admission to the College of Medicine – Tucson is very competitive with nearly 10,000 applicants vying for 120 spots for the 2022 graduating class.

[9] Beginning in the 2009–2010 admissions cycle, the school began to accept "extremely qualified" out of state applicants with a cap of 25% of the incoming class.

Starting in the 2011–2012 cycle, this cap was raised to 50% due to the increased number of seats at the recently established Phoenix campus.

In 2017, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Arizona College of Medicine #74 for primary care and #63 for research.

Faculty in the basic science departments teach undergraduate, medical, and graduate/doctoral courses in multiple programs.

Medical students earn elective credit by seeing patients to perform primary and preventative care, and providing diagnostic procedures under the supervision of physicians.