WWAMI Requirements

Core requirements for applying to the WWAMI School of Medical Education are as follows:

  • You must be an Alaska state resident
    In order to qualify as a state resident, you will have to have lived in Alaska for two years
    (or have considered Alaska your permanent residence for that time).
  • You must have a Bachelor's degree
    That degree can be in anything. See "College Freshmen & Sophomores" above.
  • You must complete specific, college-accredited courses
    Every medical school has similar but varying requirements, so consider what schools you might like to attend and ask what their course requirements are. The WWAMI requirements are as follows:
    • Humanities/Social Sciences: Select courses from any of a wide range of humanities disciplines such as Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, History, Literature, etc... to demonstrate your competency. There is not a minimum number of courses required to meet this prerequisite. Courses that teach writing, speaking, performance or language skills do not count toward this requirement.
    • Physics: One year of Physics is required--either two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters. The Physics courses need to be either the 100 or 200-level core courses for science majors, not a general education requirement (GER) designed for non-majors. As of August 2021, students applying for the entering class of 2023 or later will no longer be able to meet this requirement by doing 1 semester of physics + 1 semester of calculus.
    • Chemistry: Two years of Chemistry is required and must include college-level Inorganic and Organic Chemistry as well as Biochemistry. To satisfy this requirement, you can take CHEM 105, 106, 321 (Organic Chemistry I) and CHEM 441 (Biochemistry I). You do not have to take Organic Chemistry II or Biochemistry II. All Chemistry labs are optional, but may improve your understanding of the material and may be required by other medical schools.
    • Biology: One year of college-level Biology is required. Courses may include molecular genetics and cell biology/cell physiology. To satisfy this prerequisite, you may take BIOL 242 and BIOL 252 at UAA, or the equivalent courses at another college or university. The prerequisite for both courses is BIOL 108, which is a 6-credit, intensive course. These courses must be core or elective courses for science majors. GER courses and courses intended for allied health, pre-nursing or nursing majors (such as BIOL 240) do not count toward this requirement.
    • Optional Courses: Courses such as Ethics, Psychology, Sociology, Physiology, Microbiology, Gross Anatomy, Developmental Biology, etc... are recommended but not required. The inclusion of these and similar courses is likely to strengthen your application and may also help you with your MCAT preparation. Please note that the WWAMI program does not necessarily recommend that you to take "Anatomy and Physiology" as a preparatory course.
  • The MCAT is required for the WWAMI 2023 application cycle
    The MCAT is a standardized, national exam used to compare medical school applicants across the United States. It consists of four equally-weighted sections:
    • Chemical and Physical Foundations (Chemistry and Physics)
    • Biological and Biochemical Foundations (Biology and Biochemistry)
    • Physiological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior (Psychology and Sociology)
    • Critical Analysis and reasoning Skills
    • Detailed information on this exam can be found at the AAMC website
  • You must take the CASPer Test
  • Clinical Exposure is Important
    WWAMI strongly encourages that applicants have exposure to clinical environments. This can be obtained through a variety of means, including volunteering, shadowing, clinical research or other circumstances. For more details, go to the UW Clinical Experiences webpage.
  • Volunteer service hours are important
    There is not a minimum number of volunteer service hours required for the WWAMI program. However, they are strongly encouraged, as showing a dedication to one's community will significantly strengthen your application, and our strongest applicants typically have many volunteer hours.

 

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We appreciate your patience during this transition!

E-mail:   wwami-premedadvising@alaska.edu