Getting into the Long School of Medicine (UT Health San Antonio)
The Long School of Medicine trains more physicians than anyone else in South Texas, in a San Antonio its own leaders describe as “what the nation will look like in 20 years.” Here's an honest read — no odds.
Updated September 2026 · 2026-2027 cycle · figures cited to the Long School's official pages
What is the Long School's mission — and what does it signal?
“Our mission is to provide responsive and comprehensive education, research and service of the highest quality in order to meet the health-related needs of the citizens of Texas.”Long School of Medicine mission1
The operative words are “the citizens of Texas” — but the school pairs that with an explicit embrace of San Antonio's diversity as a strength for training and research. Founded in 1968, it now educates 900+ students and trains 800 residents, and houses the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Central and South Texas.1 Applicants tied to serving diverse or underserved Texas communities fit the stated mission most naturally.
What makes the Long School's curriculum distinctive?
The Long School's distinctive strength is its South Texas clinical and research base: it's the region's largest physician trainer, with world-recognized programs in Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, cancer, and kidney disease, anchored by that lone NCI-designated cancer center in the region.1 For students who want to formalize a second discipline, the school offers dual-degree and distinction tracks — including MD/MPH, MD/MBA, and notably an MD/MSAI (Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in medicine), one of the more forward-looking dual degrees among Texas schools.3 The San Antonio patient population gives unusually broad exposure to the conditions that will define U.S. medicine.
How does the Long School review applicants?
Review is holistic — the school weighs academic strength alongside “broad and varied experiences in healthcare, leadership and community service.” Applications run through TMDSAS; CASPer is required; and the school considers only U.S. citizens or permanent residents and does not accept transfer students — two hard eligibility lines worth checking before you invest in an application. Letters come via TMDSAS. Because the school no longer posts a class-stats page, treat the requirements page as the source of truth for what's actually required.2
What is the Long School interview like?
The Long School's interview is virtual (Zoom) and traditional, with a distinctive pairing: one faculty committee member and one current medical student interview you together, alongside the required CASPer and a one-way video component.2 The student voice in the room is unusual — expect a conversation that weighs fit and collegiality, not just credentials.
What are the Long School's secondaries like?
As a TMDSAS school, the Long School draws much of its secondary information from the Texas application plus CASPer and the one-way video. Confirm the current supplemental requirements on the school's own admissions page each cycle — prompts and components change, and we won't invent them here.2
What does the Long School cost — and how does the timeline work?
For 2026–27, tuition is about $21,823/year for Texas residents and $37,239/year for non-residents (tuition-only for the early years; mandatory fees of roughly $4,500 are additional). It's among the more affordable Texas publics on a tuition basis.4 Confirm the current cost-of-attendance sheet before relying on the numbers.
Who the Long School tends to fit
If you're an out-of-state applicant eyeing Texas, ask the school directly about residency: it does not publish an in-state share, so we can't say how its residency mix compares with other Texas publics. Beyond that, it fits applicants drawn to serving a diverse, largely Hispanic-serving South Texas population, and those interested in its research strengths (cancer, aging, diabetes) or its forward-looking MD/MSAI path.3 Remember the hard gates, though: U.S. citizens or permanent residents only, and no transfer students.
Its underrated angle is access — and its honest quirk is what it won't tell you.
Every conversation about Texas medical schools gets stuck on the 90%-in-state law, and this school does not publish its own in-state share or class size. What else it doesn't publish is a class-average MCAT or GPA — the school stopped posting a public stats page, and we won't quote a number we can't point to on a live official source. Don't read that as a low bar; admission here is competitive. Read it as a reminder to judge your fit on mission and eligibility — a genuine tie to diverse, underserved Texas care — rather than a number, and never a probability we'd pretend to calculate for you.
See exactly where you stand — at the Long School and every school on your list
Preceptorly is admissions software built by a practicing physician. It matches your real numbers to each school's published averages — never fake odds — and coaches the parts that actually decide your cycle:
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Frequently asked
Does the Long School publish its average MCAT and GPA?
Not currently on a public page. UT Health San Antonio's most recent class-profile figures lived on a page that is no longer live, so we don't quote an exact average here rather than cite a dead link or an aggregator. Admission is competitive; judge fit on eligibility and mission, and confirm any current numbers directly with the school.2
Is the Long School easier to get into as an out-of-state applicant?
The Long School does not publish an in-state share or a class size, so we can't say how it compares with other Texas publics. We don't publish acceptance rates; confirm eligibility and current details on the school's official page.2
Who is in the Long School interview?
A faculty committee member and a current medical student, together, over Zoom — a distinctive pairing — plus the required CASPer and a one-way video.2
Does the Long School accept transfer students or non-citizens?
No transfers, and it considers only U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Check these eligibility lines before applying.2
What dual degrees does the Long School offer?
Options include MD/MPH, MD/MBA, and an MD/MSAI (Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence in medicine) — a notably modern pairing — among other distinction tracks.3
What does the Long School cost?
For 2026–27, roughly $21,823/year (resident) and $37,239/year (non-resident) tuition, with fees additional — among the more affordable Texas publics.4
Sources — the Long School official pages
- Mission, San Antonio diversity, history (founded 1968), NCI-designated cancer center: https://uthscsa.edu/medicine/about
- Admissions (holistic review, eligibility, interview format, CASPer, TMDSAS): https://uthscsa.edu/medicine/education/ume/admissions/requirements
- Dual-degree & distinction programs (MD/MPH, MD/MBA, MD/MSAI): https://uthscsa.edu/medicine/dual-degree-distinction-programs
- Cost of attendance / tuition (UT Health San Antonio, MD program): https://students.uthscsa.edu/financialaid/cost-of-attendance/
This is an honest-exception page: UT Health San Antonio does not currently publish a class-average MCAT or GPA on a live official page, so none is shown — we do not cite a dead link, an old cached figure, or an aggregator. All other figures are the school’s own published facts, tuition/fee lines exclude living costs. No acceptance rate or admission odds are shown, by policy. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by UT Health San Antonio; confirm all requirements on the school’s official pages.