Secondary Application

The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) invites select applicants to complete the Secondary Application after receipt and review of their AMCAS application. Unlike many medical schools, UWSOM does not request Secondary Applications automatically; applications are screened to determine if a Secondary Application will be requested.

Applicants with legal residence in Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho will receive the Secondary Application invitation after undergoing an automated academic screen. Washington applicants also undergo this automated academic screen, then will receive an invitation to complete a questionnaire about their residence history. Once they have submitted this questionnaire, they will then be invited to complete the Secondary Application. Out-of-region (non-WWAMI) applicants go through additional review processes to determine if they are a mission fit for the program prior to receiving the Secondary Application invitation.

The completed application materials listed below must be received by December 1 at 11:59pm PT. If all materials are not received by this date, the application will no longer be considered.

There is an optional section on the Secondary Application to apply to the TRUST program and CUSP. All CUSP and TRUST application materials are due in the Admissions Office by December 1 at 11:59pm PT.

Medical Scientist Training Program, MSTP (M.D./Ph.D.) applicants will need to initiate their supplementary application on the MSTP website. Applicants applying to BOTH the M.D./Ph.D. and the M.D.-only program will need to submit two supplementary applications (one to each program). Check with the MSTP office for its application deadlines.

The UWSOM does not accept written activity updates. Grade updates (i.e., official and unofficial transcripts) for future and in-progress coursework are required. Additional letters of recommendation and changes in contact information should be sent through AMCAS. If you are offered an interview, you may share any updates with your interviewers at that time.

We expect applications to be correct and complete when submitted. If you feel your application will be substantially better after completing additional experiences, we recommend that you wait to apply.

Secondary Application requirements:

5 additional short essays (250-word limit each)

  • Please share how COVID-19 has impacted you, your family, your community, and/or the patients that you would like to serve.
  • How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or patients you have worked with?
  • What perspectives or experiences do you bring that would enrich the class?
  • What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them?
  • Describe your competency by explaining how you have explored and come to understand issues in the social sciences and humanities related to the "human condition".

For re-applicants: From your most recent application until now, how have you strengthened your application?

For re-applicants not offered an interview, read our advice.

Submit a pre-medical committee evaluation and up to three additional letters, or submit a minimum of three and up to six letters from writers who can speak to one or more of the following:

  • Academic ability
  • Commitment to service
  • Leadership potential
  • Clinical or research experiences
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Interaction with patients
  • Ability to function on a team, and/or potential as a physician
  • Respect for others
  • Compassion
  • Maturity
  • Communication skills
  • Work ethic

The collection of letters should provide a balanced and well-rounded view of your candidacy for medicine. Letters of recommendation from people who know you well can give the committee a better understanding of who you are. Consider current employers, people at your volunteer or shadowing opportunities, teaching assistants, etc. 

Note: It is strongly encouraged that letters be printed on university, company or personal letterhead and signed. Letters of recommendation that are missing letterhead and/or signature will be given less consideration.

All letters of recommendation should be submitted via the: AMCAS Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation service.

See Guidelines for Writing Letters of Recommendation for additional assistance.

Provide additional information about your background:

  • Graduating high School information: high school name and zip code
  • Hometown: There is no strict definition, but a hometown is typically a city/town that you have ties/roots to that you consider "home". This could be:
    • Where you graduated high school
    • Where you had the most formative/meaningful experiences
    • Where you grew up
    • Where your parents live
    • Where you have lived the longest
  • If applicable:
    • Federally recognized tribe registration
    • Identification with a Southeast Asian community (Bhutanese, Burmese, Cham, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Mien, Thai, or Vietnamese)

Applicants are expected to read and comply with the following policies. Applicants who do not agree to these policies will not be considered for admission.

  • Honor Code: The University of Washington School of Medicine believes that high ethical standards are essential to the practice of medicine. As we aspire to cultivate and maintain a community of professionalism and academic integrity, we place at the foundation of our endeavors and in all of our interactions the ideals of excellence, integrity, respect, compassion, accountability and a commitment to altruism. Through the Honor Code, we attempt to articulate the most basic principles that should guide our professional behavior throughout our education.

  • Clerkship Policy: The University of Washington School of Medicine takes pride in the vast array of clinical educational opportunities available to our students throughout the WWAMI region. Our Clerkship Policy enables students to take advantage of these opportunities. All students are expected to complete a minimum of 24 week of clerkships outside of Seattle and are required to complete a minimum of 8 weeks of clerkships at one or more of the following Seattle hospitals: University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Regional Medical Center. Once enrolled, students will be further reminded of this policy when they are planning and submitting requests for clerkship assignments.

  • Essential Requirements: The M.D. degree is recognized as a broad, undifferentiated degree requiring the acquisition of general knowledge and basic skills in all fields of medicine. The education of a physician requires assimilation of knowledge, acquisition of skills and development of judgment through patient care experience in preparation for independent and appropriate decisions required in practice. The current practice of medicine emphasizes collaboration among physicians, allied health-care professionals and the patient. There are numerous components to the UWSOM Essential Requirements of Medical Education: Admission, Retention, Promotion, and Graduation Standards.

  • Technical Standards Policy: The University of Washington School of Medicine maintains a strong institutional commitment to training a diverse student population in order to provide excellent care to a diverse patient population. The UWSOM provides equal educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities who apply for admission to the MD program or who are already enrolled. The technical standards are not intended to deter any candidate for whom reasonable accommodation will allow fulfillment of the complete curriculum. There are numerous components to the UWSOM Technical Standards for Admission, Retention, Promotion, and Graduation.

  • Professionalism: UWSOM is committed to the highest standards of professionalism in patient care, research and education among our faculty, staff, trainees and students. While we acknowledge that criticism of one’s professionalism has been used a means to reinforce hierarchy and inhibit personal expression, interactions and inclusion in the past, we believe that the core tenets of professionalism remain crucial to our mission and values. The UWSOM believes that professionalism is rooted in excellence, mutual respect and understanding, compassion, civility, ethical and just behavior, and should facilitate an environment supportive of diverse ideas, perspectives and experiences regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, geographic region, political ideologies and more. Any actions or behaviors that are counterproductive to creating an inclusive environment where every person is honored may be investigated by the Office of Admissions. Read the UW Medicine Policy on Professional Conduct.

  • Application Information Sharing:  In the course of medical education, it may be necessary for designated school officials (e.g. Financial Aid, Career Counselors) to have access to application information. Application information will be shared with relevant members of the UWSOM community as deemed appropriate by the Office of Admissions. Information will never be sold or shared with outside parties.

Candidates from Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho will be required to submit residency certification from their respective state certifying officers.

Washington residents may or may not be required to provide proof of legal residence, but should be prepared to verify their state residency at any point in the application process.

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