University of Washington School of Medicine Components of the Application Process Stella V. Yee Director of Admissions
UWSOM is Committed to: The states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI) Training physicians of all specialties to practice in the region Recognizing the special importance of training primary care doctors Contributing to biomedical research Providing educational opportunities for educationally and economically disadvantaged
What Are We Looking For? Students who will meet our missions Academic Ability Analytical Thinking Knowledge of the practice of medicine Knowledge of society and world at large Personal Characteristics Maturity, empathy, resilience, responsibility, leadership Good communication skills
Holistic Review Approach Taking into consideration all aspects of the application to provide us with the most accurate impression of the student Allows for mission driven application process
UWSOM Admissions Timeline 2011-2012 2011 2012 JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP AMCAS Submission Opens Due Nov. 1st OOR PreScreen for Secondary Applications Secondary Applications: Due Jan. 13th TRUST Applications: Due Dec. 1st Screen for Interview Invitation Interview Season Regional Interviews Rolling Admissions: Decisions at the End of March Accepting Alternates School Begins
Medical School Application Process AMCAS Application + MCAT Secondary Application Interview Decision
AMCAS: The Primary Application A service of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) which operates as a non-profit, centralized application service AMCAS Website: https://www.aamc.org/studen ts/applying/amcas/
Getting the AMCAS Application Ready Know the admissions requirements at each school (e.g. deadlines) Obtain copies of your transcripts Make sure you have access to a computer that meets AMCAS system and browser requirements Make payment arrangements
Completing the Primary Application: Common Pitfalls Missed application deadlines Delayed processing/missed transcript deadlines Late shipping Incomplete or inaccurate Missing Unofficial Typos and other errors in essay, experiences, etc. Failure to receive and respond to AMCAS notifications Course work errors Missing course work Missing grades / credits Incorrect academic status Incorrect course classification
Submitting the Application: Early is good. Error-free is better! Emphasize completeness and accuracy over early submission Use print option to check your data as final step before submission Ensure successful submission by checking the Main Menu
The Best Applicant Experiences Find Out What You Are Getting Into! Exposure to clinical setting Physician shadowing Patient contact Time = Indication of commitment
Experiences Leadership positions Team work Research with a compatible supervisor Underserved communities Hospice Health area of personal interest
Personal Statement UWSOM: Either AMCAS or secondary application must include: A description of prior experiences in health care Steps taken to explore a career in medicine Eventual goals as a physician.
The Appealing Personal Statement Motivation, motivation, motivation Awareness! Maturity! Interesting detail
Preliminary Screening Applicants with approx. 2.9 GPA AND approx. 20 MCAT score will be rejected Note: Montana applicants below the cut off will go to the Montana Executive Committee Member for review. International students without United States permanent residency or citizenship will be rejected Applicants who have three previous applications will be rejected
Preliminary Screening (cont.) WWAMI applicants above the academic cut off will get a secondary Non-WWAMI applicants above the academic cut off will get a secondary if they: Demonstrated commitment to working with underserved Come from a disadvantaged background
Statistical Outline of Montana Applicant Pool (117) and Entering Class (20) Applied Offered Entering Undergraduate GPA and Standard Deviation 3.62 (0.25) 3.76 (0.28) 3.77 (0.29) MCAT Mean and Standard Deviation Applied Offered Entering Verbal 9.65 (1.62) 9.91 (1.31) 9.75 (1.16) Physical Science 9.40 (2.04) 9.74 (1.81) 9.8 (1.82) Biological Science 9.93 (1.82) 10.61 (1.59) 10.6 (1.5) Writing Sample Q Q Q
UWSOM Secondary Application Applicants complete the secondary application online: Additional statements Letters of recommendation Course requirement worksheet TRUST Application $35 application fee (personal check or money order only)
Secondary Statements Autobiographical Addendum How have your experiences prepared you to be a physician? (Limit 250 words) How do you imagine your personal and professional lives intersecting ten years from now? (Limit 250 words) What obstacles to your goals have you experienced and how have you overcome them? (Limit 250 words) For Re-Applicants Only: From your most recent previous application until now, how have you strengthened your application?
Letters of Recommendation Three faculty letters of recommendation OR a committee letter Up to three additional letters from your choice of individuals UWSOM participates in AMCAS Letters Service. Letters are due by the secondary application deadline.
Required Premedical Coursework 4 semesters or 6 quarters of Social Sciences or Humanities. 6 semesters or 9 quarters of Chemistry and Biology. Coursework should cover: general chemistry, general biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, and cell biology/cell physiology. 2 semesters or 3 quarters of Physics; or 1 semester or 2 quarters of Physics plus 1 semester or 2 quarters of calculus or linear algebra.
Recommended Premedical Coursework Ethics Anatomy or Comparative Anatomy Human or Mammalian Physiology Embryology
TRUST Application Please describe why you desire to participate in the TRUST program. Given your experience to date, which specialty is most interesting to you and where would you like to practice? Please identify the rural and underserved areas wherein you have lived/worked for more than two months (community name, population, state and dates lived in that community).
Screening Applications Complete applications are reviewed by 2-3 screeners for an invitation to interview. Montana applicants with two negative screens will go to the Montana Executive Committee Member for a final review. Decision to extend an interview can take up to 6 weeks.
Considerations When Screening Academic Ability Upward trajectory GPA and MCAT are consistent Experiences/Activities Shadowing Experiences that are consistent with goals Clear and coherent motivation for medicine Letters of recommendation
Interviews Panel interviews 3 Interviewers to 1 applicant 30 minutes Interviewers are partially blinded to MCAT scores and grades EXCOM interviewer has complete file Interview impressions and recommendations are forwarded to the Executive Committee
Total Interviews for E-2011 Interviewed Applicants for the MD Program Washington 400 Wyoming 47 Alaska 40 Montana * 76 Idaho 70 Non-WWAMI 96 Total 729 Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD) 51
Decision Applications are reviewed throughout the season ( rolling admissions ) by the Executive Committee Timing of decisions are affected by competitiveness of the applicant pool All applicants will be notified of final decisions by the end of March
Rejected Before Interview Spotty academic record Dropped courses and/or average or below average MCAT s Bare-bones application Investigation of medicine does not match up with stated goals. No exploration of medicine
Immediate Reject at Interview Limited patient interaction Limited life experiences Naïve to medical practice realities Lack of self awareness Lack of warmth or empathy No evidence of concern for others
Top Interviewed Candidates Quotes from review Discovery of medicine is logical and inevitable. Able to think on feet Weighs both sides of an issue. Good analytical thinker Well-demonstrated motivation and drive Diverse background experience Displays empathy and caring in personal essays and demeanor Appears highly ethical Patient centered
2011 Applicant Pool and Entering Class State of Legal Residence Applied Offered Entering Washington 714 140 121 Wyoming 59 24 20 Alaska 73 25 19 Montana 117 24 21* Idaho 129 23 20 Non-WWAMI MD Non-WWAMI MD/PhD 3,615 25 8 255 24 10 Total 4,962 285 219 *Includes 1 MD/PhD Student
2011 Applicant Pool and Entering Class Gender Applied Offered Entering Female 1,724 138 106 Male 1,882 138 110 Age at Application Applied Offered Entering Female (18) 23 (50) (19) 24 (39) (19) 24 (39) Male (18) 23 (45) (20) 24 (37) (20) 24 (34) (XX) YY (ZZ): (XX)=Youngest, YY=Median, (ZZ)=Oldest
For More Information Visit Our Website http://www.uwmedicine.org/admissi ons Advice from the Admissions Dean Application procedure Resources to prepare your Extensive FAQs Contact Our Office Stella V. Yee Director of Admissions UW School of Medicine stellay@uw.edu Office of Admissions Email: askuwsom@uw.edu Office of Admissions Phone: 206-543-7212
Questions?