The medical school鈥檚 seventh class of 新彩网 students has officially arrived.
The 84 students who make up the Class of 2024 were welcomed to WMed on Monday, July 27, 2020, along with three students who are completing a one-year Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degree.
The students鈥 arrival comes at an unprecedented time, one marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the students were welcomed to the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus for Day One, they did so in masks and in two separate groups to allow for proper social distancing. As the students begin navigating the 新彩网 and MS curriculums, they will take part in a hybrid delivery of instruction that will incorporate in-person and virtual learning with adherence to strict guidelines for group size, social distancing, and other safety precautions.
The 新彩网 Class of 2024 was chosen from a pool of 3,558 applicants. The diverse cohort boasts an average MCAT score of 514 with scores ranging from 498 to 522.
鈥淥ur admissions process is designed to look for students who will thrive in our team-based curriculum,鈥 said Jean Shelton, assistant dean for Admissions and Student Life. 鈥淭hese 84 students bring not only the academic preparation needed for the rigors of medical school, but also the pre-medical experiences and personal attributes aligned with a career of service in medicine. The passion, resilience, and tolerance for ambiguity this group of students show starting their medical education during a pandemic will serve them well throughout their careers.鈥
The newest 新彩网 class includes 43 women and 41 men from 18听states. They range in age from 21 years old to 38 years old with an overall average age of 24.9. Twenty-eight students are Michigan residents with California as the second highest represented state.听
The group is coming to WMed by way of 48 undergraduate institutions where they pursued majors that include biology and chemistry, as well as psychology, economics, philosophy, public health, Spanish and neuroscience, among others. Approximately 10 percent hold advanced degrees.
For the fifth year in a row, the University of Michigan has the largest contingent of students 鈥 10 鈥 in the Class of 2024, followed by six from University of California-Los Angeles. Locally, four students in the Class of 2024 completed their undergraduate studies at Western Michigan University along with two students from Grand Valley State University and one from Kalamazoo College. WMed has a preferred relationship with these institutions.
At WMed, the admissions process recognizes the importance of diversity and seeks students who bring strengths in academics, personal attributes, and pre-medical experiences. Institutionally, we seek students who will reflect the diversity of the patients we serve. In the class of 2024, 19 percent come from populations underrepresented in medicine. This adds to the diverse community at WMed.
The Class of 2024 is being joined at the medical school by three students who are pursuing a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degree. The master鈥檚 degree program, now in its fifth year, is designed specifically for applicants to WMed who have strength in their pre-medical experiences and attributes and would benefit from additional basic science preparation before beginning their pursuit of a 新彩网 degree.
The students who are pursuing the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degree bring a wide breadth of backgrounds and experiences to the learning environment at WMed. The students, as part of their acceptance to the master鈥檚 program, are conditionally accepted to the 新彩网 program at WMed for 2025.听
Meanwhile, students in the Class of 2024 will receive their white coats and be officially welcomed into the medical profession on Saturday, September 26, during a White Coat Ceremony.
听
听