UW-Madison

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Madison, WI · Public · MD

Average MCAT: 511
Average GPA: 3.81
Class size: 171 (7,968 applicants)
Tuition: $64,088 (per year, nonresident)
Out-of-state applicants: Welcome

Deadlines

AMCAS deadline: Oct. 1, 2026
Secondary deadline: Nov. 1, 2026

Essays

Mission fit (500 words)

The Admissions Committee is committed to comprehensive, mission-aligned evaluation of all applicants. Review our institution’s mission. Using specific examples, discuss how and why you believe you are a good fit for the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Competency growth (250 words)

UW SMPH uses the AAMC’s Premed Competencies for Entering Medical Students as an applicant evaluation framework. Choose one of the professional competencies from the drop-down list where you have experienced growth. Using specific examples, describe your development in this competency. (Dropdown options: Commitment to growth and learning, Empathy and compassion, Ethical responsibility to self and others, Interpersonal Skills, Oral communication, Reliability and dependability, Resilience and adaptability, Self-awareness, Service orientation, Teamwork and collaboration, Understanding others.)

Favorite failure (250 words)

Reflect on a time when a failure, or an apparent failure, set you up for later success. Do you have a favorite failure that you now see as a pivotal moment in your personal or professional growth?

Health issue or policy (250 words)

Individual and population health flow from the intersections between healthcare outcomes, sociopolitical factors, economic, historical and other systemic factors. Choose a broader issue or policy that impacts health outcomes where you believe change is needed. Discuss the role you hope to play as a physician in addressing this issue.

Reapplicants (500 words)

Individuals reapplying are required to submit a statement indicating what has changed since the previous application to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health MD or MD/PhD program (e.g., additional academic work, new letters of recommendation, work and volunteer experience, life changes, etc.). If switching application pathway (e.g. to WARM from regular MD or from regular MD to MD/PhD), please explain the decision/change.

Institutional action or criminal offense

IA/Criminal offense explanation

Editor's notes

Residency drives the numbers. 113 of the 171 students who entered in 2026 were Wisconsin residents, and the school says non-resident admission is more competitive. If you're from out of state, your mission essay has to answer why Wisconsin, not only why UW. The exception is M.D.-Ph.D., where residency isn't a factor.
The deadlines are early and firm: MCAT by Aug. 22, AMCAS by Oct. 1, secondary by Nov. 1. UW also says a stronger application beats an earlier one. So don't rush a weak secondary out in July, but don't count on a late MCAT either, because no new score counts after a decision.
Every letter format includes a nonacademic letter from a mentor, and your file isn't complete until all letters arrive. Line up that mentor early: a supervisor, volunteer coordinator or physician you shadowed. Family and peers don't count.
Choose your track before you write. You can't switch between Regular M.D., WARM and M.D.-Ph.D. after you submit the secondary, and WARM adds two letters, a separate interview and a five-state residency rule.