The UI does not have a formal pre-medical program and we cannot track our premed

students. Nonetheless, our students do apply for admission to medical programs and

many are accepted. About 20 years ago, UI offered a bachelor’s degree in pre-medical

studies but dropped the major after several medical schools, including the University of

Washington, urged us to eliminate the program. When they were asked what majors they

were looking for in their applicants, they indicated that major did not matter as long as the

student had completed the pre-requisite coursework before matriculation (see below).

Just over 75% of our applicants to medical school (allopathic + osteopathic) have

been accepted. Most of our successful applicants have been accepted on their fist

application but others have been accepted on their second or third applications. We count

as 1 success any student who is accepted sooner or later. Numerous undergraduate

programs around the country indicate that they have a 90+% acceptance rate into medical

school. These programs generally obtain such stellar success rates by discouraging

borderline students from applying. This has never been our policy at UI. Keep in mind

that your success really depends on You! You need to be motivated, organized,

disciplined and tenacious to achieve your goals – and it can be done, so be optimistic.

As mentioned above, medical schools will accept students majoring in any area

and statistically, no major, or group of majors is favored. For example over the last 5

years, UI graduates accepted into medical school had earned degrees in business, political

science, and English literature alongside other graduates who had majored in biology,

microbiology, or psychology. Our recommendation is that you major in the field that

genuinely interests you!

You will have to complete a set of prerequisite courses regardless of your major

and different medical schools have different prerequisites. Nonetheless, the following set

of courses will satisfy the science prerequisites for most U.S. medical schools:

2 semester sequence with lab in general chemistry (Chem 111 & 112) & organic chemistry (Chem

 277+278 &372+374) & physics (Phys 111 & 112) & biology (Bio 115 & 116)

1 semester, lecture course in biochemistry, molecular biology or cell biology

Math: Only about 15% of the medical schools in the U.S. require calculus – most

do not. Examples of schools that to not require calculus are Stanford University,

University of Washington, University of Utah, Creighton University; examples of school

that require at least 1 semester of calculus: Harvard University, Duke University,

Dartmouth University, and the military program: Uniformed Services University of the

Health Sciences.

English: Numerous medical schools require 2 semesters of English composition;

some will not accept challenge, advanced placement (AP), or correspondence courses to

fulfill this requirement.

Other requirements: Some medical schools have additional prerequisite

coursework. For example, the University of Nevada School of Medicine requires 2

psychology courses in addition to those science courses listed above. Consult the premed

advisor for any questions concerning additional prerequisite coursework.

A lower division course or sequence in Human Anatomy & Physiology is

discouraged. However, upper division courses in anatomy, physiology, genetics,

biochemistry are looked upon favorably.

No, and neither do other colleges. There is no guarantee that in any particular

semester the course you need/desire will be offered and/or that seats will be available in

the course if it is offered. Be sure to plan your schedule carefully in advance. If you want

a particular course, see the professor who teaches it and let him/her know well in advance

that you would like to take the course. There are still no guarantees, but you can increase

your chances of being given a seat in the course.

No.

The GPA of the average successful applicant to MD programs nationally, as well

as at the University of Washington, is about 3.65-3.70. Keep in mind that this is the

average; medical schools are not looking for 4.0 students. Nonetheless, to be highly

competitive, you will need a 3.5 or above.

Technically: No. However, it is critical that you be able to answer, to the

satisfaction of the admission’s committee, the question: How do you KNOW that you

should become a physician? The only way to answer this question effectively is to base

your answer on your experiences in medicine and your interactions with physicians. How

can you get experiences necessary to answer the question? Our successful applicants are

either the child of a physician (and know, first hand, what they’re getting themselves

into), or have had extensive, recent medical treatment themselves, or have

worked/volunteered in a medical clinic or hospital where they have spent extensive,

quality time talking to physicians about all aspects of health care. Regardless of your

grades, MCAT scores, and all the other impressive stuff you’ve done, medical schools

won’t accept you unless you can convince them that you know exactly what you’re

getting yourself into. (They are exceedingly concerned that you not withdraw from

medical school after you’ve been accepted because you’ve had a change of heart or

because it wasn’t what you expected.)  How do I get hospital or clinic experience? In this community,

 the best experience generally comes through the Office of Volunteer Services, Gritman Medical

Center, Moscow. Unfortunately, the number of pre-medical students at UI that want/need

hospital experience generally exceeds the number of volunteer slots available at Gritman.

Therefore, we urge you to set up volunteering/shadowing experiences in your hometown

over Christmas and summer breaks.

Do prepare for the MCAT. There are a variety of good MCAT study guides

available commercially. We recommend that you purchase one and continually look over

the material while you’re taking the science prerequisite coursework. Then, if/when you

have questions concerning the material, take your questions to your professor or TAs –

they are there to help you. In this way, you're casually studying for the MCAT while

studying for your science courses well in advance of the exam. Several months before the

real exam, take as many practice exams as you can – with a clock. Work on pacing.

After completing such timed exams, go back and look up the answers to questions you

didn't know or weren't sure about. Do not prepare for the MCAT by simply rereading

your science books – take the practice tests and with a clock!

We recommend that you take the MCAT in spring, about 16 months before you

hope to enroll in medical school. By taking the spring MCAT, you will get your scores

back in June giving you plenty of time to apply through AMCAS (American Medical

Colleges Application Service) and/or AACOMAS (American Association of Colleges of

Osteopathic Medicine Application Service). In this way, you send the signal that you're

dedicated, motivated, and organized. An additional advantage for signing up for the

spring MCAT is that if circumstances require (for example, due to illness or personal

problems), you can retake the exam in August without being delayed a year in the

application process. BTW, MCAT scores are good for three years.

You aim for the highest score you can! Currently, the average MCAT score of

successful applicants to the University of Washington School of Medicine is about a 32

on the combined Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, and Physical Sciences scores.

Occasionally, students receive mediocre MCAT scores despite having stellar

grades. They are quick to point out that the MCAT represents part of one day while their

grades represent several years of work. However, the medical schools point out that the

best predictor of a student's success in medical school (based on a variety of parameters)

is the MCAT, not grades. Further, since the US Medical Licensing Examinations you

take in medical school are standardized exams, they cringe at pre-med students admitting

that they don't do well on standardized exams. So, take the MCAT seriously and prepare

for it well in advance.

As a general guide, we recommend that you obtain the following minimum set of

letters:

• two from faculty who have had you in science courses or with whom you have done

scientific research;

• one from a faculty member outside of the sciences;

• one from someone who has supervised you in a health professions setting;

• perhaps an additional letter from an employer or job supervisor.

• Do not ask for one from a family member, clergyman, or politician. (Actually, a

politician is ok if you've worked very closely with that person and s/he knows you

very well.)

When asking these people for a letter make sure you give them a copy of your resume

detailing your performance in relevant classes, your clinical experiences, any unusual or

interesting experiences outside of medicine, and a list of accomplishments (and possibly,

hobbies, if they're unique). With this information your writers can generate a very

personal and informative letter. (Keep in mind that admissions committees already know

your academic abilities, so recommendations from professors who can only discuss how

well you did academically in their classes are of little value.)

We recommend that you have letters of recommendation sent to the UI pre-med advisor. 

He cannot read nor show you the letters.  However, he can inform you when they arrive,

make sure your name is spelled correctly, make sure the letter is signed, etc.

He will scan your letters into a single PDF document and upload them to VirtualEvals (run in conjunction with the National

Association of Advisors for the Health Professions [NAAHP]).  Allopathic and osteopathic medical programs

that you designate then will be notified and have access to this letter of recommendation file.  It's fast,

secure and most US medical schools participate.  In terms of when, generally arrange to have your letters

sent to the pre-med advisor in July or August in the summer that you start the application process, about

12-13 months before you hope to enroll in medical school.

We recommend that you submit your AMCAS (MD programs) and/or

AACOMAS (DO programs) applications by mid-summer, 13 months before you hope to

enroll in medical school. By this time you should have gotten your MCAT scores (if you

took the exam in April) and you can make an informed decision as to whether you have a

good shot. Again, it is important to get your applications in early – well ahead of the

deadline – as it is a signal that you're dedicated, motivated, and organized. Further, since

at least most U.S. medical schools operate on a rolling admissions policy, by applying

relatively late in the application process (close to the October – November deadline),

you're competing for a subset of available medical school seats as some, most, or all

positions have already been awarded. (One of our students actually got all of his

materials to a specific medical school by the posted deadline and was subsequently

informed that all medical school seats had already been awarded!) So, get your

application in relatively early; aim for mid-summer.

Part of the application is an essay. This is a very important part of the application.

It should clearly outline what experiences you've had, what you've learned from those

experiences about yourself and how those experiences have convinced you that medicine

is your calling. Make sure you have multiple people read your essay before you send out

the final draft – make sure it states exactly what you want without any spelling or

grammatical errors!

Four things primarily: 1) good grades, 2) good MCAT scores, 3) that you have a

good, thorough knowledge about what you're getting yourself into, and 4) something else.

(Letters of recommend are also important.) Why "something else?" Medical schools

are very interested in broadly educated, well-rounded, unique individuals – they are not

interested in bookworms or 'medi-clones.' (Medi-clones are pre-meds who smart and

have done all the same things.) So, several 'something elses' work well. One is

community involvement. Medical schools really appreciate your being involved with

people in your free time working on a cause that makes your community a better place to

live. These involvements include active participation in Habitat for Humanity, coaching

or refereeing kid activities through Moscow Parks and Recreation, playing your guitar on

a monthly basis for the elderly in a local nursing home, reading to a blind person on a

regular basis, etc. They appreciate your taking a cause to heart and doing something

about it. Another very positive 'something else': international experience. Several of our

pre-med students have done university exchanges abroad. One student recently spent a

semester working at a medical clinic in Nepal, another spent a year in Korea teaching

English. Experiences such as these can really broaden your vision of the world – medical

schools like that very much. Another 'something else': research. If you're genuinely

interested, get involved in a research project on campus and really sink your teeth into the

project: be a very active participant and don't do it just to be able to add a line to your

application. Anything else that distinguishes you can be positive: you write and publish

poetry, you're a blue ribbon orchid grower, you're a volunteer debate coach for the local

high school debate team, you're a leader in student body government, etc. Do interesting

things that demonstrate your initiative and uniqueness – don't be a medi-clone.

WWAMI stands for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Each of

these states has a reserved number of seats for its legal residents available at the

University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSoM). Idaho currently has 18 such

seats. If a legal resident of Idaho – regardless of undergraduate institution – applies to

and is accepted by the UWSoM, that person is automatically in the WWAMI program.

Those Idaho residents must spend their first year of medical school, along with 20

Washington residents, at Washington State University, Pullman, WA and the University

of Idaho, Moscow, ID. (They regularly shuttle between these campuses.) After

completing their first year of medical school on the Palouse, students continue their

medical training at UWSoM in Seattle, WA. Therefore, an Idaho resident intent on going

to the WWAMI program simply applies for admission to the University of Washington

through AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service).

If you are an Idaho resident, you are eligible to apply to the University of

Washington School of Medicine as well as the University of Utah School of Medicine.

The state of Idaho has contractual arrangements at these institutions and will subsidize

your medical education thereby reducing your costs. These are excellent programs and,

as an Idaho resident, you should certainly apply to them. State-supported medical schools

in other states are generally unlikely to seriously consider your application (as taxpayers

of those states won't subsidize you – a taxpayer of Idaho). Nonetheless, you are eligible

to apply to any of the many private medical schools as well as to the military program in

Bethesda, MD: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Applying to too few programs is seen as you not being serious or realistic about

your chances – medical school is competitive. Applying to too many is also seen as you

being unrealistic and perhaps desperate. A reasonable number is probably 8-12 although

that will depend on the amount of money you have. Applications are expensive and the

most expensive part is getting to the required personal interviews. (So save your money

early to support these applications.) We also recommend that you consider a mix of

allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical programs.

Students who graduate from osteopathic medical programs earn their DO. They

are licensed in all 50 states, do routine surgeries, deliver babies, prescribe medication –

they are physicians. It is generally slightly easier to gain admittance to DO programs than

MD programs, for example entering GPAs are about 3.5 and 3.65, respectively.

Prerequisites for DO and MD programs are comparable, they each require the MCAT,

and each program is characterized by 4 years of medical school followed by a residency

program of at least 3 years. Generally, the graduates of DO programs enter into primary

care to a greater extent than do the MD graduates. Both osteopathic medicine and

allopathic medicine are absolutely viable paths to becoming a physician.

If you are serious about becoming a physician, prepare to apply again. Contact the

programs that did not accept you and ask for feedback on what would make your next

application more competitive. Listen to any feedback closely and take suggestions to

experience in medicine, maintain involvement in the community or research lab, keep

your grades up, work on getting updated letters of recommendation and make sure to get

your subsequent applications in early. Also, retake the MCAT if necessary. Then try

again. If you've decided that you are no longer interested in pursuing the MD or DO but

are still interested in a health career, check out the Health Professions Career and

Education Directory put out annually by the American Medical Association. This book

provides valuable information on over 60 different health-related professions and listings

of 6,500 accredited educational programs throughout the US. Their current list of health-related

professions ranges from anesthesiologist assistant and athletic trainer to surgical

technologist and therapeutic recreation specialist. The pre-med advisor has a recent

edition of this excellent book.