The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) trains future physicians to serve the diverse, five-state WWAMI region: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. With an active-learning curriculum, early clinical exposure, and training sites across the region, UWSOM prepares graduates to excel in residency and address the unique healthcare needs of the region’s communities.

UWSOM seeks applicants—primarily WWAMI residents—who are academically qualified and committed to serving underserved populations. Out-of-region candidates may be considered if they have strong ties to WWAMI and come from disadvantaged backgrounds or demonstrate a dedication to community healthcare. The school values leadership, cultural competence, resilience, and a passion for improving healthcare access alongside strong academic performance.

Unlike many medical schools, UWSOM screens applicants before inviting them to submit a secondary application. WWAMI-based applicants undergo an automated academic screening before receiving a secondary application, as do Washington residents; the latter must also complete a residence questionnaire. Out-of-region applicants must submit a “pre-secondary statement” and pass a “mission fit” review before being invited to complete the secondary application.

UWSOM Secondary Essay Tips

Essay #1

The UWSOM aims to build a diverse class of students to enrich the field of medicine. What perspectives, identities, and/or qualities would you bring? (250 words)

This essay prompt is asking you to consider how you might contribute to the diversity of the school’s next incoming class. You should think about diversity in terms of both background (e.g., cultural, ethnic, linguistic) and experience (e.g., dealing with mental illness, experiencing loss). Considering UWSOM’s strong emphasis on community, explain how your background will be of value to your fellow students and what you can bring to the class. In your response, focus on emotional and mental maturity, and reflect on how that will enable you to work with or understand others.

Essay #2

What obstacles have you experienced and how have you overcome them? (250 words)

In answering this question, choose to discuss setbacks or life experiences that will allow you to show how much you have grown and changed. Be sure to highlight challenges that you actively worked to overcome, and maintain a positive focus. The bulk of your essay should explain how you overcame the challenge and how the skills you used or gained will help you in medical school. It can be helpful to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between your efforts and the net outcome. What approach did you take to address the issue(s)? What were the results? If possible, select challenges where the stakes were somewhat high for either yourself or someone else.

Essay #3

How have societal inequities in the U.S. affected you or people you have worked with? (250 words)

This question is asking you to discuss your experience working with people who belong to an underserved community or your own experience as a member of an underserved community. Provide a specific example from your personal life or your clinical or other volunteer/work experience, and then explain what social inequities you encountered in that scenario and how they affected you or the others in your story. Keeping in mind UWSOM’s commitment to serving underrepresented populations, you should briefly conclude by explaining how you will handle these inequities as a med student and physician.

Essay #4

Demonstrated competency: Social sciences, Humanities or “Human Condition”

Entering medical students should understand the social forces that shape the health of the individuals and communities they will serve. This includes understanding how social contextual factors and policy operate at the community and national level to impact the health of individuals. Students should be familiar with disparities in health currently present in society and their underlying etiologies. Candidates seeking acceptance to UWSOM can establish competency in this area through course work in the social sciences, humanities or related interdisciplinary fields such as public health or ethnic and gender studies, clinical and/or population health research, service learning, lived experience or a combination of thereof. Examples of social science/humanities coursework to consider: Anthropology, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Psychology, Religion, History, Philosophy, Literature.

Essay: Describe your competency by explaining how you have explored and come to understand issues in the social sciences and humanities as they relate to the practice of medicine. (250 words)

This essay is asking applicants to think beyond traditional STEM classes, outside of the scope of traditional bench research, and to consider the holistic factors that could contribute to health, wellness, prevention, and disease. When you answer the prompt of “how you have explored” this aspect, let the adcom know about relevant classwork as well as volunteer work, service learning opportunities, and community service involvement that increased your understanding of aspects of social determinants of health, barriers to accessing healthcare, and global healthcare challenges.  

UWSOM Application Timeline

Date	Requirement
February 28, 2025	FAFSA priority deadline
September 15, 2025 (by 11:59 p.m. PT)	WA Residence History Form due (if requested by UWSOM before September 15)
1 week after request	WA Residence History Form due (if requested by UWSOM after September 15)
3 weeks after request	Initial WA residency documentation due (if requested by UWSOM before October 1)
1 week after request	Initial WA residency documentation due (if requested by UWSOM after October 1)
September 30, 2025	Last date to take MCAT if you want the score considered with your application in this cycle
October 1 (by 11:59 p.m. ET)	AMCAS primary application deadline
Within 2 weeks of AMCAS submission	Transcripts due to AMCAS
November 15 (by 11:59 p.m. PT)	Secondary application deadline (including completed residency step for WWAMI applicants)
November 15 (by 11:59 p.m. PT)	Residency verification deadline
April 15, 2026 (or within 2 weeks of acceptance)	Criminal background check recommended completion date; deadline for notifying UW Disability Resources for Students of accommodation requests
April 30, 2026 (by 11:59 p.m. PT)	Plan to Enroll deadline (AMCAS Choose Your Medical School tool)
May 7, 2026 (by 11:59 p.m. PT)	Targeted Rural-Underserved Track Commit to Enroll deadline
TBD	Community-focused Urban Scholars Program and MD-only Commit to Enroll deadline
May 15, 2026	Final deadline for completing any outstanding premedical course requirements
May 27, 2026	Required transcripts due for accepted applicants

Source: UWSOM website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with UWSOM directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

UWSOM Class Profile

Here is a look at the UWSOM class that matriculated in 2024 (data taken from the UWSOM website):

WWAMI MD Applicants

• Applications: 1,238 
• Interviewed: 578
• Offered acceptance: 307
• Matriculated: 251

Out-of-Region MD Applicants

• Applications: 3,381
• Interviewed: 99
• Offered acceptance: 30
• Matriculated: 17

Race/Ethnicity (Matriculated in 2024, Total = 275*)

• American Indian/Alaska Native: 8
• Asian (all): 73
• Asian (SE Asian only): 17
• Black/African American: 14
• Latinx/Hispanic: 21
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 3
• Not indicated: 8
• Other: 8
• White: 173

*Students may be counted in more than one category.

Acceptance Rates (3-Year Average)

• Washington overall: 18.2%
• Seattle, WA: 34.3%
• Spokane, WA: 54.6%
• Alaska: 38.5%
• Montana: 35.3%
• Idaho: 23.8%
• Wyoming: 45.6%
• Out-of-region: 0.5%

As the former assistant dean of student affairs at the William Beaumont School of Medicine and former director of pre-health advisement and the Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program at Sacred Heart University, Dr. Valerie Wherley brings more than 20 years of success working with pre-health candidates in medicine, dental, vet, PA, PT, OT, exercise science, and nursing. Her clients appreciate her expertise in the holistic admissions process and her patient, thoughtful, strategic, and data-driven working style. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!

Related Resources

• Medical School Selectivity Index, a free tool
• Five Tips for Completing AACOMAS Secondary Applications
• Navigating Admissions at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Admissions Straight Talk podcast episode 601