Since a few years ago, the U.S. has been experiencing a physician shortage, and North Dakota isn’t an exception. The problem is more serious in rural areas, where access to medical centers is more restricted, and fewer physicians are willing to work there.
In 2016, Dr. G. Richard Olds claimed that “North Dakota has only enough doctors to meet 37 percent of its primary care needs,” which indicates that the problem involves many areas. Because of that, the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of North Dakota, the only medical school in the state, wants to change the situation. The university has developed programs and incentives to tackle the lack of physicians and encourage students to choose the rural health path.
Now, let’s examine the most important aspects of this medical school to help you decide if it is an adequate institution for your medical aspirations.
University of North Dakota
With over a century of educational experience in the medical field, the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences was founded in 1905. As the only medical school in the state, it is calculated that around 65% of the physicians who practice in North Dakota were educated here.
This medical school in North Dakota has four campuses throughout the state. The main one is in Grand Forks. The other three campuses are located in Downtown Minot, Downtown Bismarck, and Fargo. It also has a Center for Rural Health and it offers a rural health scholarship for students who want to practice in this field. It is called RuralMed.
The M.D. curriculum is divided into two phases. The first phase comprises the first two years and consists of acquiring scientific knowledge and developing basic clinical skills. This is done at the Grand Forks campus.
The second phase comprises the last two years and consists of clinical rotations. Seven clerkships that include a research project must be completed in the third year. An acting internship and seven elective clerkships must be completed in the fourth year. These can be done at any of the four campuses.
Along with the M.D. degree program, they have other professional degrees. These are offered in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, public health, physician assistant studies, sports medicine, and medical laboratory science.
If you want to apply to this medical school in North Dakota, applications are done through the AMCAS platform. You must take the MCAT, submit letters of recommendation, have the pre-medical course requirements, and share any relevant previous experiences related to medicine or to the community. Applicants also have to take the CASPer test.
Only 78 students are admitted each year. In 2018, the average GPA of the entering class was 3.7 and the average MCAT was 507. They prefer to accept students who are North Dakota residents or who have solid ties to the state. Actually, 60 seats are for students who meet these criteria.
Seven students are admitted through the Indians Into Medicine program, which is for American Indian applicants. The remaining 11 students are admitted only if they are Minnesota residents or from WICHE member states.
We hope that this summary was useful and gave you a better idea of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. To learn more information on studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students and USA Study Guide sections!
