University of Washington School of Medicine: How to Get Accepted

Mission Statement

“UW Medicine has a single mission: To improve the health of the public by educating and empowering the next generation of physicians, researchers, and stewards of wellness in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.”

Available Programs

The University of Washington School of Medicine ( also referred to as the UW school of medicine, UW medical school, or UWSOM) is a five-state medical school that offers several programs that can result in an MD. As the first public medical school in the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI), the school still maintains a network of teaching facilities in over 100 towns and cities across the five states. 

True to its mission statement, UWSOM offers outstanding MD programs that are designed to educate and mentor the next generation of physicians, researchers, and stewards of wellness. Here is an overview of these programs: 

Academic Curriculum

The M.D. curriculum at the University of Washington occurs in three phases: 

Medical school acceptance rates in the US tend to be quite low. The University of Washington is one of the most popular and, therefore, most competitive schools in the country with an overall acceptance rate of 2.81%. Furthermore, The UW School of Medicine also has a preference for applicants from the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) region. On average, around 96% of their classes are residents of one of the five states in question. Students from outside of those states can apply as Out-of-Region students, but they should keep in mind that their chances of success are meager (the average acceptance rate for Out-of-Region applicants last year was 0.2%). 

Unfortunately, the University of Washington School of Medicine would not be included in the list of Canadian-friendly medical schools as it does not accept any international students. However, it does welcome applicants with DACA status who reside in a WWAMI state and are legally authorized and recognized by their state's residency office as a resident for WWAMI educational purposes. 

In addition to being competitive, the UW School of Medicine is also very selective. Although the school has a holistic admissions process, the admissions committee pays attention to students' academic profiles to ensure that they are selecting students who are likely to thrive socially and academically at UWSOM. To be considered for admission, students need to meet the MCAT cut-off, which is a total score of 500 and a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25.

Keep in mind that the minimum MCAT score, and the medical school GPA requirement changes every year, so make sure you keep an eye on the school’s website for the most up-to-date information. Furthermore, if you're hoping to get into the UWSOM, you will need a good MCAT score and a competitive GPA, in addition to a compelling medical school personal statement. We recommend looking at the statistics of the entering class and aiming for a GPA and MCAT score that is similar to or higher than the average if you want to be a competitive candidate. The median GPA of the latest accepted class is 3.75, and the median MCAT score is 511.

Looking for tips on getting into med school? This infographic can help:

Application Timeline

Students can apply to the University of Washington School of Medicine through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Below is a general medical school application timeline for students who are hoping to get into UWSOM's MD program. That said, you should remember to verify the important dates and deadlines that apply to you on the AMCAS and UWSOM websites to ensure that you are working with the most up-to-date information. 

Admissions Statistics (How hard is it to get into the UWSOM?)

Medical school acceptance rates in the US tend to be quite low. The University of Washington is one of the most popular and, therefore, most competitive schools in the country with an overall acceptance rate of 2.81%. Furthermore, The UW School of Medicine also has a preference for applicants from the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) region. On average, around 96% of their classes are residents of one of the five states in question. Students from outside of those states can apply as Out-of-Region students, but they should keep in mind that their chances of success are meager (the average acceptance rate for Out-of-Region applicants last year was 0.2%). 

Unfortunately, the University of Washington School of Medicine would not be included in the list of Canadian-friendly medical schools as it does not accept any international students. However, it does welcome applicants with DACA status who reside in a WWAMI state and are legally authorized and recognized by their state's residency office as a resident for WWAMI educational purposes. 

In addition to being competitive, the UW School of Medicine is also very selective. Although the school has a holistic admissions process, the admissions committee pays attention to students' academic profiles to ensure that they are selecting students who are likely to thrive socially and academically at UWSOM. To be considered for admission, students need to meet the MCAT cut-off, which is a total score of 500 and a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.25.

Keep in mind that the minimum MCAT score, and the medical school GPA requirement changes every year, so make sure you keep an eye on the school’s website for the most up-to-date information. Furthermore, if you're hoping to get into the UWSOM, you will need a good MCAT score and a competitive GPA, in addition to a compelling medical school personal statement. We recommend looking at the statistics of the entering class and aiming for a GPA and MCAT score that is similar to or higher than the average if you want to be a competitive candidate. The median GPA of the latest accepted class is 3.75, and the median MCAT score is 511.

Recommended Courses

The University of Washington School of Medicine does not have a preference for specific undergraduate degrees or universities. The admission committee wants to see a rigorous and varied course load that fulfills the usual medical school prerequisites, and they want to know what you learned from your entire undergraduate experience. That said, they do recommend that students complete the following courses: 

• Anatomy/comparative anatomy
• Calculus
• Embryology
• Ethics
• Human or mammalian physiology
• Microbiology and/or Immunology
• Psychology
• Biostatistics (although regular statistics is also acceptable)

Additionally, the UWSOM recently added a list of pre-medical courses that all students are required to fulfill before matriculating. Students can get an admission offer without taking courses in these fields, but they must complete them before matriculation. The University of Washington School of Medicine asks that students' academic profiles include a minimum of three quarters or two semesters of coursework in the following: 

• College-level biology (courses should cover molecular genetics and cell biology/cell physiology)
• College-level Chemistry (Courses should cover inorganic and organic chemistry and biochemistry)
• College-level physics ( courses should cover mechanics, kinetics, thermodynamics, properties of matter, wave theory, electricity and magnetism, and optics)

Students do not need to take classes with these names in the title, but they should cover the subject matter we listed above. 

Students are also expected to demonstrate a clear understanding of the social forces that shape the health of the people and communities they will serve as doctors. The admissions committee will evaluate this understanding through your secondary application essay and interview. Still, you can also establish competency in this area through social sciences and humanities coursework. The UWSOM recommends taking at least a few courses in the following fields: 

• Anthropology
• Sociology
• Political Science
• Economics
• Psychology
• Religion
• History
• Philosophy
• Literature

Selection Factors

The University of Washington School of Medicine receives thousands of applications every year. As mentioned earlier, less than 3% of those applicants are offered admission, and an even smaller number matriculate. The admissions committee uses a comprehensive, rigorous application review process to find a diverse, talented student body that they feel has the potential to become future leaders in medicine. They are looking for candidates who demonstrate superior academic prowess, a strong commitment to the practice of medicine and meaningful community involvement, and the competencies required to be a good doctor, such as good communication and leadership skills. 

This medical school receives your file from AMCAS, where all applications undergo an initial screening. WWAMI applicants who meet the UWSOM's academic cutoff will receive an invitation to complete the Secondary Application. In contrast, non-WWAMI applicants' profiles will have to be reviewed to determine if they meet the criteria for out-of-region candidates. It is, therefore, crucial that you familiarize yourself with all the sections of AMCAS. Learn what makes a strong AMCAS personal statement, review different AMCAS hobbies examples, etc. 

The key selection factors to get into the UW School of Medicine are:

Tuition and Debt

In-state and out-of-state (or region, in this case) students at the University of Washington School of Medicine do not pay the same medical school tuition fees. Take a look at the table below to see the difference in pricing: 

Funding Opportunities

The UW School of medicine offers financial aid exclusively to WWAMI medical students. Currently, just under 90% of the medical student body at UWSOM receives some form of financial aid. The exact amounts vary yearly, but students can expect to get between $1 000 and $16 000 every school year. 

The school offers a need-based scholarship for which eligibility is evaluated based on parent tax information. This is why to receive financial assistance, applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually and submit it by the deadline - January 15, regardless of your admission status. It should be noted that financial aid requests have no bearing on the admissions process. 

Furthermore, there are a handful of scholarships selected by the Admissions Committee and not UWSOM Financial Aid. These scholarships are awarded to incoming students for all four years of medical school. All incoming students are considered if they have provided parent information on their FAFSA. The Dean of Admissions will notify selected students in the Spring of each year. If you are selected for an Admissions Scholarship, you will still need to complete the UWSOM scholarship application each year. 

Confused by the process of applying to medical school? Check out this video:

Acceptance and Waitlist Information

You will recall that the UW School of Medicine utilizes a rolling admissions process. The admissions committee meets regularly between October and March to review candidate applications, interview qualified candidates, and make final decisions about their admission. Students will either get accepted, some are put under "continuing consideration," (which is UWSOM’s version of a waitlist) or rejected.

Interview invitations are issued till late February, and the last admissions committee meeting takes place in February. After this last meeting, no further interviews take place, and only interviewed candidates remain in the admissions pool. This means that non-interviewed candidates will receive rejection notices at this time, or they will be notified that they have been placed on the medical school waitlist. 

Waitlisted candidates may receive an acceptance letter over the next few months if spots open up. The number of applicants from the waitlist who are eventually accepted varies yearly. In the past, UWSOM has accepted fewer than 10, and as many as 40 students from the waitlist.

Contact information

Website: https://www.uwmedicine.org/school-of-medicine 

Email: [email protected]

 [email protected] 

Phone: 206.543.7212

Address:

UW School of Medicine

1959 NE Pacific St.

A-300 Health Sciences Center

Box 356340

Seattle, WA 98195-6340

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

TikTok

YouTube

Instagram

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

LinkedIn

Twitter