The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects shortages across health care professions, including physicians. Some specialties, including primary care, will face severe shortages in the next five to twenty years. To practice medicine, further education and training are required, ranging from 4 to 8 years of additional schooling and training after college.

If you are considering medical school after college, UWM will provide you with an excellent foundation to help you reach your goal. Admission to medical school is a highly competitive process, and students must demonstrate very strong academic performance as well as provide evidence that they have engaged in health-related work experiences to meet the rigorous admission standards of medical school. UWM students have consistently been admitted to medical schools at a rate equal to or greater than the national average; many UWM pre-med students have gone on to attend top-ranked medical schools and have built promising careers in different medical specialties.

Medical schools do no require any specific major. What they do expect, however, is that students will have taken the necessary preparatory science classes to prepare for the demands of medical school. Because of the number of biology and chemistry classes that need to be taken, most students choose to major in biology, chemistry, or biochemistry. The vast majority of students accepted to medical schools nationwide come from biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and other physical sciences. At UWM, the data is similar - according to the American Medical College Application Service, of the UWM students admitted to MD programs over the past five years, 74% majored in Biology, Chemistry, or Biochemistry; 12% majored in Psychology; and 14% represent a wide range of other majors. The Pre-Med Fact Sheet at the right outlines the courses that medical school expects students to take during college.

Many individuals feel a calling to the medical profession after they have graduated and been working in another profession. Individuals in this situation who did not major in a science field while in college or who have low grades in previous science education will maximize their opportunity to become an admissible medical school candidate by re-taking science courses or by returning to school for a full major in a related-science. Students with some science background but not enough yet to be a competitive medical school applicant can return to school to take the needed coursework as a non-degree student. Our flyer for career-changers provides an overview of what to expect upon your return to college.

A significant number of volunteer or work hours is also often a requirement for application to medical school so it is important to work with the pre-med advisor beginning in freshman year in order to plan all needed activities into your college career. A suggested timeline is also available to help you plan preparatory activities throughout your four years in college.

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