Life beyond the classroom
Despite the long hours of class work and study, most medical students become involved in extracurricular activities to relax, meet others with similar interests and follow through on their commitment to help others. Medical students conduct health clinics and fairs for the uninsured in Madison, advocate for victims of domestic violence and child abuse, visit local schools to teach children about living healthy lifestyles, participate in student government, serve on curricular and admissions committees, play on intramural sports teams and more.

UW School of Medicine and Public Health students help address societal and public health issues by joining one of many professional or health-related organizations. The school has student representatives on local chapters of the American Medical Student Association, the American Medical Association and the State Medical Society of Wisconsin. Medical Students for Minority Concerns explores ways to provide adequate healthcare in minority communities. Women in Medicine sponsors guest speakers and allows students to learn more about opportunities available to women physicians.

Students also gain experience and insight into specialty areas they might be considering by participating in various interest groups in family medicine, pediatrics, primary care, emergency medicine, internal medicine, radiology and surgery.

Statewide campus
In keeping with the Wisconsin Idea, UW School of Medicine and Public Health sees the borders of the state as the dimensions of the medical school. Hundreds of physicians throughout the state volunteer their time and expertise by serving as community faculty and mentors to medical students. In each of their four years of training, medical students have educational experiences with community faculty at hospitals and clinics throughout Wisconsin. Beginning in the fall of their first year, students start to develop their doctor-patient communication skills as they learn to obtain a history from patients in clinics in and around Dane County. They also develop physical examination skills at community sites in their first and second years. During their third year, medical students fulfill requirements for the Primary Care Clerkship and many other required rotations in La Crosse, Marshfield and Milwaukee, as well as other Wisconsin communities. Some students may pursue an MPH degree, working with public health practitioners during their one-year program and field experiences. The fourth-year preceptorship, required of all medical students, takes place in more than 30 communities across the state. This preceptorship experience—which began in 1926—was the first such program in the United States, developed in response to the national recognition that medical students need to learn to apply the science of medicine in community settings. This program is seen by many as the capstone experience of medical education at the University of Wisconsin.

Hundreds of physicians throughout Wisconsin volunteer their time and expertise by partnering with UW School of Medicine and Public Health to provide medical students and residents with clinical training opportunities in rural, urban and suburban settings..

The university
The UW-Madison campus is one of the most picturesque in the United States—and also is highly regarded. U.S. News and World Report’s guide to America’s Best Colleges consistently ranks UW-Madison as one of the top 10 public universities. Several programs, including the biological sciences, are considered among the best in the nation.

The university is home to the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research; the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of about 40 federally designated centers for cancer treatment and research; one of the world’s largest transplant programs; the nationally recognized Institute on Aging; the Biotechnology Center, where researchers study the use of genetically modified components in medicine; and the country’s oldest medical ethics program. The UW is internationally known for its advances in healthcare and for the quality of care provided at UW Hospital and Clinics.

It also is considered one of the top public research universities in the nation. A recent Chronicle of Higher Education report ranked UW-Madison as the eleventh largest recipient of federal research and development funds and the second largest recipient of overall research and development funds in the country.

Academic achievements aren’t its only strength. In recent years, UW-Madison has boasted Rose Bowl victories and athletic championships in basketball, hockey, crew, volleyball, cross-country and other sports. With nine schools, three colleges and nearly 42,000 students, the university, founded in 1849, also has a reputation for diversity. It hosts one of the largest populations of international students in the country, exposing students and residents to different cultures and traditions.

The city
In surveys, Madison consistently ranks as one of the best places in the country to live. As the capital of Wisconsin, the city is a dynamic community of academic, political, cultural and recreational opportunities.

Nearly 450,000 people, including students and faculty from around the world, call Madison and Dane County home. The downtown area—site of the Capitol, government offices, the city’s three hospitals and the university—stands on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona. The university, because of its size and population, is an important thread in the area’s fabric. People come from across the region to attend Badger athletic events, hike through the university’s arboretum, visit the Henry Vilas Park Zoo, listen to music on the Memorial Union terrace, check out the shops along State Street, and attend musical events and plays at the Overture Center for the Arts.

From April to October, the Capitol Square turns into an open-air farmer’s market on Saturday mornings and an outdoor concert hall on July evenings. The Wisconsin Union Theater hosts plays and musical performances throughout the year. In the summer, the region’s five lakes become popular places for sailing, windsurfing, fishing, boating and relaxing on the beach. Dane County and the surrounding area offer some of the state’s best parks, bike paths, rock climbing and cross-country ski trails, as well as scenic rolling countryside.

Sailors in the UW-Madison Hoofers outdoor recreation club enjoy a summer evening on Lake Mendota, with a view of the Wisconsin State Capitol building.

Madison recognition

• One of the 20 Best Walking Cities. Prevention, April 2005.
• Madison's Public Schools Rank #3 in Nation. Expansion Management Magazine, April 2005.
• One of America's Top Ten Green Cities. The Green Guide, April 2005.
• Third Best Child-Friendly City in the United States. Population Connection, June 2004.
• One of the Most Secure Places in the Country. Farmers Insurance Group, June 2004.
• Madison No. 1 in Nation for Business and Careers. Forbes, May 2004.
• Healthiest City for Men. Men's Health, November 2003.
• Madison Ranks #1 Best College Sports Towns. Sports Illustrated On Campus, September 2003.
• Friendliest City in the Midwest. Midwest Living, June 2003.
• #2 Among America's Best Places to Live and Work. Employment Review, June 2003.
• #5 Campus Scenes That Rock. Rolling Stone, February 2003.
• The Most Wired City in the Country. The Media Audit, April 2002.
• #1 Best (small) City for Women. Ladies Home Journal, March 2002.
• #2 Mid-size City in the Country for Cycling. Bicycling, November 2001.
• #5 Fittest City in America. Shape, September 2000.

The Wisconsin State Capitol and its picturesque Capital Square are just a one-mile walk from campus.

Life after medical school
After graduation, most students go on to postgraduate training in approved residency programs. Graduates of UW School of Medicine and Public Health are highly sought for residency placement. A few students delay postgraduate training to pursue research, fulfill military obligations, complete a master’s degree in public health or spend a year practicing medicine in a Third World country.

Once graduates complete their residencies, many go on to care for patients or to teach other physicians; others take their skills to far away places, such as the banks of the Amazon River in Peru or a hospital in Vietnam. Still others choose to perform public health research or dedicate their efforts to serving the people in rural communities and inner cities who desperately need healthcare.

The UW School of Medicine and Public Health has an alumni network that stretches throughout the world. The Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association (WMAA) was established in 1956 and has become a significant force for supporting the school and its students. The WMAA’s purpose is to stimulate interest in the school among students and alumni. In addition, the association facilitates communication between alumni and students, promotes social and professional relations among alumni, students and faculty, and provides financial support to students. Thanks to this active alumni association, ties with UW School of Medicine and Public Health do not end with graduation.

Medical school graduation is cause for celebration, as students look toward residencies and other future endeavors.