How to Get Into the University of Michigan Medical School: The Definitive Guide (2024)

The University of Michigan Medical School is a premier U.S. institution for research and primary care. Rated in the top 20 medical schools across 10 categories, as well as awarded 100’s of millions of dollars in NIH funding every year, U of M Medical School attracts medical students with a variety of ambitions. Here, medical students report friendly and supportive faculty, personalized learning paths, and celebrate the school’s status as one of the most diverse medical universities in the country.

If the University of Michigan Medical School is one of your dream schools, we’re here to help. This article organizations key information about UMMS into an ultimate guide for applicants. Consider bookmarking this page so you can easily reference it during your application process.

Be an Informed Applicant

Equipping yourself with a thorough knowledge of U of M and its medical school makes you an informed, competitive applicant. Knowing the school’s values, programs, and legacy helps you understand what’s important to communicate when describing your strengths and interests. 

After all, one of the top questions the admissions committee has for you is, “why this school?” In a way, much of the application process boils down to this simple question. Your preparatory research will give your answers confidence and fluency.

This article will go into:

• U of M Medical School’s Legacy, Values, and Institutional Identity

• Medical Programs Offered at UMMS

• UMMS’s Selection Factors

• Michigan Medical School Requirements

• U of M Medical School Acceptance Rate, Class Profile, and School Rankings

• University of Michigan Medical School Tuition and Cost of Attendance

• AMCAS Primary Application and UMMS Secondary Application

• UMMS Secondary Application Essay Questions, Example Answers, and Advice

• Admissions Consulting and Healthcare Internships

All this information will aid your application process and help strengthen your candidacy. Still, applying to medical school is an arduous process. We hope you’ll take comfort knowing that medical school admissions consulting is a few clicks away. Whether your struggling with the finer details of your application, overwhelmed by the entire process, or you just want some simple feedback from medical and educational experts — we’re to help.

University of Michigan Medical School’s Legacy, Values, and Institutional Identity

Established before Michigan became a formal state, the University of Michigan is one of the oldest universities in America. When its Medical School was formed in 1851 (and tuition was $5), it was arguably the first professional medical school in the west. The school innovated medical pedagogy by going beyond shadowing and lecturing and integrating clerkships and lab work into the curriculum.

Throughout the centuries, Michigan Med garnered a reputation for being a research powerhouse, and to this day consistently ranks as one of the top medical research institutions, year after year. Of course, it holds similarly high ranks in patient care and other medical school categories, such as #4 in Surgery and #7 in Family Medicine.

The student body at UMMS overwhelmingly reports that the institution follows through on its promise to provide personalized mentorships and programs. As you’ll read below when we detail the school’s curriculum, U of M Medical School offers robust concentration options, one-on-one mentorships, and intimate learning communities tailored to specific interests.

UMMS’s openness to unique backgrounds and individuality is also reflected in the admissions process. The school foregoes the usual set of required coursework in favor of a set of Core Competencies that can be demonstrated to admissions with experiences outside of the college classroom.

Finally, UMMS takes care to intentionally foster diversity in its curriculum, faculty, and student body. The social aspect of medicine is taught throughout the MD program. Students complete capstone projects to affect change, and faculty teach students how to critically engage with the cultural and economic disparities present in modern healthcare systems.

Medical Programs at UMMS

The University of Michigan Medical School uses a holistic approach to medical pedagogy. Patient care, professional collaboration, conducting and reviewing clinical research, understanding the way social and cultural issues affect healthcare — all these things and more are taught and practiced in much the same way that physicians and clinical researchers encounter them in their professional environments.

Here are the main medical programs offered at UMMS. We cover each of these in detail just below.

• Doctor of Medicine (MD)

• Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy (MD/PhD program)

• Dual Degree Programs

• Leadership Program (Capstone/Concentration)

• Paths of Excellence Programs (Capstone/Concentration)

• Residency and Fellowship Programs

MD Program

Highlights of UMMS’s MD curriculum include early patient engagement, longitudinal learning, and robust concentration opportunities.

Additionally, UMMS provides ample support for 1st year medical students. This includes M-Home, a “longitudinal learning community” of 10-12 students, flexible assessments, supportive mentors, and other forms of personalized support.

Students fulfill the Capstone for Impact Curriculum by engaging in personalized projects throughout the MD program. Paths of Excellence and Leadership programs (detailed further down), as well as concentrated Branches in the 3rd and 4th year, structure the Capstone projects. 

Here’s a rundown of UMMS’s MD curriculum.

Year 1: Scientific Trunk

• Foundations of Medicine I: Molecular/Biological Sciences and Evidence-Based Care

• Foundations of Medicine II: Host Defense, Physical Diagnostics, and Therapeutics

• Vital Functions I: Circulation, Respiration and Filtration

• Vital Functions II: Nutrition, Absorption, Regulation, and Reproduction

• Vital Functions III: Cognition, Movement, Sensation and Behavior

• Foundations of Medicine III: Infection, Hematology, and Immunopathology

• Chief Concern (Clinical Reasoning)

• Improving Healthcare Systems

• Doctoring

• Capstone for Impact, Research, and Paths of Excellence

Year 2: Clinical Trunk

• Transition to Clerkships: Basic Science in Clinical Context

• Required Clerkships:

• Internal Medicine

• Surgery and Applied Sciences

• OB-GYN

• Pediatrics

• Family Medicine

• Neurology

• Psychiatry

• Improving Healthcare Systems

• Doctoring

• Capstone for Impact, Research, and Paths of Excellence

• Science and Practice of Medicine

Years 3 and 4: The Branches

Students choose from the following Branches and begin specializing.

• Patients and Populations

• Procedure-Based Care

• Diagnostics and Therapeutics

• Systems and Hospital-Based Care

Coursework varies by Branch. Students also complete the following:

• 1 ICU SubInternship

• 1 Non-ICU SubInternship

• 1 Emergency Medicine Rotation

• 1 Opioid Best Practices Online Course

• 4 Four-Week Clinical Electives offered by 20+ Departments

During the final phase of year 4, students finish their Capstone for Impact project, as well as take a Residency Prep Course in one of the following areas:

• Procedures

• OB/GYN

• Internal Medicine

• Pediatrics

• Family Medicine

• Emergency Medicine

MD/PhD Program/Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)

The MSTP is U of M’s MD/PhD program, designed for students interested in a career as physician-scientists. The school encourages traditional MD/PhD’s with focuses on fields of bioscience, as well as pairing medical research with fields in social sciences or humanities.

The program is 8 years long and requires 2 research rotations, much of the MD curriculum above, and ongoing clinical practice.

Dual Degree Programs

The University of Michigan Medical School offers a variety of dual degrees, and dual degrees can be used to fulfill the MD Capstone for Impact requirement. Excellent medical school academics are required in order to pursue a dual degree. Below are the options formally offered by the university.

• MD/MBA (Master in Business Administration)

• MD/MA.Ed (Master in Education)

• MD/MS (Master in Health Infrastructure and Learning Systems – HILS)

• MD/MPH (Master in Public Health) or MD/MHSA (Master in Health Sciences Administration)

Leadership Program (Capstone/Concentration)

The purpose of the Leadership Program is to empower future physicians to affect change through things such as team-building, exceptional and intentional patient care, and engaging complex healthcare systems. The program takes place over the course of a medical student’s MD journey and can fulfill the degree’s Capstone for Impact requirement.

The program is personalized based on each student’s goals and values. Program components typically include at least:

• One-on-one mentoring

• Interactive learning sessions that focus on conversational skills, leadership, presentations, team-building, and more. These sessions are conducted with a small group of peers and faculty members.

• Large group events, such as speaking events

• Capstone project(s)

Paths of Excellence Programs (Capstone/Concentration)

The mission of UMMS’s Paths of Excellence is to provide students with the specialized experiences, networking opportunities, and leadership skills to bring about change in their field of focus. These programs can facilitate projects that fulfill the Capstone for Impact requirement.

The following fields are offered as Paths of Excellence. The Capstone projects and mentorships therein are personalized to fit the student’s values and ambitions.

• Ethics

• Global Health & Disparities

• Health Policy

• Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Medical Humanities

• Patient Safety & Quality Improvement

• Scientific Discovery

Residency and Fellowship Programs

MD students begin exploring their career paths in year 3, and end year 4 with residency preparation courses and mentorship.

Here are the residency and fellowships programs offered by the University of Michigan Medical School.

• Anesthesiology

• Anesthesiology – Adult Cardiothoracic

• Anesthesiology – Critical Care

• Anesthesiology – Obstetric Anesthesiology

• Anesthesiology – Pain Medicine

• Anesthesiology – Pediatric

• Dentistry

• Advanced Dentistry in Orofacial Pain

• Dermatology

• Dermatology – MSDO

• Emergency Medicine

• Emergency Medicine – Emergency Medical Services

• Emergency Medicine – Pediatric Emergency Medicine

• Family Medicine

• Family Medicine – Sports Medicine

• Internal Medicine

• Internal Medicine – Pediatrics(link is external)

• Internal Medicine – Allergy

• Internal Medicine – Cardiovascular Disease

• Internal Medicine – Adult Congenital Heart Disease

• Internal Medicine – Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology

• Internal Medicine – Interventional Cardiology

• Internal Medicine – Cardiac Electrophysiology(link is external)

• Internal Medicine – Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

• Internal Medicine – Gastroenterology 

• Internal Medicine – Geriatric Medicine

• Internal Medicine – Hematology & Oncology

• Internal Medicine – Hospice & Palliative Medicine

• Internal Medicine – Infectious Disease

• Internal Medicine – Nephrology

• Internal Medicine – Podiatry

• Internal Medicine – Pulmonary Critical Care

• Internal Medicine – Rheumatology

• Internal Medicine – Transplant Hepatology

• Neurology

• Child Neurology

• Neurology – Neuromuscular Medicine

• Neurology – Clinical Neurophysiology

• Neurology – Epilepsy

• Neurology – Sleep Medicine

• Neurology – Vascular Neurology/Stroke

• Neurosurgery

• Obstetrics & Gynecology

• Obstetrics & Gynecology – Complex Family Planning

• Obstetrics & Gynecology – FPMRS

• Obstetrics & Gynecology – Gynecologic Oncology

• Obstetrics & Gynecology – Maternal Fetal Medicine

• Obstetrics & Gynecology – REI

• Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

• Orthopaedic Surgery

• Orthopaedic Surgery – Pediatric

• Orthopaedic Surgery – Sports Medicine

• Otolaryngology

• Otolaryngology – Neurotology

• Otolaryngology – Pediatric

• Pathology

• Pathology – Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine (link is external)

• Pathology – Chemical Pathology (link is external)

• Pathology – Cytopathology (link is external)

• Pathology – Dermatopathology (link is external)

• Pathology – Forensic (link is external)

• Pathology – Hematology (link is external)

• Pathology – Molecular Genetics (link is external)

• Pathology – Neuropathology (link is external)

• Pathology – Pediatric(link is external)

• Pediatrics

• Pediatrics – Adolescent Medicine

• Pediatrics – Cardiology

• Pediatrics – Child Neurology

• Pediatrics – Critical Care

• Pediatrics – Developmental Behavioral

• Pediatrics – Endocrinology

• Pediatrics – Gastroenterology

• Pediatrics – Hematology & Oncology

• Pediatrics – Hospital Medicine

• Pediatrics – Infectious Disease

• Pediatrics – Laboratory Genetics & Genomics

• Pediatrics – Medical Biochemical Genetics

• Pediatrics – Medical Genetics

• Pediatrics – Neonatal-Perinatal

• Pediatrics – Nephrology

• Pediatrics – Pulmonology

• Pediatrics – Rheumatology 

• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation – Pediatric Rehabilitation

• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation – SCI

• Psychiatry – Adult

• Psychiatry – Addiction

• Psychiatry – Child & Adolescent

• Psychiatry – Geriatric

• Psychiatry – Forensic

• Psychiatry – Consultation-Liaison

• Radiation Oncology

• Radiology – Diagnostic

• Interventional Radiology – Independent

• Interventional Radiology – Integrated 

• Radiology – Neuroradiology

• Radiology – Pediatric

• Radiology – Nuclear Medicine

• Oral Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Maxillofacial Surgery – Head & Neck Oncology

• Surgery

• Surgery – Surgical Critical Care

• Surgery – Pediatric

• Plastic Surgery

• Plastic Surgery – Craniofacial Surgery

• Plastic Surgery – Hand Surgery

• Thoracic Surgery – Integrated

• Thoracic Surgery – Fellowship

• Thoracic Surgery – Congenital Cardiac

• Vascular Surgery – Integrated

• Vascular Surgery – Fellowship

• Urology

• Urology – FPMRS

UMMS’s Selection Factors (What Michigan Med Is Looking for in an Applicant)

The University of Michigan Medical School has its technical and academic requirements (detailed in the section below this one), just like any other medical school. However, each medical school has unique aspects to its institutional identity and which qualities most factor into their selection process. These factors are often more important to your candidacy than simply meeting academic requirements, and they should guide how you approach communicating to the school during the application process.

Luckily for many prospective students, UMMS values medical students from a wide range of backgrounds, and believes there are numerous paths to settling on medicine as a profession.

Here are the attributes of successful candidates, according to the admissions committee at U of M Med. We’ve also included how admissions determines these attributes during the application process.

• Academic Excellence: GPA and MCAT scores reflect academic excellence, but so does coursework load, the standing of your undergraduate institution, rising grades, and extracurricular critical thinking activities.

• Altruism: A dedication to serving others is exemplified by an applicant’s volunteer activities (such as pre-med internships abroad) and responses to interview and application questions.

• Desire to Learn and Dedication to Medicine: Your desire to learn will be assessed based on the diversity of your academic interests, and well as extracurricular academic engagement and how you perform during the interview. Your dedication to a medical profession is assessed based on your knowledge of medical issues, documented efforts to pursue and study medicine, and your responses to application and interview questions.

• Competency: Your intellect, communication skills, and technical competency is determined by a little bit of everything, including but not limited to academic excellence, application responses, and demonstrating interpersonal skills during the interview.

• Cultural Humility: You should be able to demonstrate respect and knowledge of cultures and communities other than your own through your responses to essays and interview questions. Questions about your cultural competency, dedication to diversity, or knowledge of systemic barriers in healthcare will gauge your humility and desire to learn about different cultural communities.

• Integrity and Ethics: These qualities are assessed based on your ability to communicate the importance of ethical, honest behavior in the medical profession. Any dishonest statements or behaviors you put forward during the application process will reflect poorly on your dedication to professionalism and ethical integrity.

• Leadership: Your ability to critically engage with the existing state of affairs, articulate what leadership means, and guide the actions of others will determine your propensity for leadership. These qualities can be demonstrated through stories and other essay responses, letter of recommendations, and documented leadership roles.

• Reliability and Dependability: These qualities are demonstrated by consistently fulfilling obligations and embracing personal responsibility. You can demonstrate you have what it takes to be a reliable, accountable physician through relevant stories, references from people who depended on you, and documented rigorous internships/volunteer work.

• Resilience and Adaptability: Your ability to adapt and your resilience can be communicated through stories about overcoming stressful situations, references to your ability to bounce back from adversity, and your responses to questions about how you’ll deal with the rigors of medical school and work as a physician.

• Social/Interpersonal Skills and Teamwork: These qualities are demonstrated through your ability to collaborate and work in a team, an ability to quickly develop rapport with others, and references that show you can function well in a social setting. In this case, your interpersonal skills during the interview will be especially insightful to admissions, as well as your past collaborative projects.

• Written and Verbal Communication: Your ability to communicate will be on display throughout the entire application process, from your written application to your interview. Take care to be clear and concise in your essays, as well as focused and responsive during your interview.

Michigan Medical School Requirements

Basic Requirement

Here are some basic requirements you will need to fulfill in order to apply:

• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have DACA status.

• Completed 90 hours of college course work, 60 of which must be from an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution.

• Have taken the MCAT.

• Have taken the CASPer Situational Judgment Test.

• Able to submit 3-6 letters of recommendation.

Prerequisites and Required Coursework

Rather than providing a list of required coursework, the admissions committee require “Core Competencies” in the areas listed below. Competency can be demonstrated through college course work, as well as through experiences outside of the classroom, such as internships, independent research projects, publications, and more.

To fulfill UMMS’s Core Competency requirements, you must provide evidence of understanding the following fields and concepts:

Biomedical and Social Sciences

BIOLOGY:

• Nucleic acid/nucleosome structure and function including epigenetics (histone

modification and DNA methylation)

• Cell structure, cell cycle, meiosis, and mitosis

• Genetic mutations, repair and recombination

• Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells (transcription

factors & mechanisms)

• RNA processing

• Protein translation

• DNA and RNA viruses – properties and generation, and use of viral vectors

• Foundations of signal transduction

CHEMISTRY:

• Acid/base chemistry

• Thermodynamics and chemical equilibrium

• Protein structure and function

• Enzymes: mechanisms, kinetics, inhibition, binding constants

• Bioenergetics and oxidative metabolism

• Carbohydrate metabolism

• Lipid metabolism

• Membranes and transport

PHYSICS/PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES:

• Newtonian mechanics

• Fluid dynamics

• Basic thermodynamics

• Basic concepts of electrical circuits and electrostatics

• Diffusion and transport of mass and energy

Statistical Analysis and Epidemiology

• Descriptive statistics and inference

• Probability, populations and samples

• Statistical distributions

• Hypothesis testing

• Regressions and correlations

• Analysis of variance

• Types of observational and experimental studies

Hypothesis Development and Investigation

Here, the admissions committee states, “A distinct experience in intellectual inquiry and participation in the independent discovery of new knowledge is strongly recommended but not required.”

Any experience conducting or collaborating on research is relevant to this category.

Analytical Thought and Problem-Solving Skills

The admissions committee states, “Analytical thought and problem-solving skills should be an integral and pervasive part of the majority of the curricular and extracurricular experiences.”

Problem-based coursework, internships, and research experience are examples of what fulfills this Core Competency requirement.

U of M Medical School Acceptance Rate, Class Profile, and School Rankings

Here are some key statistics to help you understand the institution’s performance, standards, and expectations.

Acceptance Rate and 2021 Class Profile

The acceptance rate at the University of Michigan Medical School is 5.6%. The average is GPA 3.88 among accepted applicants, and the average MCAT score is 518.

Here’s a breakdown of the 2021 enrolled class, according to UMMS’s 2021 class profile:

• Applicants: 10,624

• Interviewed: 455

• Class Size: 170

• Matriculated directly from undergraduate college: 23.5%

• 1 year out of UG: 27.7%

• 2+ years out of UG: 48.8%

• Michigan residents: 38.2%

• Non-residents: 61.8%

• Age range: 20 – 36

• Average age: 24.5

• Double majors: 15.9%

• STEM: 80%

• Biological Sciences: 63.5%

• Non-Biological Sciences: 11.2%

• Engineering: 4.1%

• Math: 1.2%

• Non-STEM: 20%

School Rankings

The University of Michigan Medical Schools achieved the following 2022 rankings:

• #15 in Best Medical Schools: Research

• #15 in Best Medical Schools: Primary

• #6 in Anesthesiology

• #7 in Family Medicine

• #7 in Internal Medicine

• #6 in Obstetrics and Gynecology

• #10 in Pediatrics

• #11 in Psychiatry

• #9 in Radiology

• #4 in Surgery

Michigan Med also ranked #64 in Most Diverse Medical Schools and #40 in Most Graduates Practicing in Medically Underserved Areas.

Cost of Attendance: University of Michigan Medical School Tuition and More

According to Michigan Med, “University of Michigan Medical School students rank among the lower third of all medical school graduates with an average debt load upon graduation of $153,864.” Students report ample scholarship opportunities and informative financial counseling upon enrolling.

Here are the numbers for the MD program, as of the 2021-2022 school year. Keep in mind, certain costs are estimated.

Resident Costs

Room & Board:

• Year 1: $17,580

• Year 2: $18,180

• Year 3: $18,180

• Year 4: $12,120

Transportation:

• Year 1: $4,380

• Year 2: $6,840

• Year 3: $6,840

• Year 4: $4,560

Books/Instruments:

• Year 1: $1,252

• Year 2: $1,351

• Year 3: $102

• Year 4: $100

Exam Fees:

• Year 2: $1,310

Tuition & Fees:

• Year 1: $44,373

• Year 2: $44,373

• Year 3: $44,373

• Year 4: $29,582

Combined with miscellaneous costs ranging from $2,800 to $4,200 per year, the total cost of attendance for residents comes to:

• Year 1: $71,785

• Year 2: $76,254

• Year 3: $73,695

• Year 4: $49,162

Non-Resident Costs

Non-residents can expect costs similar to those listed above, sans tuition. Transportation for non-residents is typically around $1,000 more per year.

Non-Resident Tuition & Fees:

• Year 1: $62,538

• Year 2: $62,538

• Year 3: $62,538

• Year 4: $41,694

Altogether, the cost of attendance for non-residences comes to:

• Year 1: $90,700

• Year 2: $95,169

• Year 3: $92,610

• Year 4: $62,024

AMCAS Primary Application and UMMS Secondary Application

Applying to medical school requires two applications: a primary and a secondary application. The AMCAS will be your primary application, which is sent to all the schools you apply to (except Texas state schools, which use the TMDSAS).

The University of Michigan Medical School will provide you with information for completing its secondary application once your AMCAS is received.

For a more in-depth explanation, take a look at our article on understanding the differences between primary and secondary medical school applications.

Michigan Med’s Secondary Application: Essay Questions, Example Answers, and General Advice

Your essay answers for the UMMS secondary application are crucial opportunities to stand out as an applicant. Your long-form answers transform you from an anonymous applicant to a unique human being with personal history, ambition, and values.

Secondary application essay prompts are relatively open-ended, so there are no right or wrong responses per say. However, the most effective essays will be concise, unique, and grammatically sound. The admissions committee conducts a thorough, holistic review of your entire application, but pays special attention to what you say in your essay responses and how well you communicate your answers. Your goal is to express yourself in a compelling, effective, and structured way.

For in-depth tutelage on how to ace your medical school essay responses, consider  IMA’s medical school admissions consulting.

Here are the essay prompts for The University of Michigan Medical School’s secondary application for the 2021-2022 academic year. We’ve included some sample answers and advice on how to approach and structure your answers.

Essay Prompt #1 (MD applicants)

Comment on how you hope to impact medicine in the future. If examples are needed, feel free to refer to our eight Paths of Excellence. Do not exceed 1500 characters including spaces (about 250 words).

Right out the gate, preparatory research into the school’s programs pays off. We went into the Paths of Excellence concentrations above, and considering that over 90% of UMMS’s MD student opt in to one of the Paths, it’s a great starting point for structuring your answer.

When communicating your goals for impacting change through medical practice, research, or healthcare leadership, incorporate any past experiences that demonstrate your commitment to medicine. When describing your goals, a delicate balance of realism and optimism is key.

Here’s an example answer.

“I want to positively impact the future of medicine by opening an independent practice dedicated to women’s health and mental well-being. I am passionate about providing compassionate, equitable healthcare for people from traditionally underrepresented groups, and believe quality, holistic care is best achieved through recognizing the crucial relationship between physical and mental health.

I am attracted to the Ethics Path of Excellence most of all. I am one of four sisters, and all of us live extremely different lives with different levels of access to healthcare. I have witnessed first hand the consequences of our healthcare system failing to provide the proper resources and treatment for women who need it most. Because of this, I see healthcare first and foremost as an ethical undertaking, and therefore intend to emphasize the study of ethics in my academic career.

I’m also considering the Medical Humanities Path. While interning at an end-of-life care facility, I collected books, movies, and art from the community to share with our patients. Art and stories have the power to soothe our most desperate feelings, and I’ve seen the arts alleviate physical symptoms first hand.

Ultimately, my studies into ethics and medical humanities will guide the details of my future practice. However, I intend to provide the highest quality care to every patient I treat, and I anticipate this dream to drive me through the rigors of medical school and beyond.”

Essay Prompt #1 (MSTP applicants)

Briefly describe why you decided to apply to the University of Michigan MSTP. If you are interested in a specific department, program, or area of research for your Ph.D., please provide a brief explanation, we recognize that your interests may change. Do not exceed 1500 characters including spaces (about 250 words).

When describing why you decided to apply to the MSTP, include what inspired your decision. If any past experiences have shaped your interest in medicine or research, feel free to mention them. Remember that the admissions committee is interested in what you are passionate about and how your interests will grow as you pursue your degree at UMMS.

Do your best to demonstrate a fluent knowledge of any programs you mention interest in. While you may be sure it’s the right fit for you, you need to communicate to admissions that, not only is this program perfect for you, but you’re fully capable of doing your own research and making informed decisions about your career.

Essay Prompt #2

Please respond to ONLY one of the following two prompts:

Describe your identity and how it has impacted the development of your values and attitudes toward individuals different from yourself and how this will impact your interactions with future colleagues and patients.

OR

If you recognize and/or represent a voice that is missing, underrepresented, or undervalued in medicine, please describe the missing voice(s) and how increased representation in medicine could impact the medical community.

Do not exceed 2500 characters including spaces (about 400 words).

Michigan Med is one of the most diverse medical schools in the nation, and integrates diversity, inclusion, and social justice into everything from its admissions process to its curriculum.

These prompts allow for nearly twice the space as the past ones. This is a sign that UMMS values having insight into your identity, your perspective on diversity and representation, and your general cultural competency. This is an important question, so feel free to do some soul-searching before jumping in.

Here are some examples of things to include in your response, depending on who you are and your personal experiences:

• Academic or professional situations you’ve been in or witnessed in which discrimination prevented collaboration, or in which diversity could have improved learning or care

• A time you experienced the impact of not having your perspective represented in your field, and how it made you feel

• Strengths that your specific identity and respective experiences give you that will help you provide informed, empathetic care and critically assess systemic issues in healthcare

• Catalysts for critically examining the privileges of your identity and how this transformed your values and approach to medicine

• Descriptions of broader systemic issues in healthcare, how they impact patient care, and how inclusion and diversity can alleviate these issues

Remember to prioritize directly answering the prompt. Question 1 asks, (1) your identity, (2) how this has affected how you approach relationships with those different than you, and (3) what impact this will have on your future professional relationships. Question 2 asks you to describe, (1) voice(s) that is/are underrepresented or undervalued in medicine, and (2) how valuing these voices will positively affect medical communities.

Essay Prompt #3

How was your journey to medical school affected by the COVID pandemic? Please feel free to describe any positive or negative aspects. Do not exceed 2500 characters including spaces (about 400 words).

The admissions committee states on UMMS’s website that they fully expect the COVID pandemic to have impacted candidates’ academics, internships, and ability to study for tests such as the MCAT. You should take this opportunity to describe any such setbacks that you faced due to COVID, as the school is highly motivated to take your situation into account when evaluating you as a candidate.

Alternatively, if quarantining or virtual learning had a positive impact on your journey to medical school, you are invited to discuss that.

Whatever your story is, make sure you are honest, clear, and give specific details. This prompt can also be an opportunity to discuss overcoming adversity during troubling times.

Essay Prompt #4

Tell us something you are passionate about and why. Do not exceed 1500 characters including spaces (about 250 words).

The UMMS admissions committee heavily encourages candidates to be themselves when applying for medical school. This question is designed to give admissions an opportunity to get to know more about you as a person. Of course, keeping your answer relevant to your medical ambitions will be more impactful, as long as its truthful.

Ultimately, if you are committed to a career in medicine, your passions will no doubt lead back to that organically. For this type of question, you can do some initial soul-searching by writing out your thoughts outside of the application, and then return to the application to structure your response. 

Effective narrative devices for this kind of prompt include:

• Discussing an impactful experience you had pursuing your passion

• Framing your passion in terms of how it led you toward medicine

• Discussing how your passion impacts how you will care for and relate to future patients

• Explaining how your personality relates to your passion, and why your passion will carry into your career

Admissions Consulting

So, why do we put so much work into providing ultimate medical school guides for prospective students? Because applying to medical school is a challenging and complicated process. And, for many candidates, there’s a lot at stake.

Even if every medical school was rated #1, they still wouldn’t be considered equal by future physicians and medical scientists. Mentors, facilities, programs, locations — a lot of important things vary from school to school. If you have your heart set on only a handful of medical schools, you know how paramount it is to put your best foot forward when applying.

International Medical Aid leverages over 25 years of medical school admissions consulting. We’re made up of medical and educational experts who have helped thousands of candidates attend top medical schools across the country.

Whether you need expert guidance through the entire application process, or just want some hands-on help with essays, organization, or anything else — we’re here to help. Our medical school admissions consulting is a click away, and we can provide you with a complementary 30-minute consultation whenever you’re ready to get started.

Pre-Med Internships Abroad

Our immersive pre-med healthcare internships abroad is once-in-a-lifetime training opportunity for students looking to gain valuable medical skills and unprecedented healthcare perspectives. In addition to generating compelling healthcare stories for your medical school applications, these formative pre-med internships provide lasting knowledge and marketable skills to take your career in the medical field to new heights.

There’s a lot to learn about our global healthcare internships. You can find out more here.

Good Luck!

We hope you’ve found this information useful on your journey to medical school. Remember to check out our other ultimate medical school guides. We wish you the best of luck in your academic and professional career!

• University of Wisconsin Medical School
• VCU School of Medicine
• University of Maryland School of Medicine
• Case Western Medical School
• University of North Carolina Medical School
• University of Florida Medical School
• Emory University School of Medicine
• Boston University College of Medicine
• California University of Science and Medicine
• UC San Diego Medical School
• California Northstate University College of Medicine
• Touro University of California
• CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine
• UC Davis School of Medicine
• Harvard Medical School
• UC Riverside School of Medicine
• USC Keck School of Medicine
• UT Southwestern Medical School
• Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio
• University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
• UT Austin’s Dell Medical School
• UTMB School of Medicine
• McGovern Medical School at UT Health
• Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• McGovern Medical School at UT Health
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine
• UNT Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
• University of Houston College of Medicine
• Texas A&M College of Medicine
• Johns Hopkins Medical School
• Baylor College of Medicine
• George Washington University School of Medicine
• Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• St. George’s University School of Medicine
• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (in Pennsylvania)
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
• Wake Forest University School of Medicine
• Western University of Health Sciences (in California)
• Drexel University College of Medicine
• Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago
• Georgetown University School of Medicine
• Yale School of Medicine
• Perelman School of Medicine
• UCLA Medical School
• NYU Medical School
• Washington University School of Medicine
• Brown Medical School