USMLE & COMLEX Tutor in Arizona

Board prep in Arizona splits by degree. The two public MD colleges, both University of Arizona, in Tucson and Phoenix, point students to the USMLE; the two private DO colleges, A.T. Still's in Mesa and Midwestern's in Glendale, point them to COMLEX-USA (school list). A third MD school, Arizona State University's John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering in Phoenix, holds preliminary LCME accreditation (LCME).

Both University of Arizona colleges fill most seats with Arizonans: 71.2% of Tucson's 2025-26 class and 66.9% of Phoenix's (AAMC FACTS).

Medical schools in Arizona

Schools based in other states also teach in Arizona: Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (MD, based in Rochester, Minnesota) lists a campus at Scottsdale; Creighton University School of Medicine (MD, based in Omaha, Nebraska) lists a campus at Phoenix.

School list: LCME and COCA accreditation lists, via the list of medical schools in the United States, checked October 2026.

Teaching hospitals in Arizona by city

• Phoenix: Banner University Medical Center PHX; HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Med Ctr; Valleywise Health Medical Center; St. Josephs Hospital & Medical Ctr; Abrazo Central Campus; HonorHealth Deer Valley Med Ctr; Mayo Clinic Hospital; Banner Estrella Medical Center; Phoenix Children's Hospital
• Tucson: Tucson Medical Center; Banner University Med Center Tucson; Northwest Medical Center; Banner University Med Center South
• Scottsdale: HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center; HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Med Ctr; HonorHealth Scottsdale Thompson Peak
• Mesa: Banner Desert Medical Center; Banner Heart Hospital; Mountain Vista Medical Center
• Glendale: Banner Thunderbird Medical Center; Abrazo Arrowhead Campus
• Cottonwood: Verde Valley Medical Center
• Yuma: Yuma Regional Medical Center
• Casa Grande: Banner Casa Grande Medical Center
• Chandler: Chandler Regional Medical Center
• Sierra Vista: Canyon Vista Medical Center
• Kingman: Kingman Regional Medical Center
• Sun City: Banner Boswell Medical Center
• Sun City West: Banner Del E Webb Medical Center
• Goodyear: Abrazo West Campus
• Gilbert: Banner Gateway Medical Center

Facts about Arizona

Accreditation: LCME directory; applications, places and in-state share: AAMC FACTS, Table A-1.

ABIM internal medicine certification exam by residency program: ABIM residency program pass rates; ABIM says to read rates from under 25 takers with caution.

• The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix reports 6,695 applicants, 488 interviews and 145 matriculants for its class of 2030, with a median MCAT of 515 and 75% Arizona residents. (University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix)
• Of that Phoenix class, 120 entered the four-year MD, 18 the inaugural three-year Primary Care Accelerated MD program in Yuma and 7 the MD/PhD. (University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix)
• For the 2026-2027 cycle, the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson sends secondary applications only to applicants with at least a 3.0 overall GPA, a 3.0 science GPA and an MCAT of 498, and accepts MCAT scores back to January 2024. (University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson)
• A.T. Still University's School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, in Mesa, typically enrolls about 160 students a year, reports 36.3 applicants per seat and an incoming average GPA of 3.53, and gives a four-year rolling average residency placement rate of 99.8%. (A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona)
• ATSU-SOMA assigns its students for years two through four to partner sites at or associated with large community health centers, among them Adelante Healthcare in Phoenix and El Rio Community Health Center in Tucson, and teaches medicine through about 125 clinical presentation schemes. (A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona)
• Every student at ASU's John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering earns an MD and an MS in medical engineering together, in a four-year program with HonorHealth as its primary clinical affiliate. (ASU John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering)
• ASU describes HonorHealth as nine acute-care hospitals with 19 graduate medical education programs open to its students, and anchors pediatric training at Phoenix Children's. (ASU John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering)
• In the 2025 Main Residency Match, Arizona programs offered 228 PGY-1 positions in internal medicine, 97 in family medicine, 81 in surgery, 59 in emergency medicine and 58 in pediatrics. (NRMP)

Sources: LCME, directory of accredited U.S. programs (checked October 29, 2026); AAMC FACTS, Table A-1, 2025-2026 (checked October 29, 2026); University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Class of 2030 admissions summary (checked November 1, 2026); University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, MD program admissions (checked November 1, 2026); A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, Fast facts (checked November 1, 2026); A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, Clinical rotation sites (checked November 1, 2026); ASU John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, Curriculum (checked November 1, 2026); ASU John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, Clinical affiliates (checked November 1, 2026); NRMP, 2025 Main Residency Match by state and specialty (checked October 29, 2026); ABIM, residency program pass rates 2023-2025 (checked October 29, 2026).

Five medical schools, five routes to the boards

The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix reports 6,695 applicants, 488 interviews and 145 matriculants for its class of 2030, with a median MCAT of 515 and 75% Arizona residents. Of those students, 18 entered the school's inaugural three-year Primary Care Accelerated MD program in Yuma (UA Phoenix class of 2030). A three-year track has no spare year, so we start Step 1 and Step 2 CK planning with those students in their first year.

Tucson publishes its floors: for the 2026-2027 cycle it sends secondary applications only to applicants with at least a 3.0 overall GPA, a 3.0 science GPA and an MCAT of 498, and it accepts MCAT scores back to January 2024 (UA Tucson admissions).

Arizona State University's John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering, still on preliminary LCME accreditation, gives every student an MD and an MS in medical engineering in one four-year program. Its primary clinical affiliate is HonorHealth, which ASU describes as nine acute-care hospitals with 19 graduate medical education programs (ASU curriculum; ASU clinical affiliates). Its students will sit the same USMLE Steps as the University of Arizona's, alongside the engineering degree.

On the DO side, A.T. Still University's School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, in Mesa, typically enrolls about 160 students a year, reports 36.3 applicants per seat and gives a four-year rolling residency placement rate of 99.8% (ATSU-SOMA fast facts). SOMA places students for years two through four at community health center partner sites, among them Adelante Healthcare in Phoenix and El Rio Community Health Center in Tucson, so many SOMA students prepare for COMLEX far from Mesa (ATSU-SOMA clinical rotations). Midwestern University's Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale is the state's second DO college.

Residency positions in Arizona

In the 2025 Main Residency Match, Arizona programs offered 737 positions. Internal medicine was the largest group, with 228 PGY-1 positions, followed by family medicine with 97, surgery with 81, emergency medicine with 59 and pediatrics with 58 (NRMP).

Internal medicine residents then sit the ABIM exam. In 2023-2025, 100% of 36 first-time takers from the Mayo Clinic program in Scottsdale passed it, as did 91% of 75 from the University of Arizona's Phoenix program (ABIM).

Which board exams Arizona students take

Students at University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix take the USMLE: Step 1, reported pass/fail only since January 26, 2022, then Step 2 CK, then Step 3 after graduation (USMLE).

Students at A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (Mesa) and Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (Glendale) take COMLEX-USA instead: Level 1, Level 2-CE and Level 3 (NBOME).

Residency adds another gate for internal medicine graduates: in 2023-2025, 91% of 75 first-time takers from the University of Arizona's Phoenix program and 86% of 110 from its Tucson program passed the ABIM exam (ABIM).

Arizona licensing rules that affect your exam plan

Arizona licenses MDs and DOs through separate boards, so the FSMB lists a set of rules for each. The medical board sets no limit on USMLE attempts and allows seven years to finish the USMLE for initial licensure (FSMB). For osteopathic licensure, FSMB says only to contact the board on attempts and time; both boards ask for one year of training (FSMB).

Arizona Medical board

Arizona Osteopathic board

Source: FSMB state licensure requirements, checked October 2026; confirm with the board before relying on them.

What Arizona's rules mean for how you study

• Arizona's medical board sets no cap on USMLE attempts (FSMB), but the USMLE program's own four-attempt limit per Step still applies (USMLE eligibility rules), so book each Step when practice scores say you are ready.
• The seven-year window covers initial licensure; FSMB lists no limit once you are already licensed (FSMB). A research year or leave of absence can eat into it, so put all three Steps on one calendar before you pause.
• For DO students, FSMB gives no attempt or time rule for Arizona's osteopathic board and says to contact it (FSMB). Ask the board before you plan COMLEX Level 3, and keep its answer with your exam records.
• Arizona asks for one year of postgraduate training before a first license, three for international graduates on the medical board (FSMB); count that year when you pick a Step 3 date so the exam does not hold up your license application.

Many Arizona students rotate, interview or match next door. Arizona's neighbors on our list: California (13 MD, 3 DO), Colorado (1 MD, 1 DO), Nevada (3 MD, 1 DO), New Mexico (1 MD, 1 DO), Utah (1 MD, 1 DO).

How much Arizona searches for board prep

From October 2021 to October 2026, Arizona ranks 27th of 51 for “USMLE” and 24th for “COMLEX” (Google Trends, United States, retrieved October 2026), close enough that neither exam series dominates. Its best showings are “Shelf exam”, the end-of-rotation test, at 16th, and “USMLE Step 1” at 21st.

Source: Google Trends, United States, past 5 years, retrieved October 2026; ranks show relative interest, not student numbers.