How to Apply
Students interested in applying to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health MD Program may choose between two admission timeframes: the Early Decision Program or the regular decision option. Regardless of the timeframe chosen, all applicants must file an application through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS).
The AMCAS application deadlines for the 2010 entering class are August 1 for the Early Decision Program and November 1 for the Regular Decision. View the application timeline for more information.
Early Decision Program (EDP)
Applicants who select the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UW SMPH) as their first and only choice for medical education may apply for an early decision by submitting an AMCAS application by August 1. These applicants must be Wisconsin residents and cannot apply to other medical schools while their EDP application is under consideration.
In addition, they must have taken the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) prior to July during the year of application. For applicants to the EDP, the deadline for submission of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health secondary application is September 1. EDP applicants are guaranteed notification of a decision by October 1. Accepted EDP applicants cannot apply to other medical schools.
After October 1, applicants not accepted under the Early Decision Program are free to apply to other schools and are reconsidered in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Regular Decision process. Other application procedures for EDP parallel those described below for Regular Decision applicants.
Regular Decision
Applicants who choose to apply to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health MD degree program via the traditional/regular route apply through AMCAS between June 1 and November 1 and usually apply to a number of additional schools as well.
Upon receipt of the AMCAS application, an initial screening determines applicants who are invited to submit the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Secondary Application. Qualified applicants are e-mailed the instructions on how to access the Secondary Application on the Web.
When the Secondary Application is submitted and completed, the preliminary review of the application occurs. Selected applicants are invited to interview. After the interview, the Admissions Committee completes the full review of the application and selects applicants until the class is filled. An early application is strongly encouraged.
The Secondary Application consists of:
- Data sheet and record of residence
- Life activities
- Optional essay
- Re-applicant essay
- Letters of recommendation (submitted through AMCAS)
- Record of disciplinary/legal action
- Attestation statement
- $56 nonrefundable application fee
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health Secondary Application is an important part of the information considered by the Admissions Committee. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the applicant to present himself/herself in the most accurate and thorough manner possible. It is important that the application and essays are well written and that letters of recommendation are strong. Selection is on a competitive basis.
The deadline for receipt of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Secondary Application is December 1, although it is strongly recommended that the Secondary Application is submitted as soon as possible after receiving it.
Letters of Recommendation
The Admissions Committee strongly prefers letters of recommendation submitted by individuals who know the applicant well. Applicants should solicit letters from individuals who are in a position to provide informed and objective viewpoints regarding the applicant's academic, employment, and service-oriented and/or health-related experiences. The letters should address one or more of the following:
- Character
- Integrity
- Motivation for medicine
- Ability to relate and communicate with others
- Personality
- Emotional stability
- Intellectual ability
Learn more about letters of recommendation.
Interviews
Selected applicants are invited to the Health Sciences Learning Center in Madison for an interview day, a required and integral part of the application process. Interviews are by invitation only. The interviewers provide written reports of the interview experience.
The reports become a part of the application and are intended to assist the committee's evaluation of the applicant's personal qualities. In unusual circumstances, applicants who are unable to visit the campus can request a telephone interview. Such requests are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Selection
The selection process occurs in September for the Early Decision Program and from October until the class is filled for regular admissions. Applicants who interview receive a thorough review by the Admissions Committee based on the AMCAS application and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Secondary Application, including the interviews.
Applicants accepted by the Admissions Committee are sent a letter informing them of the committee's decision to offer them a place in the class. The letter includes information informing the applicant how to indicate any disabilities he/she may have and request any appropriate accommodations.
All requests for accommodations are processed by the MD degree Technical Standards Committee to ensure that decisions regarding an applicant's ability to fulfill the UW School of Medicine and Public Health's Technical Standards are kept separate from decisions regarding admissions. If applicants do not respond or make reference to their disabilities, it is assumed they are not asking for any accommodations.
Unsuccessful applicants may request to seek assistance from an Admissions Office staff member to evaluate his/her application and chances for success as a re-applicant in the future.