Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some frequently asked questions from medical students in the MD Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health:
- Are there special programs for which UW School of Medicine and Public Health is noted?
- How do UW School of Medicine and Public Health students perform on the National Board Examinations?
- How are students evaluated academically?
- How are students ranked at the beginning of the fourth year when they are applying to residency programs?
- Is there a school honor code?
- Is a car necessary for clinical rotations?
- Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?
- Is there someone to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?
- What kind of academic, personal and career counseling is available to students?
- How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for ethnic minorities and women?
- Are extracurricular facilities available to students?
- What sort of computer facilities are available?
- What can you tell me about the library facilities?
- Are students represented on the school's committees?
- How active is the student government?
1. Are there special programs for which UW School of Medicine and Public Health is noted?
UW School of Medicine and Public Health is recognized for our statewide campus where medical students have educational experiences with community faculty at hospitals and clinics throughout Wisconsin. All students participate in the Generalist Partners Program, in which each first-year student is paired with a generalist physician in Southwest Wisconsin, spending at least three afternoons each semester with that physician and gaining important early exposure to patient care.
During the third and fourth years, medical students fulfill their clinical requirements in rotations at hospitals and clinics in Madison, as well as La Crosse, Marshfield, Milwaukee and many other Wisconsin communities. During these rotations, our students gain valuable exposure to a wide variety of clinical settings, including special tracks in rural and urban health.
2. How do UW School of Medicine and Public Health students perform on the National
Board Examinations?
Ninety-two to 98 percent of students pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 1 on their first attempt. Students are given three attempts to pass this exam, and nearly 100 percent of our students ultimately pass Step 1. Ninety-eight to 100 percent of students pass the Step 2 exam. Multiple board preparation programs are offered, including faculty reviews, study groups with fourth-year students, practice exams, and one-on-one counseling to improve test-taking and time-management skills and to control test anxiety.
3. How are students evaluated academically?
The school uses a satisfactory-unsatisfactory (pass-fail) system for the first year of medical school and a letter-grading system based on UW-Madison's scale of A, AB, B, BC, C and F for the next three years. Third-year clinical clerkship grades typically include a subjective assessment and a final exam; the clinical comments from the subjective assessment become part of the student's Medical Student Performance Evaluation when applying for a residency.
4. How are students ranked at the beginning of the fourth year when they are applying
to residency programs?
A numerical rank is not used at UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Students are ranked using the four broad categories recommended by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC). Students are placed in one of these four categories based on their grade point average from the required second-year courses and core third-year clerkships.
5. Is there a school honor code?
Yes, it is called the Professional Code, and was developed by medical students and approved by the faculty.
6. Is a car necessary for clinical rotations?
Yes. A car may be needed in the first two years to travel to Generalist Partners Program clinical sites and is needed to travel to third- and fourth-year rotations.
7. Are spouses and dependents/children covered in a student's budget?
They are covered indirectly. A student's budget is meant to reflect that individual's expenses, not the expenses of the entire family. An adjustment for the living expenses of the other family members is included in the federal formula that is used to determine the expected family contribution. Child care expenses for dependent children are the only other family-related expenses that can be used to adjust the student's budget.
8. Is there someone to assist students with budgeting and financial planning?
Yes. UW School of Medicine and Public Health has a full-time financial aid officer who works with students on an individual basis.
9. What kind of academic, personal and career counseling is available to students?
Students can seek academic counseling from faculty instructors in each course and from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's Office of Student Academic Support Services. Student Health Services offers personal counseling, with two therapists dedicated to medical students.
Career counseling is offered in multiple formats: class mentors, Learning Community mentors, the Women in Medicine Mentoring Program, career workshops for first- and second-year students, and clinical department faculty advisors. A Career Advising Program is available for students to request advice on residency and career choices.
10. How diverse is the student body? Are there support services or organizations for
ethnic minorities and women?
Approximately 10 percent of the students in each class are under-represented minorities. Diversity also is seen in the range of geographic origins, career aspirations, life experiences, undergraduate majors and ages of the students. Approximately 50 percent of each class are women. UW School of Medicine and Public Health has an assistant dean for multicultural affairs and a special advisor for women's issues.
11. Are extracurricular facilities available to students?
Several indoor recreational facilities are available to students. UW-Madison also has outdoor soccer fields, volleyball courts, softball diamonds and a championship golf course with discounted rates for students. As a Big Ten university, a wide range of activities and top caliber athletic events are available. Memorial Union, the main student union on campus, offers a variety of other activities and events year-round.
You can join Hoofers, one of the nation's oldest and largest outdoor activity organizations, take a mini-course, or enjoy live music on the Terrace, which is known for its spectacular view of Lake Mendota. Performances and exhibits at the Union Theater, School of Music and Chazen Museum of Art will delight those yearning for a bit of culture.
12. What sort of computer facilities are available?
Wireless Internet access is available throughout the Health Sciences Learning Center. The building has 120 workstations (114 Windows PCs, six Macs) in the InfoCommons-located within Ebling Library-as well as 25 laptops available for check-out. In addition, students have access to 25 workstations in the large cluster classrooms in the Learning Community rooms, which also have built-in projectors for student use.
13. What can you tell me about the library facilities?
The state-of-the-art Ebling Library is located on the second and third floors of the Health Sciences Learning Center. One of more than 35 libraries on the UW-Madison campus, the picturesque Ebling Library provides basic, biomedical and health sciences resources in support of the educational, research and clinical enterprises. With more than 50,000 square feet, the library contains more than 336,000 physical volumes in addition to providing access to thousands of electronic resources.
Ample amounts of comfortable seating and small group study rooms are available. The Ebling Library also is home to rare books and special collections for those interested in the history of the health sciences. From an electronic perspective, the library has a wireless network plus 120 research workstations, 16 group study rooms (some equipped with flat panel monitors) with seating for up to eight people, a teaching lab with 25 hands-on computers, and scanners and copiers for patrons.
14. Are students represented on the school's committees?
Students are represented on nearly all UW School of Medicine and Public Health committees. For instance, student members are elected by their class to serve on the Admissions Committee and Educational Policy Council. Students participate in search committees for administrative leaders, as well as curriculum committees.
15. How active is the student government?
The Medical Student Association (MSA) is the elected student council that represents all of the other student organizations. It has a strong voice and representation in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health governance. The association serves as the primary liaison between the campus and the medical school student body on issues of student life.
Also, the Medical Student Association organizes fundraisers, social events, sales and a fine arts show; manages a budget for each of the student organizations; and serves as the primary body for considering new student initiatives and resolving class issues. Within the medical school, MSA representatives meet regularly with student affairs and medical education staff including senior leadership: the dean of students, dean of medical education and dean of the school.