MSTP Requirements

Premedical Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree

You must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Your degree can be in any major or discipline as long as your coursework demonstrates the intellectual discipline and analytical and problem-solving skills necessary to succeed in both the medical and graduate school phases of our program.

Professional and Master’s Degrees

The UW Medical Scientist Training Program does not accept applications from candidates who have already completed, or will have completed at the time of their entry into the program, a doctoral or professional degree (MD, PhD, PharmD, DDS, DVM, etc.).

You can apply if you have completed or are currently enrolled in a post-baccalaureate or master’s-level graduate program. Candidates who are enrolled in a doctoral (PhD) graduate program may only apply concurrently with their first year of graduate school; the AMCAS application is due Oct 15 of the first year of graduate school.

Premedical Course Requirements

Specific courses are required before starting a program with the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, to ensure readiness for the fast-paced learning you will encounter in medical school classes. These course requirements do not need to be completed prior to submitting your application but must be fulfilled by the time you enter the program.

Review MD premedical requirements

Research Experience

Research Hours

There is no specific minimum number of research hours required to apply. Successful applicants demonstrate increasing levels of scientific understanding and discovery throughout their research experiences in their application. Competitive MSTP applicants typically have at least 1.5 years of cumulative research experience.

The admissions committee will look for your commitment to research in both quantity and quality of your research experiences. Letters from research mentors are weighed heavily and we highly recommend a letter of recommendation from the supervisor of each of your laboratory experiences.

Publications

Research publications are not required, but you may submit them with your secondary application.

Clinical Experience

There is no specific minimum number of clinical hours required to apply. Clinical experiences help you gain a general understanding of health care and medicine. These experiences can come from paid work, volunteering or shadowing.

The admissions committee will look for your commitment to practicing medicine in both quantity and quality of your clinical experiences.

Standardized Test Scores and Grades

The MCAT is required for admission, with no exceptions. You may take the exam multiple times; our admissions committee will consider each MCAT score. The GRE is not required. Please see the MD program’s selection criteria for further information about the MCAT.

Average GPA and MCAT Scores

The table displays average test scores and grades for MSTP applicants invited to interview with us for recent application cycles.

Graduate Program and Research Interest

The secondary application will ask you to describe which UW–Madison graduate programs interest you and what type of research you intend to pursue during graduate school. However, you do not have to submit a separate application to the UW Graduate School. Applicants accepted to the UW Medical Scientist Training Program will formally declare their chosen graduate program after entering the School of Medicine and Public Health.

Applicants interested in the Anthropology PhD program are required to submit supplemental materials by the November 20 application due date. Please contact both the Medical Scientist Training Program and the Anthropology program by email for further information at mstp@med.wisc.edu and anthrograd@mailplus.wisc.edu.

Citizenship

Admission to the UW Medical Scientist Training Program is limited to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, refugees, asylees and DACA recipients; international students are ineligible for the program.

We recruit nationwide without regard to an applicant’s in-state or out-of-state residency status in Wisconsin.

National Institutes of Health MD-PhD Partnership Training Program

Beginning in the 2023-2024 admissions cycle, the UW Medical Scientist Training Program will no longer accept applications from candidates in the National Institutes of Health MD-PhD Partnership Training Program, Track 1 (OxCam) or Track 2. Track 3 students interested in medical training at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health may apply to the regular MD program but are not eligible for MSTP funding. The Medical Scientist Training Program does not support students in the National Institute of Health Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP).

Students With Disabilities

Our program is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. The McBurney Disability Resource Center is the UW–Madison campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations.

If you have, or think you may have a disability (e.g., psychiatric, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, or systemic), you are invited to contact the McBurney Center for a confidential discussion at 608-263-2741 (V/TTY) or at mcburney@studentlife.wisc.edu. Additional information is available at the McBurney Center website.

Please also see the posted technical standards, which apply to students of all UW School of Medicine and Public Health MD programs, including MSTP.

Applicant Accommodations

To request program materials in alternative formats or disability accommodations during your interview, please contact the MSTP program office at mstp@med.wisc.edu or call 608-262-0736 or 608-262-6321.