Oregon Health and Science University, School of Medicine Admission
Oregon Health and Science University, School of
Medicine Undergraduate Program
Oregon Health and Science University, School of Medicine Application

The Facts

The Oregon Health and Science University is a rather moderately sized public institution located in the city of Portland, Oregon, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 10,000 students. The university's School of Medicine, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 400 graduate medical students. The average age of enrollment is around 25, and it is fairly rare for any of the students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its long-standing service to the surrounding metropolitan community, as well as for its emphasis on the doctor-patient relationship. Aside from the basic MD degree, the school offers joint degrees in the MD/MPH, as well as the MD/PhD in the areas of biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, anatomy, molecular and medical genetics, medical psychology, molecular microbiology, immunology, pharmacology, physiology, as well as neuroscience.

Admission to the Oregon Health and Science University is extremely competitive among the many students who apply; last year, over 2,700 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 184 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 100 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had average MCAT scores of about 10.2 in Biology, 10.2 in Physics, and 10.2 in Verbal, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.6. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early application program in place.

The School of Medicine has about 1,066 faculty members, all of whom come from very diverse academic and medical backgrounds. The school also boasts a very manageable student to faculty ratio of about 4:1, and the small class allow for plenty if interaction and discussion between students and their teachers.

Graduates of the School of Medicine often are accepted into some of the nation's top residency programs, and most frequently specialize in the areas of primary care, community health, psychology, as well as internal medicine.

Clinical Programs

Students are required to complete extensive clinical training including a 1 week transition to clerkship, 12 weeks of medicine, 6 weeks of primary care, 6 weeks of ob/gyn, 6 weeks of child health, 6 weeks of psychiatry, 6 weeks of family medicine, as well as 6 weeks of surgery. Students complete their training at affiliated facilities including the University Hospital, Doernbecher Children's Hospital, as well as Portland's Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

What's Good

"You really get a lot of hands-on experience here, as the university has its own hospital."

"The students and faculty are very supportive, and there is a wonderful sense of community here."

"I really appreciate all the patient contact we have. It definitely makes a difference."

What's Bad

"The hours are long and the work is heavy. Don't expect to have much of a life."

"I think that in state students should receive more of a discount than we already get."

"The administration is a bit disorganized, and it's hard to talk to a human being."

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