Arizona to Open First Tribal MD-Granting Medical School Branch in 2027
The University of Arizona and Gila River Health Care will launch the nation’s first MD-granting medical school campus on tribal land in Sacaton, Arizona, beginning July 2027 with ten fully-scholarship students each year.
A joint venture between the University of Arizona and Gila River Health Care will establish the first MD-granting medical school branch on sovereign tribal land, located in Sacaton, Arizona, with its inaugural cohort arriving in July 2027. Ten students each year will enroll in a three-year Primary Care Accelerated Program, receiving full tuition scholarships financed by GRHC. The curriculum starts with 18 months of foundational education in Phoenix before moving to Sacaton for clinical training within the tribal health system.
University President Suresh Garimella said the effort targets primary-care gaps in tribal and rural communities, while Governor Stephen Roe Lewis highlighted new local educational opportunities. GRHC has committed over $25 million through 2034 to support faculty, scholarships and infrastructure, and both parties are exploring primary-care residency programs to further retain physicians in underserved areas.
Why it matters
It brings medical education into tribal communities, aiming to reduce primary-care shortages where they are most acute.
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