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Allopathic (MD) Public Founded 1870 Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

Iowa City, IA · University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics · 142 students per class

Program Statistics

Official school figures and U.S. government data · sources below

Official class profile
Selectivity · Entering class of 2026
514average MCAT
+12 above national average
nat. avg 502 514
Cost of Living
Median rent · Johnson County, IA$1,122/mo
0.8× the U.S. median ($1,413) · Census ACS 2020–2024
Class Profile
48%

48%

Women

20%

20%

Out-of-State

142

Class Size

Scale & Reach
Applied3,902
Enrolled142
3.6% of applicants enrolled

$133M

NIH funding · FY2025

Clinical training & research
Clinical Training Sites · 3
  • University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
    Iowa City academic medical center · ER
    ★★★★★
  • Iowa City VA Medical Center
    VA · ER
    ★★★★★
  • Des Moines branch campus
    Core clerkships · Broadlawns and UnityPoint

★ CMS overall hospital rating (1–5). Children's, cancer and psychiatric hospitals aren't rated.

Research Depth
'21'22'23'24'25

$133M

NIH · FY2025

-4% since FY2021

Top NIH-funded departments

  • Internal Medicine / Medicine$31M
  • Pediatrics$17M
  • Microbiology / Immun / Virology$13M
  • NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • NIH-funded MD-PhD (MSTP)
  • NIH clinical & translational science hub
  • 139 recruiting clinical trials
Programs & admissions
Programs & Tracks

Tracks & programs

  • Distinction tracksResearch, global health, service, teaching, humanities, health care delivery
Applying
Minimums
GPA 3.0 overall and science · MCAT 500
Residency
114 of 142 in the 2026 class are Iowa residents

Sources: Carver College of Medicine Current Class Profile (2026) · Carver MD Requirements · Carver Distinction Tracks · Carver Des Moines Campus · NCI-Designated Cancer Centers · Census QuickFacts (Johnson County, IA) · NIH RePORTER · ClinicalTrials.gov · CMS Care Compare

Program Highlights

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Curriculum

Gabriel Conley describes a fast-paced curriculum built to get students into the hospital early, with four to five hours of lecture or required lab a day and exams about every other Friday. Lectures are recorded and attendance is optional.

Grading is Pass/Fail/Honors, and students share Carverpedia, a wiki of student-made study guides and practice questions.

stethoscope

Clinical Skills

The Clinical and Professional Skills course runs from day one, with an extensive simulated patient program; Gabriel estimates 50 or more sessions before the clinical years. Early Clinical Experiences put students in clinic with physicians several times a semester.

Students can complete some or all of their core clerkship year at Carver's Des Moines branch campus.

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Distinction Tracks

Students can earn up to two distinction tracks, in research, global health, service, teaching, humanities, or health care delivery, recognized at graduation and on the transcript.

Gabriel mentions a funded summer research fellowship after first year and global health projects in countries including Indonesia, Haiti, Guatemala, and South Africa.

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Iowa City

Iowa City is a college town with a strong music and writing culture, summer festivals, one of the state's best farmers' markets, and trails and kayaking nearby.

Classes come together each spring for a variety show downtown, along with charity events like the Doc Dash 5K.

Sources: DocStory interview with Gabriel Conley · Carver Distinction Tracks · Carver Des Moines Campus

Student Voices

1 interview from current and former Iowa students

GC
Gabriel Conley
MS2 · University of Iowa undergrad · Cherokee, IA

"The culture at Iowa feels incredibly collaborative to me. We have a plethora of tutor availability (from other classmates), and we do a ton of note-sharing as well."

Read Interview →