Undergraduate Students
You may major in any subject area of your choice in college, but make sure to take the courses that are required prerequisites for application to medical school. Alaska WWAMI Prerequisites and Performance Standards Many pre-medical students major in one of the sciences, such as biology or chemistry. UAA offers both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. UAA offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry.
Get to know your instructors. Remember, you will be asking some of them for letters of recommendation. Volunteer for community service activities. Participate in undergraduate research activities. If you are a UAA student, contact the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship to find out about research opportunities available to you. Medical school admissions committees look for "well-rounded" individuals, so develop your interests in sports, the arts, or other extracurricular activities. Take advantage of opportunities to learn more about the medical profession. Do some job shadowing, or volunteer for health-care organizations such as hospitals, assisted-living centers, and others.
Develop your critical thinking skills. Join your college or university's PreMed Club. UAA PreMed Club Website Take part in summer programs for undergraduates interested in medical careers.
Plan to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Practice tests are available online through the MCAT website. Practice test information.
Take advantage of the many helpful publications for pre-medical students available on the AAMC/MCAT website. Do your research. Find out all you can about US medical schools to which you wish to apply. This will help you as you write your personal statement and prepare for your medical school interview. List of United States Medical Schools Nearly all US medical schools subscribe to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Applicants submit their primary medical school applications to AMCAS, along with their transcripts and MCAT scores. AMCAS forwards each applicant's primary application on to those schools which the applicant selects. Some schools, including Alaska WWAMI / UWSoM, require a secondary application. See the University of Washington School of Medicine application procedure webpage for complete application instructions. If you're applying to another school, check its admissions policies to learn whether or not a secondary application will be required. The medical school interview is a crucial part of the medical school application process. Practice your interview skills. Think about how you would answer typical medical school admissions interview questions.
Refer to the website of the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSoM) for additional information about applying to Alaska WWAMI. More Questions?Attend the Alaska PreMed Summit, held each spring on the UAA campus. Sponsored by the UAA WWAMI School of Medical Education, the PreMed Summit is designed to offer information about the academic pathway one must follow to become a doctor, medical school admissions requirements, the medical school application process, and more. A favorite feature of past PreMed Summits has been the panel discussion, which provides first-hand knowledge of the experiences of pre-medical undergraduate students, medical students, doctors in residency training, and practicing physicians. Helpful LinksThe Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website offers information for students considering a medical career. AspiringDocs.org, a program of the AAMC, offers resources for students from ethnic minority backgrounds who want to pursue careers in medicine. |
Undergraduates
Talk to your advisor to make sure you are on track with your major (and minor, if any) requirements, and with the prerequisite courses for medical school application. 
Learn to write clearly and well.