 How many graduating seniors at Washington University are accepted into medical school? |
About 90 percent of graduating pre-med students, who do well in their coursework at Washington University and take advantage of the pre-medical advising program that we offer, will be admitted to their choice of medical schools and will be successful in their medical school studies. |
| Does Washington University School of Medicine give preference in its admissions decisions to Washington University undergraduates? |
Washington University’s School of Medicine is one of the most selective in the nation. And Washington University is the most frequently represented alma mater for students in each year’s entering class at our School of Medicine. As undergraduates at Washington University, our pre-med students have the unique advantage of engaging in research and building mentoring relationships with medical-school faculty members who are often eager to act as references and otherwise support their applications to our medical school. Because of the outstanding preparation they receive, Washington University students do receive extra consideration when they apply to the Washington University School of Medicine. |
| What about opportunities for students to become involved in research and otherwise connect to the School of Medicine while they are still undergraduates? |
About two-thirds of all Washington University undergraduates become involved in research, very frequently with faculty mentors at our medical school. Our Office of Undergraduate Research is one of the few in the nation with the sole purpose to facilitate research by undergraduates working with faculty members throughout the University, including the medical school. Our pre-med students also have the unique opportunity to gain clinical experience in a hospital setting by volunteering at the Washington University Medical Center, including its teaching hospitals, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and Siteman Cancer Center. In addition, four courses are offered in the Department of Biology through the Bio 265 sequence Experiences in the Life Sciences, which allow undergraduate students to get firsthand experience in a medical setting: the Med Prep Program allows students to shadow a physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital Adult Emergency Department; Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Associates Program allows students to assist with pediatric clinical research in the emergency department at St. Louis Children’s Hospital; Course for Associates of Research in Emergency Medicine provides students with the opportunity to participate in adult clinical research in the Emergency and Trauma Center of Barnes-Jewish Hospital; and Surgery Pedogogy is for students interested in a surgical career. |
| I know “pre-medicine” isn’t really a major at Washington University. What can I choose as a major and still be ready to enter medical school? |
You can complete the pre-med requirements within any undergraduate major at Washington University. Our students who complete their pre-med requirements within majors such as anthropology, languages, business, humanities, and art are regularly admitted to their choice of medical schools, as are our students with majors in biology, psychology, chemistry, and biomedical engineering. |
| What’s it like to be a pre-med student at Washington University? Are pre-med students very competitive with each other? |
Being a pre-med student at Washington University isn’t all that different from not being one. All our students are highly involved, passionate about what they’re doing. If they are competitive, they are competitive with the person in the mirror, not with their classmates. Collaborative learning is part of the Washington University culture. |
| Are any of the pre-med courses, such as general chemistry, “weed-out” courses to reduce the number of pre-med students? |
Washington University is only interested in helping our students succeed in their chosen fields of study, and we provide many resources to ensure that they do succeed. Many high school students start college intending to enter professions such as medicine, law, engineering, and architecture, but few have had any direct experience with those fields. Sometimes students change their minds about their educational directions as they learn more about what preparation to enter these professions really involves. |
| Can I use AP credits or take courses during the summer at a local college or university to satisfy my pre-med requirements at Washington University? |
Washington University’s AP credit policy is established by the individual academic departments. Generally, a score of 4 or 5 on the AP exams or a score of 5 or better on the higher-level IB exams may result in advanced placement or course credit. However, highly selective medical schools expect applicants to have taken their principal pre-med requirements as part of their regular 4-year University undergraduate curriculum. (The Life Science advisors do not recommend you substitute your highschool AP courses in Biology, Chemistry or Physics for college courses. Some medical schools do not accept AP credits; therefore, we encourage students to take their pre-medical classes in residence, to be eligible for admission to all medical schools.) Because the best medical schools in the country know Washington University’s pre-med program, it will probably work to your advantage to complete your requirements here. Your academic advisor will help you determine how to proceed best with your pre-med curriculum here. |
| Can I study abroad and still complete the pre-med requirements? |
The University offers several international programs that are particularly designed for pre-med students including a study-abroad program in genetics with Trinity College, University of Dublin, in Ireland; a summer program especially for pre-med students in Nice, France; one for biomedical engineering majors in Hong Kong; and others. |
| What is the University Scholars Program in Medicine? Is it an accelerated program for completing an M.D. at Washington University? |
The University Scholars Program in Medicine allows selected students to be admitted to undergraduate study and to the Washington University School of Medicine when they apply as freshmen. Students who are selected as University Scholars in Medicine typically are among the strongest of our pre-medicine applicants and have a very clear and demonstrated interest in the medical field. When they successfully complete their undergraduate degrees and the requirements of the University Scholars Program in Medicine, they are guaranteed admission to the Washington University School of Medicine. We want all our students to have the opportunity to grow and explore as undergraduates, so this is not an accelerated program. For more information about the University Scholars Program, please see our separate information sheet, USP-Med Brochure, or our website: admissions.wustl.edu (click on University Scholars Program).
The best medical schools in the country know Washington University’s undergraduate pre-medicine program. They also know the University’s outstanding Medical School. If you are a top student and you decide to attend Washington University to study in our pre-med curriculum, you will be well-prepared to enter any medical school.
For additional information contact:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Washington University
Campus Box 1089
One Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
Phone: (314) 935-6000
Email: admissions@wustl.edu |