Application Process

Quick Links:  Requirements  |  Eligibility  |   Admissions Schedule  |   Interview Process   |   Contact Us

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
  • 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.

Eligibility 

Applicants to the Alaska WWAMI Program must complete the required Alaska WWAMI Eligibility Form and submit it, with the required documentation, to the UAA WWAMI School of Medical Education Office.  

Eligibility for the WWAMI program in Alaska has been defined by the University of Alaska Board of Regents as guided by the Alaska Administrative Code (AAC). WWAMI eligibility is not synonymous with Alaska residency or eligibility for a Permanent Fund Dividend.

Admissions Deadlines

20 AAC 19.030. A participant in the WWAMI program must maintain at all times the intent to return to Alaska upon completion of the program, and:

  1. Have physically resided in the State of Alaska for at least two consecutive years ending with September 1 of the year before the participant begins class in the WWAMI program; or
  2. If not physically present in this state for the time period required under (1) of this section, 
  1.  have been absent due to the applicant’s, or the applicant’s spouse’s status as a full-time student outside of this state and have physically resided in this state for at least two consecutive years immediately before the absence;
  2. have been absent due to full-time service in the United States armed forces and have physically resided in this state;
  3. have been absent due to full-time volunteer service in the Peace Corps and have physically resided in this state for at least two consecutive years immediately before the absence; or
  4. have been absent due to full-time engagement or employment in an experiential learning position that the Alaska WWAMI Admissions Committee determines to be directly relevant to the field of medicine and have physically resided in this state for at least two consecutive years immediately before the absence.

For purposes of whether absences are allowable as described in this section, a participant may not have taken any action to establish residence in another state. (Eff. 10/23/99, Register 152; am 7/12/2008, Register 187)

The Alaska WWAMI Eligibility Committee will accept the following as allowable absences for purposes of Alaska WWAMI Eligibility under exception (2)(D) above:To be eligible under exceptions (A), (B), (C), or (D), the applicant must have physically resided in Alaska for at least two consecutive years immediately before the absence.

  • Continuation of a research project begun while the applicant was a full-time student
  • Work pertinent to medicine in a medical care clinic or research laboratory or clinic such as NIH, CDC, or University based.
  • Pertinent work in an international health facility, whether research or care-delivery based
  • Living outside of Alaska in order to enroll in an MCAT preparatory course (student may only remain "Outside" for the duration of the course)
    NOTE:  Such courses are normally shorter than 12 weeks in duration.
  • Seasonal employment or vacations outside of Alaska, as long as residency is not established outside of Alaska
  • AmeriCorps, Teach for America, or similar program.

The Alaska WWAMI Program Eligibility Committee will consider the evidence submitted with the application and will determine whether the Alaska WWAMI eligibility requirements have been met. The applicant bears the burden of proving that the eligibility requirements have been met.

The Alaska WWAMI Eligibility Form can be downloaded here, in Acrobat/PDF format, or obtained directly from the UAA WWAMI School of Medical Education  office.  NOTE: Supporting documentation must be included with your Alaska WWAMI Eligibility Form. Please supply as much documentation as possible when you submit your form. Requests for additional documentation may delay the eligibility certification process.

Eligibility Form

Alaska WWAMI Admissions Schedule

January

February / March

April

May

  • 1st--AMCAS Application opens
  • 28th--AMCAS Application submission begins for the following year's fall matriculation (e.g. AMCAS would begin to accept applications in May 2024 for Summer 2025 matriculation).

June

  • 25th--UWSOM Admissions Office begins receiving and processing applications from AMCAS.

September

October

  • 1st--Transcripts must be received by AMCAS.
  • 15th--Deadline for applications to arrive at AMCAS.

November

  • 1st--Deadline for submission of Alaska WWAMI Eligibility Form to UAA WWAMI School of Medical Education Office (for address, FAX number, and e-mail address, see our Contact page).
  • 15th--Secondary Application Deadline
  • 15th--Letters of recommendation UWSOM deadline
  • 22nd--Suggested deadline for all letters of recommendation (or committee letter if requested) to be submitted to AMCAS to ensure meeting December 1st UWSOM deadline.

November

  • 1st-- Secondary Application Deadline

January - March

  • Alaska interviews held virtually.

Interview Process

The interview is the most important part of the application process. Your personal statement and application present a significant amount of information in a static format that can be misinterpreted. The interview is your opportunity to clarify and correct any misunderstanding. You can also make up for any weak areas in your application with a good interview.

Do not neglect to spend a significant amount of time preparing for your interview. It is a good idea to make a list of possible questions, and then to write answers for each one on a separate sheet of paper. Write complete answers and edit them for length and clarity. Set them aside for a while and then review and re-edit them. Do not merely memorize the answers. Instead, think about your answers and refine them in your mind. This will make you think about different issues surrounding each topic. You will not be able to predict every question you might be asked. However, if you prepare in this manner it will help you to "think on your feet." You will be able to mentally draw on the information and ideas you used to answer these hypothetical questions and to use them to formulate your answers to the actual questions.  Learn more about the UWSOM interview process.

What Will I Be Asked?

There is no method to predict every question you might be asked. However, there are some topics that are brought up frequently in medical school interviews. You will probably be asked why you want to be a doctor and what field of medicine you want to pursue. While you may not know exactly where you want to practice, you should already have examined the different specialties and identified a few that hold particular personal interest.

You should also be prepared to answer questions regarding your personal strengths and weaknesses, work and leisure habits, and value system. Before you go into the interview you should be very comfortable discussing current issues in health care practice, including the following: cost of health care, trends in insurance and other third-party payor arrangements, preventive and alternative health care, contemporary diseases, etc.

What Should I Wear?

Remember that you are going to a professional interview, and you want to present yourself in your best light. Business attire is recommended. Ideally you should wear clothing that is not too flashy or casual. A dark-colored, conservative suit is appropriate for both women and men. Keep jewelry and cologne to a minimum as they can be distracting. You want the committee to focus on your face so they can learn who you are.

Still looking for answers?

If your questions were not answered above, contact us with your specific questions.

Our Advising team is currently transitioning to new scheduling software. If you are experiencing difficulties, please reach out to wwami-premedadvising@alaska.edu, and someone will be able to assist you.

The Alaska WWAMI School of Medical Education and the College of Health at UAA are delighted to offer a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Medical Studies. This certificate is designed to help those students who already have a baccalaureate degree prepare themselves for medical school and complete their pre-requisite coursework.