If you are an UNDERGRADUATE student:
Talk to your advisor to make sure you are on track with your major (and minor, if any) requirements, and with the prerequisite courses for medical school application.
You may major in any subject area of your choice in college, but make sure to take the courses that are required prerequisites for application to medical school:
- Biology -- 2 semesters or 3 quarters
This requirement can be satisfied by taking any combination of general biology, genetics, microbiology, physiology, zoology, or anatomy. - Chemistry -- 2 semesters or 3 quarters
This requirement can be satisfied by taking any combination of inorganic, organic, or biochemistry. - Physics -- 2 semesters or 3 quarters
- Additional biology, chemistry, or physics -- 2 semesters or 3 quarters
This requirement can be met by taking other courses in any of the above broad categories. Molecular Biology can only count toward additional course credits. - **Calculus -- required for admission to some medical schools. **Not required for admission to Alaska WWAMI.
Alaska WWAMI Prerequisites and Performance Standards
Many pre-medical students major in one of the sciences, such as biology or chemistry. UAA offers both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. UAA offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.
UAA Department of Biological Sciences -- Undergraduate Degrees
UAA Chemistry Department
Get to know your instructors. Remember, you will be asking some of them for letters of recommendation.
Volunteer for community service activities.
Participate in undergraduate research activities. If you are a UAA student, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship to find out about research opportunities available to you.
Medical school admissions committees look for "well-rounded" individuals, so develop your interests in sports, the arts, or other extracurricular activities.
Take advantage of opportunities to learn more about the medical profession. Do some job shadowing, or volunteer for health-care organizations such as hospitals, assisted-living centers, and others.
Learn to write clearly and well.
Develop your critical thinking skills.
Join your college or university's PreMed Club. UAA PreMed Club Website
Take part in summer programs for undergraduates interested in medical careers.
- The Summer Medical and Dental Enrichment Program (SMDEP) is one such program.
- The Association of American Indian Physicians offers a Pre-Admission Workshop for American Indian and/or Alaska Native Students who plan to apply to a health-professions program. The 2008 program will be held July 23-29 in Worley, Idaho.
Plan to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Practice tests are available online through the MCAT website. For practice test information, click here.
NOTE: An undergraduate student who hopes to start medical school right after completing his or her undergraduate degree should take the MCAT at least 13 months prior to starting medical school. Students wishing to apply for the E2009 Alaska WWAMI class must submit scores from the 2006, 2007, or 2008 MCAT and must have taken the MCAT prior to September 30, 2008.
Take advantage of the many helpful publications for pre-medical students available on the AAMC/MCAT website.
Do your research. Find out all you can about US medical schools to which you wish to apply. This will help you as you write your personal statement and prepare for your medical school interview. To view a list of United States Medical Schools, click here.
Nearly all US medical schools subscribe to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Applicants submit their primary medical school applications to AMCAS, along with their transcripts and MCAT scores. AMCAS forwards each applicant's primary application on to those schools which the applicant selects.
Some schools, including Alaska WWAMI / UWSoM, require a secondary application. See the University of Washington School of Medicine Application Procedure webpage for complete application instructions. If you're applying to another school, check its admissions policies to learn whether or not a secondary application will be required.
The medical school interview is a crucial part of the medical school application process. Practice your interview skills. Think about how you would answer typical medical school admissions interview questions.
Medical School Interview Question Samples
Medical School Interview Feedback
Refer to the website of the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSoM) for additional information about applying to Alaska WWAMI.
More Questions?
Attend the Alaska PreMed Summit, held each spring on the UAA campus. Sponsored by the UAA WWAMI Biomedical Program, the PreMed Summit is designed to offer information about the academic pathway one must follow to become a doctor, medical school admissions requirements, the medical school application process, and more. A favorite feature of past PreMed Summits has been the panel discussion, which provides first-hand knowledge of the experiences of pre-medical undergraduate students, medical students, doctors in residency training, and practicing physicians.
Helpful Links
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website offers information for students Considering a Medical Career.
AspiringDocs.org, a program of the AAMC, offers resources for students from ethnic minority backgrounds who want to pursue careers in medicine.