Secondary Application

The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) invites select applicants to complete the Secondary Application after receipt and review of their AMCAS application. Unlike many medical schools, UWSOM does not request Secondary Applications automatically; applications are screened to determine if a Secondary Application will be requested.

Applicants with an AMCAS legal state of residence of Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho will receive the Secondary Application invitation after undergoing an automated academic screen. Washington applicants also undergo this automated academic screen, then will receive an invitation to complete a questionnaire about their residence history. Once they have submitted this questionnaire, they will then be invited to complete the Secondary Application. Out-of-region (non-WWAMI) applicants undergo an academic screen and then are asked to submit a pre-secondary statement. Prior to receiving the Secondary Application, they will be reviewed to determine if they are aligned with the mission of the program.

The completed application materials listed below must be received no later than November 15 at 11:59 pm PT. If all materials are not received by this date, the application will no longer be considered.

We expect applications to be correct and complete when submitted. If you feel your application will be substantially better after completing additional experiences, we recommend that you wait to apply.

For this reason, the UWSOM does not accept written activity updates. Grade updates (i.e., official and unofficial transcripts) for future and in-progress coursework are required. Additional letters of recommendation and changes in contact information should be sent through AMCAS. If you are offered an interview, you may share any updates with your interviewers at that time.

WWAMI applicants can apply for concurrent consideration for the Medical Scientist Training Program, MSTP (M.D./Ph.D.) and M.D. only program. Applicants applying to BOTH the M.D./Ph.D. and the M.D.-only program will need to submit two secondary applications (one to each program). Check with the MSTP office for its application deadlines. Non-WWAMI applicants must choose the M.D. Ph.D. OR the M.D. program to apply to.

Secondary Application requirements:

Essays

Applicants will be asked to submit additional short essays to supplement their AMCAS Personal Comments.

Essay prompts for the application cycle opening in May of 2026 will be posted here when the cycle opens.

Letters of recommendation

Submit a pre-medical committee evaluation and up to three additional letters, or submit a minimum of three and up to six individual letters from writers who can speak to one or more of the following:

  • Academic ability
  • Commitment to service
  • Leadership potential
  • Clinical or research experiences
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Interaction with patients
  • Ability to function on a team, and/or potential as a physician
  • Respect for others
  • Compassion
  • Maturity
  • Communication skills
  • Work ethic

The collection of letters should provide a balanced and well-rounded view of your candidacy for medicine. Letters of recommendation from people who know you well can give the committee a better understanding of who you are. Consider current employers, people at your volunteer or shadowing opportunities, teaching assistants, etc. 

It is strongly encouraged that letters be printed on university, company or personal letterhead and signed. Letters of recommendation that are missing letterhead and/or signature will be given less consideration.

All letters of recommendation should be submitted via the AMCAS Letter Service.

See Guidelines for Writing Letters of Recommendation for additional assistance.

Background and personal information

Provide additional information about your background:

  • Graduating high School information: high school name and zip code
  • Hometown: There is no strict definition, but a hometown is typically a city/town that you have ties/roots to that you consider "home". This could be:
    • Where you graduated high school
    • Where you had the most formative/meaningful experiences
    • Where you grew up
    • Where your parents live
    • Where you have lived the longest
  • Is your hometown rural?
  • If applicable:
    • Identification with a Southeast Asian community (Bhutanese, Burmese, Cham, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, Mien, Thai, or Vietnamese) *Note this information is not visible to the Admissions Committee and is used for the UW Admissions internal reporting

Policy acknowledgments

Applicants are expected to read and comply with the UW School of Medicine student policies. Applicants who do not agree to these policies will not be considered for admission.

Prerequisites worksheet

Applicants will be asked to list courses they believe meet the required pre-medical course requirements for the UWSOM. Applicants will be able to note current/future coursework.

Foundations site preference

Washington applicants have the choice of spending their Foundations Phase of the curriculum (first 18 months) in either Spokane or Seattle. Applicants make this choice in the Secondary Application, and if offered an interview, will be interviewed for one cohort or the other, not both. Once an applicant interviews for -- or is accepted to -- one of these cohorts, they cannot switch between the two. No appeals will be accepted.

Spokane students will study on the Gonzaga University campus, and Seattle students will study on the University of Washington - Seattle campus. Both sites offer outstanding educational opportunities with identical course objectives and common exams. Spokane’s class size is 60, Seattle’s is 100 (including out-of-region and MSTP students). College mentors, preceptors, student interest groups, Pathway programs, and other learning and personal resources are available at both sites. At both sites current students can work with urban and rural patient populations, pursue research opportunities, and explore a broad range of specialty interests. There is no requirement to have lived in either city before in order to apply, nor to have a specific background or interest.

In the Secondary Application, applicants will have access to a website created by current medical students that has information about why they chose their Foundation site and what they see as the unique strengths of each site.

Statistics about how many applicants apply to and interview for each site are available here.

Optional: TRUST and CUSP application

There is an optional section on the Secondary Application to apply to the TRUST program or CUSP. All WWAMI applicants are eligible to apply for TRUST within their own state. Washington applicants can only apply for either TRUST or CUSP, not both. Out-of-region applicants can apply to CUSP only.

All CUSP application materials are due two weeks before the rest of the Secondary Application no later than November 1 at 11:59pm PT. All TRUST application materials are due with the rest of the Secondary Application no later than November 15 at 11:59pm PT.

State residency certification

Candidates from Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho will be required to submit residency certification from their respective state certifying officers.

Washington residents will be asked to complete a residence history questionnaire, and then may or may not be required to provide additional documentation to demonstrate their legal residence. Washington residents should be prepared to verify their state residency at any point in the application process.

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Application fee

The UWSOM Secondary Application fee is $35. If an applicant feels that it is a burden to pay this fee, they can request to have it waived.