Washington University School of Medicine (MD) Medical School - 2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, founded in 1891, is consistently ranked as one of the top five medical schools nationally for research funding. Affiliated with Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital — both nationally ranked — the school offers exceptional clinical training alongside a world-class research environment. WashU Med is particularly renowned for producing physician-scientists through its NIH-funded MD-PhD MSTP.
Entry Requirements
What you need to apply to Washington University School of Medicine (MD).
Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Strong research background is highly valued. Clinical experience and service expected. Secondary application required.
MCAT median
520 (range 515–525)
GPA median
3.88 overall / 3.91 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
3.3%
Class size
123
In-state preference
None
CASPer
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Research excellence, academic medicine potential, and intellectual leadership.
Notes
MCAT/GPA approximate from WashU Med class profile.
Specialities offered
Biomedical Research, Oncology, Neuroscience, Genetics, Internal Medicine
Interview Format
How Washington University School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants.
Format
Traditional one-on-one; typically 2 separate faculty/student interviews on interview day
Interview window
September–January
Decision date
March 30
What makes Washington University School of Medicine (MD) different
WashU Med receives one of the highest levels of NIH funding per faculty member of any medical school in the United States. The MSTP (MD-PhD) programme is highly regarded and fully funded. St. Louis has a lower cost of living than peer cities (New York, Boston, San Francisco), which provides quality-of-life advantages during training.
Tutor insight
WashU Med's traditional interview is research-focused — be prepared to discuss your research experience in depth and articulate specific future research interests. The school values intellectual curiosity and a desire to pursue academic medicine; if your goal is a community practice career, you should still demonstrate scholarly engagement during the interview. WashU's location in St. Louis is often underappreciated: it offers a top-5 research environment and elite clinical training at a fraction of the cost of living of coastal peers. Demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the Discovery Curriculum's integration of basic science and clinical reasoning.
PrometheusQuestion Bank
595 medicine questions inside
Interview questions matched to Washington University School of Medicine (MD)
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Washington University School of Medicine (MD)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
Medium·PanelQ1
Service Orientation: Narrative Medicine and Patient Story-Listening
During your pre-medical years you participated in a narrative medicine programme at a hospice, where your primary role was to sit with dying patients and listen to their life stories — not provide any clinical care. You have been asked how this experience contributed to your readiness for medical school. How do you answer?
Likely follow-up · What is narrative medicine, and how does the Columbia University programme define its role in medical education?
3 expert tips in Prometheus
Easy·PanelQ2
Service Orientation: Free Clinic Volunteering
You have spent two years volunteering at a free clinic serving uninsured patients in your city. Describe what you observed about the relationship between poverty and health outcomes, and explain how that experience has shaped the kind of physician you want to become.
Likely follow-up · What is one systemic barrier you observed that prevented patients from following through on care recommendations, and how might it be addressed?
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Washington University School of Medicine (MD) - Frequently asked questions
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. Strong research background is highly valued. Clinical experience and service expected. Secondary application required.
Traditional one-on-one; typically 2 separate faculty/student interviews on interview day
Washington University School of Medicine (MD) typically interviews in September–January.
Decisions are released March 30.
WashU Med receives one of the highest levels of NIH funding per faculty member of any medical school in the United States. The MSTP (MD-PhD) programme is highly regarded and fully funded. St. Louis has a lower cost of living than peer cities (New York, Boston, San Francisco), which provides quality-of-life advantages during training.
