Disclosures & Policies - Medical Student Admissions

Washington University School of Medicine is committed to providing a world-class education in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment.

Accreditation

The Washington University School of Medicine’s MD program is nationally accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The LCME is jointly sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges. The LCME is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the accrediting agency for medical education programs leading to the MD degree.

Most state boards of licensure require that applicants graduate from a U.S. medical school accredited by the LCME as a condition for licensure. In addition, most state boards of licensure require that U.S. applicants take and pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). For U.S. medical students to be eligible to sit for the USMLE, their school must be accredited by LCME. Graduates of LCME-accredited schools are also eligible for residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

The Association of American Medical Schools (AAMC) confirms that MD graduates of an LCME-accredited medical school meet the undergraduate medical education (UME) requirements of physician licensing boards in all 50 States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Such graduates also meet the UME requirements to sit for USMLE licensure exams. Because physician licensure requirements can change at any time and because some States may have additional requirements, such as those relating to graduate medical education (GME), students are well-advised to contact the applicable State licensing board in any State in which they are seeking licensure. For more detail on this AAMC Policy Advisory, click here.

Washington University School of Medicine Diversity Statement

Washington University School of Medicine’s culture of collaboration and inclusion is the foundation for success in everything it does. The School of Medicine recognizes that by bringing together people from varying backgrounds, experiences and areas of expertise, it can develop richer solutions to complex scientific questions, train culturally sensitive clinicians and provide health care in a way that best serves our diverse patient population. To support these values, the School of Medicine is deeply committed to building a diverse and inclusive community in which everyone is welcomed and valued. As the School of Medicine engages more fully with the community around it and appeals more broadly to student talent, it has adopted a clearer priority on diversifying its own ranks. Washington University encourages and gives full consideration to all applicants for admission, financial aid and employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ability, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, socio-economic status, genetic information. We implement policies and practices that support the inclusion of all such potential students, trainees and employees and are committed to being an institution that is accessible to everyone who learns, conducts research, works and seeks care on our campus. We provide reasonable accommodations to those seeking that assistance.

Technical Standards Statement

Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine) graduates physicians poised to be leaders in the advancement of human health. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to being leaders in accessibility and inclusion.

Our competency-based educational program instills a robust foundational understanding of the basic, clinical, health systems, and behavioral/social sciences. Additionally, our curriculum develops exceptional clinical and leadership skills tailored to various medical career pathways while fostering the highest standards of professional behavior. Instruction occurs through a variety of modalities, including but not limited to the following:

Classroom instruction
Laboratory activities (including gross anatomy lab)
Physical examination demonstration and practice
Small group, team, and collaborative activities
Individual study
Preparation and presentation of reports and writing assignments
Computer-based technology, including online modules and remote education
Workplace instruction in the clinical setting
Simulations, demonstrations, and standardized-patient experiences

To effectively engage in all aspects of the curriculum, individuals pursuing a Doctor of Medicine degree at WashU Medicine are expected to meet our Technical Standards, either with or without reasonable accommodations. Technical Standards are the skills, abilities, attributes, and characteristics that WashU Medicine deems essential for achieving competency in the practice of medicine, as outlined in the school’s medical education program objectives.

The ability to meet WashU Medicine Technical Standards is a requirement for admission and, along with the attainment of the medical education program objectives, for promotion and graduation. Upon application, matriculation, and at the start of each phase of the curriculum, students must attest that they can meet WashU Medicine Technical Standards with or without reasonable accommodations. This attestation also offers students a formal opportunity to proactively seek support in meeting the evolving demands of their education.

The Technical Standards are as follows:

Candidates and current students must exhibit the maturity and emotional regulation to be able to meet established professional expectations and, as they progress, provide patient-centered care.
1. Professional Responsibility and Integrity: Exercise good judgment and display ethical and legal behavior commensurate with their role and aligned with the WashU Medicine Professional Behaviors for MD Students in the Gateway Curriculum; reliably fulfill all academic and clinical responsibilities, including adhering to attendance expectations and completing clinical and educational assignments within deadlines.
2. Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Maintain mature, culturally sensitive, and effective interactions with others.
3. Adaptability and Collaboration: Exhibit flexibility and adaptability to various learning and clinical environments, demonstrate the necessary skills to function effectively in the face of uncertainties, respond effectively to changing and/or demanding situations, and actively participate in and contribute to collaborative, constructive environments in clinical and academic settings.
4. Personal Development and Wellbeing: Take personal responsibility for learning; seek, receive, and incorporate feedback; and promptly make appropriate changes. Proactively monitor wellbeing and seek help in a timely manner.
Candidates and current students must be able to develop, refine, and demonstrate the skills, behaviors, and attitudes necessary to gather, synthesize, and integrate information in support of clinical reasoning.
1. Information Gathering and Observation: Navigate clinical spaces to collect comprehensive information about patients through observation, physical
2. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Synthesize, interpret, analyze, and apply information to support decision-making; utilize skills such as memorization, calculation, data retrieval, and formulation and testing of hypotheses.
3. Communication and Documentation: Effectively convey findings, decisions, and reasoning by utilizing a variety of communication techniques (including verbal, non-verbal, and written, or the functional equivalents).
4. Safety and Emergency Response: Identify and respond to emergent or urgent situations promptly by providing, directing, or assisting in care commensurate with their role; adhere to universal precautions and maintain safety standards.

In alignment with our commitments to supporting student success and access, we appreciate that some students may require resources, support, and/or assistance to meet WashU Medicine Technical Standards and engage with the curriculum.

WashU Disability Resources provides students the opportunity to confidentially discuss disability-related needs and engage in an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations, designed to address access across didactic, clinical, and practical learning environments. As accommodations take time to implement and are not applied retroactively, we encourage students to contact WashU Disability Resources as soon as they suspect they may need accommodations, whether or not they have formal disability documentation. Decisions on admission, retention, and graduation will not be affected by a student’s request for accommodations or engagement with WashU Disability Resources.For questions about disability/accommodations, technical standards, or the interactive accommodation request process, students should reach out to disabilityresources@wustl.edu or visit the WashU Disability Resources website.

In addition to Disability Resources, WashU Medicine offers a variety of resources for students who may need support throughout their undergraduate medical education. Students who have questions or concerns about non-disability-related personal circumstances (e.g., pregnancy, family emergency, etc.) should contact the Associate Dean of Student Affairs: MDStudentLife@wustl.edu.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Washington University encourages and gives full consideration to all applicants for admission, financial aid, and employment. The University does not discriminate in access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, disability or genetic information. Inquiries about compliance should be addressed to the University’s Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, Human Resources Department, MSC 1190-853-03, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899. The School of Medicine is committed to recruiting, enrolling and educating a diverse student body. Title IX information may be found here.

Criminal Background Checks and Drug Screening

Incoming students in the School of Medicine must undergo criminal background checks and drug screening before matriculation because of requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations (JCAHO). These confidential procedures are required of all health care workers, students and volunteers who participate in patient-related health care activities at the hospitals and health care facilities with which Washington University School of Medicine is affiliated.

An accepted student must consent to criminal background checks, which must be completed successfully before one can matriculate in the School of Medicine. Consent forms will be distributed to applicants who are offered positions in the incoming class. Similarly, at the time of medical school orientation, all incoming pre-matriculant students must submit to screening for the following substances: THC–cannabis, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines and PCP–phencyclidine. A confirmed positive test will preclude enrollment into the School of Medicine.

Security Reports

Please visit the Operations & Facilities Management Department website for campus security reports.

Transportation Policy

Medical students will be required to travel to off-campus clinical rotations when these are assigned by the clinical rotation course director. In order to avoid inequitable distributions of these assignments, a student’s stated lack of access to a private vehicle will not be considered in and of itself when creating these assignments. Students who do not have access to a private vehicle will consult the “Guidelines” section of this policy item for recommended options. Gas, mileage, parking fees, and ride or public transportation fares are not reimbursed by the school. We encourage you to review the full Transportation Policy, located in the Bulletin of the School of Medicine.

Other Policies

For our policy on Links to Third-Party Websites and other policies (e.g., Absences; Leaves; Withdrawals), visit the Policies & Guidelines section of the Bulletin of the School of Medicine.

Information technology (IT) policies for the university may be accessed here.

WUSM Visitor Guidelines

Prospective visitors to Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) for training, observation, or research purposes, may refer to the guidelines to ensure that proper procedures are followed.