Pre-Med at WSU

Students who refer to themselves as "pre-medical" or "pre-med" plan to apply to attend medical school after earning their bachelor's degree. "Pre-Med" is not a major or minor and should not be confused with the "pre-med" concentrations available in specific departments.

The Pre-Med and Health Science Center (PMHSC) advising team has helped thousands of students gain admission to medical schools in the United States and Canada. PMHSC advisors provide one-on-one advising, workshop programming, and special events to support each candidate in achieving their goals. They take a developmental approach and use self-reflection to help students chart their own path to success. All interested students must attend a Pre-Med Essentials Session before scheduling with an advisor in the PMHSC.

Why medicine?

While the answer to this question is unique to everyone, there are themes that are common for all candidates:

Enjoy challenges
Interested in science and how the body works
Passionate about using scientific knowledge to solve problems and treat patients in pain
Skilled both as a leader and as a team player

What is it like to train and work as a physician?

Becoming a physician requires 11 to 16+ years of education, including four years+ of undergraduate school, four years of medical school, and anywhere from three to eight years of residency training. The length of residency is related to the type of specialization a physician chooses.

There are three general types of physicians

Primary care physicians typically develop long-term relationships with patients while they work on preventing disease, treating a variety of illnesses and addressing whole-person health.
Surgeons treat disease and repair injuries.
Specialists gain a high level of expertise focused on a specific disease, body part, or organ system. Specialists frequently have a more competitive residency application and require the greatest amount of training.

Content abridged from aamc.org.

Freshman or Transfer Student and Interested in becoming a Physician?

New WSU students should plan to attend Orientation and meet with their assigned advisor before their first semester at Wayne State. All pre-medical students are expected to attend a Pre-Med Essentials meeting before scheduling a one-on-one advising appointment in the PMHSC. Each pre-med student should meet with a PMHSC advisor once a semester.