Medical Schools in Washington State: How to Get In (2024)
/Which are the best medical schools in Washington State? Learn how hard it is to get into Washington medical schools, plus admissions strategies to make it happen
There are three medical schools in Washington State
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: List of medical schools in Washington State: 2023 rankings and admissions statistics
Part 3: Washington State medical school profiles
Part 4: Washington State medical school admissions strategies
Appendix A: Washington State medical schools by degree type
Appendix B: Washington State medical schools by institution type
Appendix C: Washington State medical schools by region
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Part 1: Introduction
Famous for its stunning natural beauty and output in the arts and technology, Washington is a diverse state that offers medical students a wide range of experiences.
While a medical student in Washington, you’ll have the opportunity to see work from the famous sculptor Dale Chihuly in the Museum of Glass in Tacoma or to attend a Seattle Seahawks or Mariners game. You can also opt to explore the outdoors at one of Washington’s three national parks: Mount Rainer, Olympic, and North Cascades. Plus, as a Washington medical student, you can boast that Washington is home to many legendary musicians and bands, such as Jimi Hendrix, Pearl Jam, and Modest Mouse.
Washington is also known for its three medical schools, each located in a different city and unique in its curricular structure and extracurricular opportunities. Given this, it is likely you can identify a Washington medical school that aligns with your professional aspirations.
Our goal for this guide is to provide you with an overview of the strengths and differences between each of the Washington medical schools, as well as to highlight unique features of each institution so you can prepare an informed application aimed towards receiving an acceptance offer from your top-choice school.
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Washington State: 2023 rankings and admissions statistics
We dug up the latest rankings and statistics on Washington medical schools so you can compare the schools side-by-side. While putting this information together, we observed the following takeaways:
Two allopathic medical schools and one osteopathic medical school are located in Washington.
All Washington medical schools matriculate high percentages of in-state residents, with the most favorable numbers found at Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
The University of Washington is the only Washington medical school to appear in the 2023 U.S. News Research rankings; however, it lands in the top 10.
The first-year class sizes of Washington medical schools vary significantly from an intimate 80 students to one of the largest class sizes in the U.S. at 270 students per class.
In the table below, each Washington medical school’s national ranking is listed inside parentheses, whereas each school’s relative rank is shown outside parentheses. Relative rankings help us answer the question, “Which are the ‘best’ medicals school in Washington?”
(Note: We strongly recommend that you sign up for MSAR for the most up-to-date information on MD programs and that you sign up for Choose DO for DO program data.)
| Washington Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington School of Medicine* | $70,845 OOS |
4.7% OOS |
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| Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine* | $40,526 OOS |
3.1% OOS |
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| Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine | $57,650 OOS |
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Part 3: Washington State medical school profiles
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-COM) places a strong focus on treating patients from medically underserved areas. As such, the medical school is known for training and encouraging graduates to pursue careers in primary care and rural medicine.
At PNWU-COM, students will pursue a traditional two-year preclinical education with integration of osteopathic principles and practice. Students will then complete two years of clinical education in which they will be assigned to sites throughout the Pacific Northwest. Given the school’s mission, many students opt to complete a four-week rural rotation in family medicine that is known for hands-on clinical experiences.
University of Washington School of Medicine
The University of Washington School of Medicine (UW) is a globally renowned medical school that is currently ranked by U.S. News as the #1 primary care program in the country, in addition to its top-10 research ranking. The M.D. curriculum has an accelerated, 18-month preclinical phase that is followed by early entrance into clinical rotations followed by senior electives. The medical school also places a strong emphasis on community, which is evidenced by the Colleges System. Through the Colleges Systems, students will be paired with faculty mentors for the entirety of their time in medical school; these mentors will not only teach them clinical skills but will also help answer career questions.
Additionally, UW offers the WWAMI program, a regional medical education program in which students can focus on serving patients from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Students enrolled in WWAMI will complete their UW curricula in their designated states.
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine seeks candidates who have a keen interest in serving individuals from Washington communities. Students will spend the first two years of their education studying the basic sciences at the Spokane campus. The subsequent two years of medical school will take place at one of Washington State University’s four clinical campuses: Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, or Everett. Regardless of the campus, the final two years of medical school include varied clinical rotations, elective rotations, and support while applying to residency.
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Part 4: Washington State medical school admissions strategies
Strategy 1: Take a data-driven approach when determining which Washington medical schools to apply to
The data listed above demonstrate that Washington medical schools have a range of average GPAs and MCAT scores. Therefore, you should consider your own statistical profile when selecting which Washington schools to apply to.
For example, with a 3.6 GPA and 507 MCAT, Washington State University and PNWU-COM would likely make target or safety schools for you, whereas getting into the University of Washington would be more challenging. These chances can be further maximized if you are an in-state Washington resident.
(Suggested reading: How Many Medical Schools Should I Apply To? Which Ones?)
Strategy 2: Discover what makes each Washington medical school unique and choose programs that align with your own strengths and prior experiences
As outlined above, Washington’s three medical schools range in focus from the University of Washington, an internationally recognized academic medical center, to PNWU-COM, which is committed to primary care and rural medicine.
Understanding each school’s key features should help you decide which Washington medical schools would be an excellent fit for you. Then, when completing your medical school applications, make sure to highlight how your personal strengths align with the medical schools of your choice.
Apply this strategy to interviews, too
Effective communication is key at all stages of the admissions process. Be sure you can tell a compelling story in your application as well as during the interview about why you want to attend their institution.
Your answers to interview questions should be well-thought-out and tailored to the school you’re applying to. A response to “Why do you want to be a doctor?” could include your experiences helping those less fortunate and even mention your desire to serve rural communities. This would be a great way to show your interviewer at PNWU-COM that your passion for medicine aligns with the school’s mission to support the underserved in rural Washington.
Not only will you give more in-depth answers to questions, but you’ll be much less likely to suffer from mental blocks or stumble over your words in the moment. This way, you’ll come across as a more confident and serious candidate—not to mention the reduction in anxiety you’ll feel on the big day.
Strategy 3: Dedicate time to crafting your secondary essays
You’ve worked hard on your personal statement and AMCAS Work and Activities section. Now you’ll need to craft exceptional school-specific secondary essays that showcase who you are and the talents you’ll bring to the institution.
In order to make your essays stand out, you’ll need to write, edit, write again, and edit again. This process isn’t something that can be sped up and if you try to cram it all in near the deadline, it will come through in your writing. Adcoms can tell when something is cliché or sub-par and after all this work, the last thing you want is for a half-hearted essay to derail your efforts.
One of the most important things you can do is dedicate specific blocks of organized time to working on your essays. This will help you stay on top of your writing and revision as well as complement your working style.
For example, when it comes to medical schools in Washington for the 2022-2023 application cycle, Pacific Northwest University requires a one page (~500 words) essay, Washington State University requires six 300-word essays (plus an optional seventh), and the University of Washington requires six 250-word essays. With this in mind, you can organize your writing time around your own working process.
You may want to complete the single essay first or knock out the multiple 300-word essays before looking at the others. Working with yourself instead of against yourself will ensure you’re also not working against time when you come up to the deadline.
Suggested Reading: (Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts)
Final thoughts
Each of the three Washington medical schools has a unique profile, focus, and culture. It is thus important to consider what your future career goals are and what learning environment you will thrive in when you determine which institutions to apply to.
Use this in-depth knowledge to construct school-specific application essays and to effectively prepare for your interviews. By submitting tailored application materials to schools at which you are a good fit, you can maximize your likelihood of acceptance to the Washington medical school of your choice.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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Appendix A: Washington State medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in Washington State (MD)
University of Washington School of Medicine
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Osteopathic medical schools in Washington State (DO)
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix B: Washington State medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in Washington State
University of Washington School of Medicine
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Private medical schools in Washington State
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix C: Washington State medical schools by region
Medical schools in Seattle
University of Washington School of Medicine
Medical schools outside of Seattle
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
