Guide to Medical School – MD Ambassadors (2024)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Preparing for Medical School

• Technology
• Clinical Equipment
• Dress Code
• Compliance and Onboarding
• Contacting Disability Services
• Financial Aid Application

Schedule for Foundations

Research / Shadowing / Extracurriculars

• Research
• Shadowing
• Extracurriculars

Financial Aid Information

• Structure of Aid
• Factors Determining Aid
• Disbursem*nt Schedule
• Important Tips
• Debt Management and Loan Forgiveness
• Discounts / Government Benefits

Jobs / Working and Making Money in Medical School

Frequently Used Acronyms

FAQ

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to the UW School of Medicine! We’re Michelle and Kiu, two E22s from the Seattle site that created this guide based on our memories of how overwhelming the beginning of medical school was. We created this guide (with help from classmates, personal experience, and Google) with the intent of helping you get situated and make moving and starting medical school less daunting. This is the second part of the guide, which is aimed to be more applicable to students across WWAMI (although we are only speaking from our experiences as Seattle cohort students, which may differ from other campuses). This is a consolidation of 2 years of our experiences attending medical school. It is a very comprehensive guide to UW medical school for the Foundations phase, and may seem overwhelming to you.

How to use this page:

• Start by reviewing sections you find useful to you.
• Feel free to revisit this page as needed.
• If there are sections or terms you don’t understand, don’t worry! Many academic-related topics will be covered during orientation and throughout the foundation.
• You don’t have to read the entire page.
• Some sections contain embedded websites.
• All prices and figures are current as of Spring 2024.
• If you discover any mistakes or errors, please reach out to us.
• If there’s any information that would be helpful to add, please reach out to us.
• Anything underlined is a hyperlink

Please let us know if you have any additional questions or have any tidbits to add for future students.

Best,

Michelle Wang and Kiu Edalati

Seattle E22s

wangml@uw.edu

kedalati@uw.edu

Disclosures: Michelle, Kiu, and UWSOM have no financial affiliation with any mentioned businesses or organizations. Recipients of this advice are encouraged to use it at their discretion.

Preparing for Medical School

Technology
What Devices Should I Purchase?
This is a very broad topic and most students have their own preferences. At the very minimum, you need a laptop to take exams in the lecture hall. This device has to be compatible with exemplify, so make sure to read the laptop requirements listed here. Some students, including myself (Kiu) will stop here, but others like to purchase a device with drawing capability (e.g., iPad, Microsoft Surface). If you are a Mac person and like to take notes with a pen, then an iPad + Apple pencil is the way to go (which is what I (Michelle) do). If you’re a PC fan, you can consider buying a 2-in-1 computer (e.g., Microsoft Surface) that comes with a pen and has note taking capability. This way you can use it for both note-taking and exams.

Another option is to borrow devices from the Student Technology Loan Program (STLP). You can check out computers, tablets, cameras, etc. for 10 days, 30 days or an entire quarter. I have used this option for the past two years and it’s clutch. It is encrypted and ready to use. For more information please visit their website.

Pro tips: start with the minimum requirement and then either purchase or borrow additional equipment. Always use your free school microsoft office account to save school materials since it’s safe, there’s lots of storage, and can be accessed via multiple devices without worrying about data loss.

Specific Device Requirements:
As medical students, you’ll be dealing with sensitive patient information, so it is crucial to keep your devices protected and compatible.

• Follow SOM ALT guidelines here to learn more about device requirements. Most of these are to run exemplify (test taking software).
  • The main one is CPU: Apple M1- M2 or Intel i3 or higher. Most working computers will satisfy the remaining requirements.
  • Operating system: Windows 10 or 11 (enterprise, education) or Mac OS 12-14
  • No chromebook or linux
• Full disk encryption enabled (filevault or bitlocker)
• Download and install Sophos antivirus for free here.
• Download and sign up for Office 365 plus for free here.
• Other free software you can get through UW is here.

Pro tips: you can download free software, including the latest version of Windows, through the microsoft azure education website. For windows upgrade, make sure to download either 10 or 11 education N version. Office 365 is your friend, and you get it for free via UW. Save all your work in OneDrive to access them throughout your devices in real time.

Useful Websites:

• Canvas: course materials
• My UW: financial aid, class registration, tuition information, etc.
• Elentra: calendar for classes
• Student Performance Dashboard: thread scores, preclinical and clinical exam scores, and clinical electives
• Microsoft 365 login: access your Microsoft office UW account here.
• Castlebranch: compliance, vaccination, background check

Some Additional Tech Tips:

• Establish your UW netID here
• Avoid saving sensitive patient information on your computer
• School will use a calendar system called Elentra which they use to upload class schedules and patient encounter sessions. I found it more convenient to link Elentra with my google calendar. Simply add the Elentra calendar url to “other calendar” in Google. This is compatible with both androids and iphones, and makes it easy to view on your phone’s main calendar app.
• Download and sign into exemplify, and make sure it works. For more info please visit here. Here’s the link to login and download the software. Try the demo exam (password is “password”) to see if it works.
• Staring into a computer screen for a prolonged period can cause eye dryness. Make sure to hydrate your eyes with eye drops
• Sitting behind the computer for too long can also impact your posture and cause stiffness. Make sure to get up and stretch regularly.

Clinical Equipment
The school will give you a stethoscope during orientation. They also will recommend you to buy a manual blood pressure cuff, pen light and reflex hammer to use during PCP and Hospital morning tutorials. They’ll give you suggested links for all of these, but you can purchase whatever versions of each you want. No other clinical equipment is needed.

Dress Code
You’ll be given a white coat at your white coat ceremony in September. At the very minimum, you’ll be expected to wear it for hospital mornings, and might need it for PCP / shadowing / certain clerkships depending on the situation. Note that it will get dirty really easily and pick up a lot of stains (especially if you throw uncapped pens in your pockets or sweat). Best bet is to try and just use stain remover and spot clean it. You can potentially try to bleach it, but note that there’s colored embroidery on it so be careful if you’re using powerful stuff. It’s pretty durable though, and I’ve thrown mine in both the washer and dryer on normal settings and it’s survived. It also has a lot of pockets for storing everything, which is great since for hospital mornings you can’t bring bags into patient rooms.

During pre-clinical years, you’ll need business casual clothes (e.g., slacks, button-down, nice shoes) to wear under your white coat for hospital mornings. Since you’ll only be going into hospital mornings every other week, you really don’t need that many outfits. If you need cheap business casual clothes or shoes, you can always try thrift stores, Amazon, Express, or Uniqlo. A lot of stores also have factory / outlet websites that have great deals (e.g., Ann Taylor / Banana Republic / J. Crew / Nordstrom Rack. Other personal favorites of mine (Michelle speaking after working in finance for gap years) for business casual clothes include Lululemon (for slacks), Quince, Theory Outlet, Madewell, and Everlane.

You’ll also need some scrubs, especially once you start rotations. The great part is, you can “borrow” scrubs from the hospitals (e.g., UWMC, Harborview) if you can get someone to swipe you into a locker room. It’s good to have a couple sets of both the dark blue and the light blue scrubs so you can be prepared for any situation. I’d aim to have ~5 pairs of scrubs total when you’re on rotations, so that way you only have to do laundry once a week. You can also keep taking them back / switching them out if you don’t want to do laundry yourself. Take a jacket if you get chilly easily (especially if you’re shadowing / spending a lot of time in the OR). Outside the OR, you can wear whatever jacket you like. The school will do a patagonia sale in August / September every year where you can buy an embroidered jacket or quarter zip if you’re feeling fancy. Also if you want to be fancy and buy your own scrubs, there’s options on Amazon, FIGS (the classic but overpriced option), Mandala Scrubs (cheaper option but still nice scrubs), and Fabletics (pro tip: sign up for VIP, get a set for $19, cancel VIP within 30 days so you don’t get charged, rinse and repeat w/ a new email).

A nice to have (and something you’ll need later on) is a set of formal clothes (e.g., blazer / jacket) for presentations / conferences / interviews. Honestly, most the time you can just re-use your business casual clothes and just buy a jacket (black is normally the safest bet).

For shoes, I’d recommend having a pair to wear with your business casual outfit (e.g., flats, boots, loafers) and also a pair of comfortable sneakers / clogs to wear with your scrubs. Ideally the second pair is waterproof and/or easy to clean since spills happen (and also makes commuting to/from the hospital or clinic better in the rainy Seattle weather). In the OR / hospital, you can always wear the shoe covers, but you don’t get that luxury in anatomy lab. If you need waterproof sneakers, look for GTX options (which most sneaker brands have). Popular options for sneaker brands (which can also double as your running shoes) include Hokas, Ons, Adidas, Brooks, and Nikes. Popular options for clogs include Birks, Crocs, and Danskos. A lot of these places (and all the stores above) have student / healthcare discounts, or will run random sales.

The dress code for PCP depends on your preceptor. It can vary anywhere from scrubs to business casual + white coat, so just be prepared and ask in your email before the first day. Same thing goes for shadowing. There’s no dress code for lectures / small group / FCM sessions. For anatomy lab, again anything goes (and you get a gown to wear) but would recommend a pair of hospital scrubs and waterproof shoes since the gown doesn’t cover the shoes and the smell sticks with you.

They’ve gotten a lot less strict about masks, so in general N95s aren’t required anymore. Most the time you can just get away with just taking whatever masks they provide to patients. Once you start clerkships you have to do a mask fitting (they’ll send out information about this), and once you’re fitted for a mask you can get a free stash from the school mailed to you just in case.

Also for reference, here’s the UWSOM Standards of Dress for clinical settings (also pictured below in case you can’t get past the log-in), which addresses things like hair, jewelry, piercings, and tattoos as well. Note that different hospitals may have different rules, and some may be more conservative than others. When in doubt, ask whoever you’re working with. It’s also always better to air on the side of caution and dress more conservatively or more formal than vice versa.

Tl;dr: Aim to have ≥3 business casual outfits, ≥1 formal outfit, ≥5 pairs of scrubs, ≥1 jacket to wear over scrubs, ≥1 pair of business casual shoes, ≥1 pair of comfortable sneakers / clogs (preferably waterproof).

Compliance and Onboarding (e.g., immunizations, training)
For a complete list of items and deadline for each, please visit the compliance webpage.

Here are few things to keep in mind:

• All compliance and paperwork submission are done through Castlebranch (third party)
• Keep in mind that some vaccines require 3 doses and may take some time to complete
• You are required to update COVID and flu vaccines yearly. These are pretty easy to get on campus at Hall Health or vaccination clinics.
• You need to pay for background checks and other compliance-related items (BLS/CPR, vaccines not covered by insurance, Tb testing, etc)
• Online trainings include HIPAA and infectious disease stuff
• Have your childhood vaccination record handy.
• Try to get them done as soon as possible. Allow Castlebranch 1 business day to update your record.

Contacting Disability Services
If you previously received accommodations or ever encounter a situation where additional help will level the playing field for you, then you should apply for Disability Accommodation. Common medical conditions that fall under this category include Depression, ADHD, PTSD, general anxiety, physical injury, chronic pain and other acute/chronic conditions that can interfere with your education. To apply, start early and follow steps below:

1. Start by submitting your application through UW DRS. You’ll need to submit proof of diagnosis and provider form, depending on your condition.
2. They might request additional documents (e.g., doctor’s notes). Allow at least two weeks for processing.
3. Once you are approved, you’ll be asked to schedule an appointment with Kowan Russell, the SOM disability coordinator (kowanr@uw.edu). He’ll go over your disability condition and ask you what they can do to help. Note: scheduling an appointment may take a while because he has limited availability, so reach out early.
4. Then, he will offer ways DRS will help and write you a letter including types of accommodation, which you can use to communicate with instructors for each block.

Most students receive things like accommodations for exams (e.g., extra time, separate location), permission to miss required sessions, disability parking permits, clerkship location accommodations.

Note: If you need to apply for disability services, please do so. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting additional help. Applying for accommodations in no shape or form will be counted against you or your performance at school.

Financial Aid Application
It is crucial that you complete your FAFSA application as soon as possible. If you have done so already, make sure UW is added to the school list. For more information refer to our financial aid section

Schedule for Foundations (First 17 Months / Pre-clinicals)

In general, classes occur Monday through Friday from 1:30 – 5:20 PM, with 10-minute breaks between 4, 50-minute blocks. All lectures are recorded, and small group faculty guides are available on Canvas. Each block has a different structure regarding the balance of lectures, small groups, and anatomy labs, and every block has a different attendance policy. In general, lectures are optional, and small groups are “required” (no formal attendance taken but you have to fill out an attestation on Canvas). Exams are held in person every Monday or Friday morning at 9 AM.

During the first block (FMR, late-July – early-September), you’ll have classes every day from M-F. There’s 2 weeks of immersion in September where you learn how to interview patients and do a basic physical exam, after which FCM / hospital morning begins. FCM takes place every other Wednesday during the 1:30 – 5:20 PM block instead of lecture (and sometimes is only 3 hours long). As a result, for I&I and CHB (September – December), you don’t have lecture / small groups every other Wednesday, so you have 4 less hours of content to learn for every other exam. Hospital morning takes place every week FCM takes place on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursdays depending on your group. Everyone is expected to show up to clinical reasoning from 10 – 12, and when you’re assigned to interview a patient you do that from 8 – 10, but every college mentor does things differently (e.g., some make everyone show up for the whole time, others are chill about letting you miss clinical reasoning or cut it short).

Beginning in January, you are expected to start PCP. You still have every other Wednesday afternoon reserved for FCM, but the remaining Wednesdays have nothing scheduled in the afternoon. You can technically go into PCP whenever you want, but know you have a built in free day every other week to budget for those hours. You also are only expected to go in for a half day every other week, so if you decide to go for some full days or go in during integration weeks / break weeks, you can have free days. Anatomy lab also officially begins in January with MJBS. During MJBS, CVS, and HNG you are expected to show up and at least stay until you finish the day’s dissection with your 4 person anatomy group. MBB and Lifecycles have anatomy lab but it’s just dedicated to looking at prosections, and your group does not need to do any dissecting. You can go to the anatomy lab whenever you want to study prosections up to ~12 hours before pin tests, when the lab is closed. Some blocks (HNG, MBB, Lifecycles) also have some pre-recorded lectures to replace 1 or more of the 50-minute lecture blocks in the afternoon.

Breaks / Time Off

In addition to 2 weeks of Winter break and 1 week of Spring break, you get national holidays (e.g., Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving / Day after Thanksgiving, President’s Day, Memorial Day) off during pre-clinicals. Summer break is ~13 weeks long after MS1 year, but you have 1 week of virtual MHS class and have to complete a III project (see research section).

During MS2 year, you have from mid-December till mid-March off to prepare for and take Step 1. Depending on when you take Step 1, you have the rest of the time off to do whatever you want (e.g., vacation, dedicated research time, shadowing). You also can be located wherever you want during this time.

You can find the academic calendars for the next few years here.

Sample schedule FMR (MS1 July – early September)

Sample schedule I&I / CHB (MS1 late September – December)

Sample schedule MJBS / CVS / R&R / HNG / MBB / Lifecycles (MS1 January – June; MS2 September – December)

Research / Shadowing / Extracurriculars

Research

I know many of you, especially those going into more competitive specialties, are interested in research, which is great. However, don’t feel pressured to do research if that’s not something you’re passionate about. Students who spend their time focusing on their passions are the most successful. Here is a good resource to start your search, and also has contact information to people who can help answer research-related questions.

When to apply:

I recommend you to complete FMR and I&I (the first and second blocks respectively) since these are your first two medical school classes and fairly intense, and then consider committing your time to research if feasible. Plus when applying for a position, they’ll ask what about your commitment. Knowing your schedule and how much extra time you have is crucial.

How to know what project to work on:

1. Shadow the specialties that sound interesting to you.
2. Know your options. For example, there are strong computational ophthalmology labs within UW. Learn more about ongoing research projects by visiting department websites.
3. There are research opportunities that can be applied to any specialty. For example, identifying barriers to care or patient expectations, certain disparities, quality improvement, public health related research topics can be applied to any specialty.
4. There are some overlaps between certain areas of research. For example, a project measuring the opioid medication use among patients with lower back pain is relevant and related to anesthesiology and pain medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and PM&R. Cancer research may encompass any organ system. Doing research at Children’s and also EM-related research are also hacks for being able to double-dip.

Types of research projects available:

• Clinical: involves direct patient participation and measuring clinical outcome (e.g., comparing the effectiveness of two different medications in reducing blood pressure levels in patients with hypertension)
• Basic science (bench research): involves working in lab with tissue sample or model organisms (e.g., investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development)
• Epidemiology and public health: investigates the determinants of health and disease (risk factors) within populations (e.g., examining the association between dietary habits and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes)
• Healthcare policy and quality improvement: focuses on evaluating healthcare systems, policies, and interventions to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare delivery (e.g., evaluating the impact of a telemedicine program on healthcare access and patient outcomes in rural communities)
• Systemic reviews: synthesizing existing evidence from multiple studies to provide comprehensive summaries of the current knowledge on specific healthcare topics

Major Locations:

• Direct UW medicine sites:
  • Harborview: EM, ortho, critical care, and many more.
  • Montlake: transplant, complex cases, Ob-gyn, and many more.
  • Fred Hutch: cancer research, bench research
  • Other departments around campus: bioengineering, physiology, neuroscience, psychology, anatomy, genetic, public health.
  • VA Puget Sound
• UW affiliated sites:
  • Benaroya research institute – Virginia Mason
  • Swedish First Hill
  • Seattle Children: anything pediatric

Additional tips:

• Do the work! It takes time to find a good research match. It doesn’t hurt to know your options, so start browsing through different departments. You can find all departments within the School of Medicine here.
• Have a complete CV with previous experiences. Find tips on how to write a CV here.
• Once you find a lab, study their work and learn about their research focus. Then, email the lab director or PI and express your interest.
• Write an email with an introduction, brief summary of previous experiences, and current research interest. Indicate your date/time availability to meet and discuss your involvement at the bottom of the email. Attach your CV and send it to as many PI as you can and wait.
• Be clear about your time commitment. Never sacrifice coursework for research.
• Some projects, like retrospective studies or reviews, yield results faster. Be mindful of that. At this stage you should focus on getting your name out through multiple publications and research conferences. Forming connections is key. You need attendees that can vouch for you! That’s how you get to your ideal residency program.
• Know how to run statistical analysis. Having experience in Rstudio and Excel is a huge bonus. The more programs you know the better it is.
• Some labs ask you to come up with your own research ideas. Others give you one. Be mindful of that.
• Try to connect with another med student that worked in your lab of interest and ask about the lab dynamic, tips on how to do research.
• There are some structured research programs that students can participate in during the summer of first year. Some of these programs give you stipend to cover living expenses. You can find the list here (there are many more not included here)
• At the end of the day, having a good PI and mentor is the most important thing. Make sure you find someone who truly values you as a researcher and is invested in your success. Some PIs are too busy to meet and will ghost you or refuse to put your name on publications / let you present at conferences if they don’t think you contributed enough or are happy with the results. It doesn’t matter how prestigious a mentor is or how high their output is if you never benefit from any of that.
• Consider research you can do remotely! Trekking in to a lab is just extra time, and the beauty of retrospective chart review and literature reviews is that you can do them from anywhere and save on commuting times and costs.

Each specialty at UW has a faculty advisor that you can meet with and discuss your interests with, including research involvement. This might be a good idea if you know your specialty early on and want to connect with the department.

(Bonus) UWSOM summer III program:

After the summer of first year, you’ll have the chance to either lead your own research project, do literature review, focus on patient care in rural setting, or practice global health. For more information please click here. Here is a list of current projects that you can participate in and a list of mentors that are looking for students. It is mainly intended for first year students during summer but you might have a chance at getting into a project early on. This is also a hack for if you want to continue doing research with your mentor after the summer, since you can always ask your mentor if they have new projects or come up with additional ones to do with them.

Shadowing

Shadowing is the best way to explore different specialties and learn about what it’s like to work in different healthcare environments (hospital vs clinic). It’s also a good way to network with residents and attendings, especially if you’re interested in starting research in a field. It can also prepare you for clerkships and allow you to develop your clinical skills, since some attendings and residents will allow you to do things like perform physical exams, interview patients, or give you practice on coming up with an assessment and plan or giving an oral case presentation.

• The most common locations for shadowing are Harborview, Montlake, Seattle Children’s, Northwest, and the VA. Depending on the specialty, one site might have better opportunities than another.
• For Montlake you don’t need credentiation, whereas Harborview requires you to complete an observation form for some departments. Medical student presence in OR is limited at Harborview. Depending on whoever you’re shadowing, you can sometimes just show up with your UW badge and no one will ask questions.
• Some interest groups provide shadowing opportunities (e.g., EM, Anesthesia) that are super easy to sign up for.
• Make sure to reach out to the attending physician in advance and cc the program coordinator. Ask them what to wear and where to meet.
• Be open and don’t say no if they ask you to suture or get more involved in patient care.
• You might get pimped by attendees. It’s ok, we’ve all been there. It’s part of learning 🙂
• If you need scrubs, you can borrow some from the locker rooms. Ask someone to help swipe you into one of the OR locker rooms at Harborview or Montlake. See the scrubs section for more information.

Extracurriculars

1. Student interest groups: You’ll have plenty of time to explore your interests and join one or more student interest groups either as a board member or volunteer. For more information please visit this website. Close to Sept 27, UWSOM will host the Student Group Activities Fair where you learn more about affinity and interest groups and will have a chance to talk to current boards and show your interest. Most students begin their involvement after this event. Some groups are site-specific, while others are WWAMI-wide.
2. Service learning and community service: This is my favorite activity as a med student. You’ll have the chance to give back to the community by volunteering at health fairs and clinics, or becoming a mentor for other students. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities that you’ll get invited through email. You can choose to be on leadership for select groups, or just volunteer occasionally with them.

Financial Aid Information

Financial aid is always a tricky concept for everyone, and may seem overwhelming, especially when it’s complicated by different types of loans and factors determining how much you qualify for aid. Here I’ll try my best to simplify the process.

Structure of Aid

Your financial aid largely consists of federal student loans (unsubsidized) and scholarships (through UWSOM or external). Unsubsidized loans are borrowed money that accrues interest from the moment you borrow it (compared to subsidized loans that accrue interest after you graduate). The two loan types are direct unsubsidized and grad plus loans, with 6.54% and 7.54% interest rates respectively.

UWSOM scholarships are need-based and determined by your parental income tax information. The application opens during spring quarter and is due June 30th. There are several essay format questions similar to secondary medical school applications. Feel free to recycle responses from your medical school application. Below are two important tip you need to know:

• If you are a Washington student receiving a grant, your grant will be included in your scholarship total.
• If you rejected all of your loans, your scholarship may be reduced.

Scholarships are applied towards your tuition and will reduce the loan amount you receive.

Factors Determining Your Aid

1. Residency status: out-of-state students will receive more aid to cover their higher tuition costs. For 2023-24, in-state tuition is $54,684 and out-of-state tuition is $96,489.
2. Dependency status: every unmarried student is considered independent. Having dependents (spouse, children, etc.) can increase your aid.
3. Living situation: when filing your FAFSA you’re asked to disclose whether you live with your parents or not. Not living with parents maximizes your aid.
4. Student contribution: this is determined based on your income and calculated from the FAFSA application. You can fill out a form to modify this amount.
5. Family (parent) contribution: determined based on your FAFSA if you include your parents or spouse’s information. It can be modified if you receive no contribution.
6. Additional fixed costs: For every Seattle student, there are predetermined costs associated with room, equipment, transportation, loan fees, and personal expenses. These are fixed costs and may not reflect the actual amount that you spend in each categories

Disbursem*nt Schedule

Aid is distributed early at the beginning of each quarter. Tuition and fees are automatically deducted and you get the remaining balance. You can modify your loan amount though your myUW account.

Important Tips

• School admin are deeply concerned about your financial well-being and want you to receive all the aid you need. If you feel like the amount is not enough you can ask for additional loans.
• You have the right to not accept the maximum loan amount offered. The financial aid office will automatically reduce your grad plus loan which has the highest interest rate
• Make sure to set up direct deposit to receive aid.
• UWSOM scholarships are not directly paid to students, rather it reduces the loan you take out.
• Try to receive as much loan as you need and not more. Nobody likes to pay extra interest to Uncle Sam!
• The financial aid office will have workshops on how to budget wisely
• Purchasing third party resources is already added as part of equipment and books.

Debt Management and Loan Forgiveness

I won’t include too many details here since you’re just starting and there are more urgent things in your mind, but it is good to know your options when it comes down to debt management and loan forgiveness.

Below is a snapshot of a sample loan balance for two years if you accept all the loans offered. Please note that the UWSOM scholarship is applied and the interest did not accrue for the first year due to the federal student loan pause. Your balance could potentially go higher.

The most effective debt management option is to take no more than you need, and follow some of the financial wellness tips. However, there are several options for loan forgiveness:

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF): working for nonprofit or public medical institutions for 10 or more years
• National Health Service Corps (NHSC): offers two different programs, both requiring you to serve in underserved communities.
• Indian Health Service (IHS): receiving loan repayment in exchange for serving at Native American communities
• Armed forces scholarship and loan repayment programs (HPSP): For those interested in serving in the armed forces. You receive monthly stipend and loan repayment.
• Other loan repayment options can vary in every state.

Loan repayment begins after graduating from medical school and starting your residency program. There are several options including fixed payment and income-based repayment that provide additional flexibility.

Discounts / Government Benefits

Most of you are transitioning from being dependent or employed to becoming full-time students, and that means your major source of income will become student loans and scholarships (technically your loans are not considered income). As a result, you qualify for state aid. There is absolutely nothing wrong with utilizing state-funded financial support programs at this point in your life. Later in life, all of you will be significantly contributing to all these programs whether you like it or not. Lol. With that being said, here are top 6 programs you can apply to:

1. Apple Health State Insurance (Medicaid): state-sponsored program provided for low-income individuals. They provide dental, vision, mental, pregnancy, primary and preventative care and more complex needs. For more information please visit their website.

Below is the breakdown of program qualifications (as of 2024) based on your income.

Pro tip: Don’t include your loans as income – scholarships are gray zone, but you still qualify if there is no other income source.

Below are the 5 major insurance companies that work with Apple Health. You will be asked to pick one. I have Wellpoint and it’s pretty good. Most of my patients have Molina. They’re both in network with UW Medicine (very important). Definitely avoid the Community Health Plan of Washington, and if you don’t select any plan, they’ll assign you to this.

Note that since Medicaid is state-based, if you get sent to other states for rotations you may want to consider purchasing additional private health insurance.You do get a couple visits to Hall Health telemedicine as a WWAMI student on rotations, but there’s limitations to these visits.

Here is more information provided by the school regarding health insurance.

2. Food Stamps (SNAP): The state will provide you monthly allocation to be used solely on food purchases. The monthly payment for one person as of 2024 is $281. It can be used to purchase fruit, vegetables, meat, non-alcoholic drinks, frozen food, additives, baby foods, some nutritional supplements, and other raw materials. Cooked restaurant foods are not allowed. Below is the income limit to receive the full benefit. If you go above this number, your benefit amount will be reduced.

The money is deposited into your account every week and redeemable via a special debit card. It can be used at all major stores such as Fred Meyer, QFC, Costco, etc., and works just like a debit card. For more information and how to apply, visit their website. Note that the application process can take several weeks.

Note: recently they started requiring all applicants to show proof of part-time job. However, the work around for us is to make sure you add work study to your financial aid application. Contact the UWSOM financial aid office for this.

Pro tips: Amazon Prime members receive extra benefits such as discounted Prime membership and free food delivery, you can use food stamps to buy groceries from local street markets and get money back (called SNAP Market Match dollars), you can use it to shop online (specific protein shakes on Amazon are eligible.)

3. Subsidized Housing (MFTE): This program provides incentives for renters in King County. Certain rental properties participate in this program, which you can find here. Qualification is income-based and varies based on property location and condition. There is no general application; rather you have to find a specific apartment community offering this incentive. Then you need to obtain the application from them and apply locally. The process is time-consuming so apply early. They will ask for a lot of documents including the last 6 months statements of all your accounts, financial aid statements, identification documents, etc. You begin the process by asking the apartment management about the program and units available. Then schedule a tour and reserve your desired unit. Then complete the documentation and allow them to run their security checks. This timeline might vary in different communities. Rental rates vary but you can find some older rates here. It ranges between 35% to 45% less than the market rate. Rental units are similar to other non-MFTE units and the same rules apply.

Pro tips: you can apply with a roommate, or add a roommate later. Few high-rise apartments within downtown qualify for this. Some properties have existing rental promotions (free 4 weeks, etc.) which can be applied to MFTE units. Some older properties don’t check your income annually, whereas newly built ones do.

4. Xfinity Internet Assist: if you qualify for governmental assistant programs, then you should take advantage of this home internet offer through xfinity. It’s 50 Mbps for $9.95 a month including equipment. No cancellation fee. The qualifying programs are listed below:

For more information, please visit their website.

Pro tips: The speed may not sound fast, but it’s plenty fast even for gaming and streaming and should be enough for at least 10 devices. If you are looking for a phone provider, they also offer similar discounts

5. Utility Discount Program: Eligible households can enroll in the City of Seattle’s Utility Discount Program (UDP), which offers a 60% discount on Seattle City Light bills and a 50% discount on Seattle Public Utilities bills. Eligibility is income based, but if you already have food stamps, you can bypass this step by providing your approval letter.

6. Discounted Electric Scooter and Bike Rides: Lime offers discounted rates for low income individuals and those receiving government benefits. As of 2024 the rates are $0.75 to start a ride, and $0.01 for every minute after. This can be an alternative way to commute to campus if you live close by. To learn more and apply please visit their website.

Pro tip: You can hold the scooter on the app to avoid paying the start fee for making several stops along the way, and always wear a helmet!

Jobs / Working and Making Money in Medical School

Generally, it’s recommended to avoid working while in med school. You’re technically a full-time student and will have your hands full with coursework, clinical, volunteering and extracurriculars, and research. It’s recommended to start school and assess your workload for the first few blocks, and then if you have time, consider part-time employment. Working can boost your resume, will look good on your residency application, and get you extra spending money.

Below are few additional factors to consider when applying for a job:

• Your income is considered a student contribution and will reduce the amount of loans you can take.
• Remote jobs such as tutoring or other self-paced jobs with flexible hours are ideal.
• Don’t rely heavily on weekends to work. Your exams are usually on Mondays.
• Some research opportunities are fully funded and give you money to do research. You have to be proactive in finding these but some will be emailed to you.
• The school will offer some part-time employment opportunities for students to build their resume while making extra cash:
  • AV student technology support (first 2 years): show up to every lecture and make sure mics and projectors are working. Job posted by Jason Reep from SOMALT.
  • Lead ambassadors (variable length): the best job hands down. You get to help admissions and carry out projects related to helping applicants, prospective students, and incoming students.
  • Physical exam teaching assistant (2 weeks only): occurs during transition to second year, where you get to teach physical exams to first-year students. Great for mentoring, getting to know first years, solidifying your own physical exam skills, and extremely fun.
  • UWSOM tutors (variable length): positions available towards the end of first year. Tutors teach other students content through individual or group tutoring. You can sign up for whatever specific blocks you wish to tutor.

Pay rates can vary but typically range between $18-22 hourly. Hours are low (<10 hr/wk).

Pro tip: it’s a good idea to set up a passive income before starting med school to address your financial needs. Income from working during school will not be enough to satisfy your financial needs.

Frequently Used Acronyms (non-exhaustive)

We realized we used a lot of acronyms in these guides and might not have defined all of them, so here’s a consolidated version of acronyms (e.g., locations, course names, student organizations, school organizations, pathways, offices, tests) you might come across during pre-clinical years.

• AANS: Association of Neurological Surgeons
• AFERM: Alliance for Equal Representation in Medicine
• AMA-MSS: American Medical Association Medical Student Section
• AMSA: American Medical Student Association
• ANAMS: Association of Native American Medical Students
• APC: Advanced Patient Care
• AHEC: Area Health Education Center
• AOA: Alpha Omega Alpha
• APAMSA: Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
• ARAC: Anti-Racism Action Committee
• BLS: Basic Life Support
• CTR: Clinical Translational Research Pathway
• CAPSIG: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Student Interest Group
• CHB: Cancer, Hormones, and Blood
• CLIME: Center for Learning and Innovation in Medical Education
• CVS: Cardiovascular Systems
• CUSP: Community-focused Urban Scholars Program
• DIRIG: Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Interest Group
• DFAD: Doctor for a Day
• DRS: Disability Resources for Students
• E&F: Explore and Focus
• EQI: Educational Quality Improvement
• EMIG: Emergency Medicine Interest Group
• FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid
• FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
• FCM: Foundations of Clinical Medicine
• FMR: Foundations of Medical Research
• FMIG: Family Medicine Interest Group
• GHIP: Global Health Immersion Program
• GSSA: Global Surgery Student Alliance Chapter
• HAP: Humanities and the Arts Pathway
• HMC: Harborview Medical Center
• HNG: Head, Neck, and Gut
• HSB: Health Sciences Building
• HSEB: Health Sciences Education Building
• HSL: Health Sciences Library
• HEQ: Health Equity Circle
• HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
• III: Independent Investigative Inquiry
• I&I: Infections and Immunity
• IDIG: Infectious Disease Interest Group
• IMA: Intramural Activities Building
• LIC: Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship
• LMSA: Latinx Medical Student Association
• MBBS: Muscles, Joints, Bones, and Skin
• MHS: Medicine, Health, and Society
• MEIG: Medical Education Interest Group
• medSTAT: Medical Student Technology Advisory Team
• MJBS: Muscles, Joints, Bones, and Skin
• MS: Medicine, Health, and Society
• MSA: Medical Student Association
• NPIG: Neurology and Psychiatry Interest Group
• OHCE: Office of Healthcare Equity
• OHNSIG: Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Interest Group
• OSSMIG: Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group
• OSCE: Objective Structured Clinical Examination
• PIG: Pediatric Interest Group
• PCIG: Palliative Care Interest Group
• PCP: Primary Care Practicum
• QMED: Queer Medical Student Association
• R&R: Respiration and Regulation
• RUOP: Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program
• SCC: South Campus Center
• SC: Surgery Interest Group
• SIG: Surgery Interest Group
• SLAC: Service Learning Advisory Committee
• SLIDE: Some Learners Interested in Diagnosing Everything Pathology Interest Group
• SHIFA: Student Health Initiative for Access
• SNMA: Student National Medical Association
• SNaHP: Students for a National Health Program
• SoD: Scholarship of Discovery
• SoI: Scholarship of Integration
• SPOTS: Sun Protection Outreach to Students
• SRH: Sexual and Reproductive Health Pathway
• TGDCIG: Trans and Gender-Diverse Care Interest Group
• TRUST: Targeted Rural Underserved Track
• U-Test: HIV Testing and Education, Sexual Health, and Treatment Program
• UIG: Urology Interest Group
• UMS: University of Washington School of Medicine
• UIG: Ultrasound Interest Group
• UWSOM: University of Washington School of Medicine
• VA: Veteran’s Affairs
• VM: Virginia Mason
• VBC: Virtual Bedside Concerts
• VSIG: Vascular Surgery Interest Group
• WRITE: WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience
• WMIG: Wilderness Medicine Interest Group
• WWAMI: Washington Wyoming Alaska Montana Idaho

FAQ

When does UW disperse aid for incoming students and is it enough to help with living expenses?

• See the financial aid section for more information.
• To get the exact date feel free to contact the financial aid office, but for me, the disbursem*nt happened on 07/15 (the second day of orientation). The amount was close to $9,000 for 2.5 – 3 months. I (Kiu) am a single guy in my late 20s and the amount is more than enough. It all comes down to how you budget your spending.

What is the application process like for financial aid / scholarships?

• See the financial aid section for more information.
• For scholarship it’s very straightforward. First, you create a general application with your personal info, then answer a few prompts similar to med school secondary application. I recommend recycling those essays for this. You can submit the same material every year. Financial aid will email you once the application opens.
• For financial aid, there are two applications: regular FAFSA which is for fall, winter and spring, and summer application which is UW-specific and covers summer courses. The financial aid office will email you about application deadlines and dates. For now, make sure to complete the FAFSA application if you haven’t already done so.

What things do you have in medical school that you’d recommend students get before starting either for improving quality of life or school performance?

• See the preparing for medical school section.
• I can’t think about anything that needs to be purchased prior to school. Everything you need can be purchased as you move forward. Just make sure you have a decent working laptop, sort out your finances, medical insurance, and doctor visits. I mean you’ll have time to do all these but it’s nice to take care of your to-do lists.
• You do not need to start studying for materials now, unless you’ve been away from school for a few years, then I recommend reviewing some of the biochemistry contents and basic molecular concepts. Otherwise, enjoy your life and free time 🙂
• There’s also a 1-week pre-mat program before orientation if you’ve been out of school for 2+ years and are nervous about coming back. In general, they’ll reach out to you to see if you’re interested, but you can contact premat@uw.edu for more information

Does it matter what specialty your research is in long-term if you change your area of interest?

• The career advisors can speak much better to this, especially since we haven’t gone through the residency application and match process ourselves. However, this is the general information / answers you’ll hear.
• Yes and no. The earlier you make the change the better it is. But generally it won’t hurt you if you change your research interest because regardless of the project you work on, you develop certain skills such as scientific writing, data analysis, data presentation, leadership, management skills, teamwork, and can potentially get publications or letters of recommendation. All of these are valuable and will not be overlooked.
• Additionally, you should be able to explain yourself as to why you had a change of interest. Many students start by having some idea of what they want to do, but they go through clerkship and completely change their mind. This is fairly common– studies show about 70 – 80% of people actually change their mind during medical school based on what they say in intro surveys vs what they match into! For ultra-competitive specialties you might have to take a research year to strengthen your residency application.

Any general advice for students that don’t have much research experience?

• Every one of you has qualities and experiences that set you apart. That’s why you made it this far. So, I suggest to focus on that. For example, if you scribed for a pediatric office during your gap year, then you have experience interacting with patients and that can come in handy for prospective clinical research. List all your experiences and try to make connections between those experiences and the skills needed for being a researcher.
• However, in general I will say that it is much easier to find research experiences as a medical student than as an undergraduate. As a medical student, you’re allowed to do retrospective chart review in Epic. As a result, most PIs are happy to take on medical students to do it just to get free labor.

What are exams like?

• It varies for each block, but in general expect weekly exams every Monday or Friday. Each exam is 20 – 40 questions long and covers 1 week of material. At the end of each block, there will be a cumulative exam held on Friday.
• Most exams are multiple choice, and you will see your score immediately and have the opportunity to review the correct answer with explanation. Occasionally they’ll bump up scores if there are questions they deem unfair, but your score will never go down.
• In HNG and Lifecycles, there will be a multiple choice portion and 2 short essay questions per exam and will be graded on a rubric. They are very clear about how they are grading things and there are many sample questions provided for practice.
• In blocks with anatomy lab (MJBS, CVS, HNG, MBB, Lifecycles), there will be a pin test. They will pin structures in the anatomy lab, and the questions will be a mix of first degree (e.g., what is this pinned structure) and second degree (e.g., what function does the pinned structure do). Questions are primarily short answer, but there are few multiple choice questions as well.
• You do not need to pass every exam to pass the block overall. They will tell you how much each exam is weighted, and you can use this information to calculate the exact score on every exam you need to pass the overall block. You can calculate threads in a similar manner using the Student Performance Dashboard and threads calculator.

How much free time and breaks do you actually have?

• It varies between blocks and depending on how much extra outside stuff you want to do. In general, I find that it’s very doable to make time for the things you want to make time for, even with medical school. The pass-fail system really helps with this, since a 70% is the same as a 100% and the only people who see your exact grades are the learning specialists (and this only matters if you apply for a tutoring job). I tried to treat medical school during pre-clinical years as a full-time job, and only tried to spend ~40 hours / week on all school-related things, including going to class and studying.
• See the breaks section for more information on breaks. Third year is trickier with breaks, but you still have a 6-week elective block where you can do whatever you want and ~1 month for winter break. There are also built-in Integration weeks ~2x / year throughout medical school which are essentially a half day of virtual / in-person classes, no outside work, and Fridays off.

What third-party resources does the school provide, and which ones do you recommend?

• The school keeps changing it’s policies on what resources they provide, but as of right now they provide 18 months of AMBOSS access to use during foundations, 6 months of UWORLD access to use for Step 1 studying, and 6 months of UWORLD access to use for Step 2 studying for free. They also purchase one NBME exam for everyone for Step 1, and UWORLD access comes with 2 self-assessment tests.
• Outside of these resources, you will likely need to purchase an additional AMBOSS or UWORLD subscription to use through the rest of required clerkships, especially since most students use them to study for Shelf exams. Most people end up buying an additional 1 year access to UWORLD to be safe. There’s normally a group discount code floating around which gives you ~10% off, but it’s still pricey (~$600 for 1 year).
• There will also be group discounts for other third party resources (e.g., Boards and Beyond, Sketchy, Bootcamp), but honestly you can access most of these resources without a subscription. Same goes for First Aid, Pathoma, and NMBE exams. Look out for an email asking you to create an account for uwsomdawgs.com, and also scour Reddit / ask around (especially to classes above you).
• Anki is technically free, but if you want AnkiHub and the most updated versions of decks and features, it costs $55 / year or $240 for a lifetime access.
• If you don’t know what any of these resources are, don’t worry! And if you’re trying to figure out which ones are best to use, also don’t worry about that! Things work differently for each person, and you’ll find that you’ll enjoy certain resources for specific content areas / blocks. Personally, I’d highly recommend Sketchy micro for I&I / microbiology, Pathoma 1 – 3 for basic pathology in FMR and for Step 1 studying, and UWORLD for question banks during Step 1 studying and shelf exams.

For Step 1, should you begin studying early or only during the designated consolidated period?

• Again, this depends on the person. Some classmates were constantly reviewing old material through Anki, so by the time they get to the consolidated period there’s minimal review to do and it’s mainly just practice questions, so they feel comfortable taking it earlier. Other people use the summer after MS1 year to begin reviewing old content and doing Anki cards, so they’re better positioned for consolidated period as well. And other people just wait until winter break of second year hits to begin relearning and reviewing everything. It all depends on how much free time you have, how good you are at retaining information, how stressed you want to be during Step 1 consolidated period, and if there’s anything else you need to factor in for your studying period (e.g., if you’re trying to do research simultaneously, planning vacations / trips, how much free time you want between taking Step 1 and starting clerkships).

What is a typical week like during Foundations period?

• See the Foundations period schedule for more information.
• In general, the schedule is very flexible since few things are actually required and penciled into your calendar. This makes things like scheduling appointments, running errands, shadowing, doing research, and doing hobbies very easy. I’d typically take the Mondays after exams off to hang out with friends, run errands, spend time on my hobbies, and etc. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I’d typically work out in the morning, study until dinner, and then spend my free time from dinner – bedtime doing whatever I wanted that wasn’t school related. Wednesdays I’d be busy with FCM or PCP stuff all day, and then have free time at night. I’d plan my weekends based on how prepared I felt for Monday’s exam and how much work I needed to put into studying.

How well did UW prepare you for Step 1?

• The school did a mediocre job at preparing us for step. Most of the material tested in Step is covered throughout the blocks, but UW curriculum tends to emphasize low-yield material. In addition, exams during pre-clinical years are all in-house, and therefore tend to be easier than board-style questions. Doing AMBOSS questions throughout preclinical years, especially for the blocks that provide practice question sets for exams, can be beneficial for preparing you for Step 1 subconsciously throughout preclinical years.
• During the dedicated period, they provide 6 months of UWORLD and have a four week consolidation class to review old content, as well as tutoring sessions. They also have learning specialists on hand to discuss your practice exam scores, study plans, and help you gauge your overall readiness for taking the exam.

How many extracurriculars are students typically involved in?

• See extracurricular section above.
• In general, not that many. Find the things you truly enjoy doing and are passionate about, and quality > quantity. It’s better to show you’re really invested in one activity and have leadership roles and do a lot with them over multiple years vs just being semi-involved in a lot of different groups.
• Volunteering is rewarding. Try to do as much as your time allows. It’s also a good way to practice physical exam skills, especially if you volunteer at blood pressure reading clinics!

Who can I reach out to if I have any questions or need advice in medical school?

• One amazing resource for all students is college mentors! You’ll be assigned to a college faculty mentor who will serve as your point person / advisor if you ever need anything. The school goes through an intense interviewing process to hire these, and all are incredible mentors and genuinely care about their students and have great advice to offer. When in doubt, if you ever have any questions or don’t know who to turn to, you can ask your mentor and they’ll either have an answer, provide advice, or connect you with someone that can help.
• Another resource available to students is the Big doc / Little doc mentorship program! You’ll receive an email from the current MS2s before starting about filling out a google form to match you with a MS2 if you wish. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them and use them as a resource, since all mentors have opted in and genuinely want to help! They also have mentees from other years that you get to meet who can be good resources as well.
• The career advisors / learning specialists are also there for answering any academic-related questions you may have. For academic help, there’s also free tutoring provided by the school (1:1, drop-in hours, and group session).
• Your classmates are also great resources! One amazing part about UW is how collaborative the culture is– our class’ slack channel is always popping off with people sharing resources they made or found (e.g., anki cards, study guides, links to accessing nbme exams for free), and people asking / answering questions.
• Admissions ambassadors / any other medical student you meet! In general, people are always willing to help and in the worst case scenario, you get ghosted but there’s nothing wrong with asking. 🙂

What is PCP like, and how does the pairing process with a preceptor work?

• See Non-hospital patient care centers section.
• In general, your PCP experience will be very dependent on your preceptor and the type of patients they see and expectations they have for you.
• In most cases, you work with a primary care provider. They can set different agenda for you, such as:
  • Writing notes on Epic
  • Interviewing patients and taking history
  • Doing cool procedures like skin tag removal
  • Doing physical exams
  • The list is endless. It all comes down to how much your PCP can trust you and how much you show interest. There’s no grade associated with this, only their feedback.