3-Year MD: Primary Care Accelerated Program (PCAP) - FAQ for the Class of 2030 and Beyond

• A Primary Care Physician (PCP) 
  • Practices in the community and is typically the first contact for patients.
  • Cares for patients across their lifespan (longitudinal care). 
  • Provides preventive care (ex: mammograms, pap smears, vaccines).
  • Manages chronic diseases (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, etc.) and treats acute illnesses in the outpatient setting. 
  • Promotes health, access to healthcare and community advocacy. 
• The difference between Primary Care and Specialty Care can best be thought of using the framework of the “4 Cardinal Cs of Primary Care” coined by pediatrician Dr. Barbara Starfield. They include Comprehensiveness, Continuity, Coordination and first Contact. Specialty care focuses on specific health issues linked to specific systems (endocrinology, orthopaedic surgery, cardiology, oncology, etc.)

Traditional Primary Care specialties include Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, and General Pediatrics. These specialties are offered in the UACOMP 3-year MD curriculum.

• Primary care physicians typically provide comprehensive, longitudinal care for patients in the outpatient setting but can also care for patients in other settings, such as the hospital or long-term care facilities, when appropriate. 
• Physicians in any of the primary care specialties who practice exclusively in the hospital are commonly referred to as hospitalists and not typically considered primary care physicians. This is because hospital-based medicine exclusively focuses on the acute care model.

• Arizona has a significant Primary Care shortage of both physicians and access, currently ranking 43^rd in the nation for Primary Care adequacy. 
• Today, Arizona needs over 600 Primary Care physicians across our state to address this crisis, and will need over 2000 by 2030, given the current trajectory. 
• Research consistently shows that robust access to Primary Care improves population health outcomes, including life expectancy.

• Students interested in training and practicing Primary Care.
• The minimum GPA and MCAT requirements, prerequisites, and overall admissions requirements for application to the 3-year MD program are the same as those required for the 4-year MD program.
• Students interested in the 3-year MD program can apply directly and specifically to the 3-year PCAP program option via AMCAS.
• Students who are granted an interview at UACOMP for the 4-year MD program may submit a letter of interest in the 3-year MD program and likewise be considered for the 3-year PCAP program.
• Details available via the Admissions Requirements link

• The first 18-months of training take place alongside the 4-year MD cohort in Phoenix. 
• This is followed by timely and successful completion of the national standardized USMLE Step 1 exam. By this time students are also paired with the primary care specialty (FM, IM or Peds) they wish to pursue. 
• The final 18- months of medical school, students proceed to their designated regional branch (Yuma or Gila River) to immerse in the clinical curriculum, clerkships, sub-internship and critical care rotations, which are identical to those in the 4-year MD program. Many experiences will focus on the populations served representing rural, Tribal and underserved communities.
• Linking medical school to local/regional residency programs is a strength of our design. This facilitates training and retention for practice and is referred to as a “3+3” model (3 years of medical school followed by 3 years of residency in a primary care specialty).
  • Residency match opportunities may exist at both the regional branch locations, as well as across the state of Arizona and beyond.

• UACOMP is committed to offering admission to a cohort of students who will matriculate directly into the 3-year PCAP program. The students will be part of one of the two UACOMP branches (Yuma or Gila River). They represent the commitment by UACOMP to support medically underserved communities of Arizona.
• The Admissions Committee makes the final decisions about admission offers to both the 3-year and 4-year MD programs. 
• Applicants who apply to both the 3-year PCAP and 4-year MD programs will be considered for each program based on each program’s respective mission, selection criteria, and institutional priorities. 

• PCAP student cohorts at both the Yuma and Gila River branches will receive full tuition scholarships. The program structure requires successful and timely completion of the foundational curriculum at the UACOMP Phoenix campus (first 18 months) followed by transition to either the Yuma or Gila River Branch for required clinical rotations during the final 18 months of medical school with immersion in the chosen primary care specialty (Family Medicine or General Internal Medicine or General Pediatrics).
• In rare instances, students matriculating into the 4-year MD program may have the opportunity to apply for admission to the 3-year MD PCAP program should the one arise after matriculation. It will be dependent on site capacity and is not guaranteed at this time. Scholarship availability for students with post-matriculation acceptance is also not guaranteed.