Admission Requirements
More Admissions Info
Admission to the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is limited to U.S. citizens and internationals with permanent visa status. We recruit nationwide without regard to an applicant's in-state or out-of-state residency status in Wisconsin.
Applicants need to have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution prior to entering the Medical Scientist Training Program. The degree may be earned in any discipline as long as the coursework demonstrates the intellectual discipline and analytical and problem-solving skills necessary to succeed in the medical and graduate school phases of our program.
Specific courses are required for admission. Courses that meet the biology and chemistry prerequisites must include didactic and laboratory components required of science majors and equivalent to one academic year.
Physics courses must include didactic and laboratory components required of science majors and be based upon mathematics of at least the level of college algebra and trigonometry, and equivalent to one academic year.
A course in statistics is required unless one or more courses are taken that include an introduction to and heavy use of statistical methods.
| Requirements for Students Entering in 2012 | Semesters |
| General biology (with lab) | 1 |
| Advanced biology (with lab) | 1 |
| Inorganic/general chemistry (with lab) | 2 |
| Organic chemistry | 1 |
| Biochemistry | 1 |
| Physics (with lab) | 2 |
|
Mathematics (calculus recommended) |
1 |
|
Statistics |
1 |
In addition to scientific and computational skills, skills in verbal and written communication are important, and a course in English that stresses composition and a sound general education that includes courses in the humanities and social sciences are considered favorably in the admissions process.
While specific courses are not required, the applicant's preparation should include courses in areas that prepare for the social, psychological and economic aspects of medical practice and biomedical research. All courses must be successfully completed before entering the Medical Scientist Training Program.
Research experiences and letters from research mentors are weighed heavily by the admissions committee. Applicants are also expected to have experiences that engender a general understanding of health care and medicine, based upon employment, volunteering or shadowing.