Admissions and Student Services Office for SMPH Health Professions Programs
1140 Medical Sciences Center
1300 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706
608/263-6800 fax 608/263-6434
Beverly Bawden, Assistant Dean
bbawden@wisc.edu
JoAnn Steinich, Student Status Examiner
jlsteinich@wisc.edu
Geraldine Lambert-Lanier
gklambertlan@wisc.edu
Clinical Laboratory Science
Medical Technology Option
Cytotechnology Option
For Physical Therapy: Professional Master's Degree, see www.orthorehab.wisc.edu
For Master of Public Health: see www.pophealth.wisc.edu/MPH/
Undergraduate Study in the School of Medicine and Public Health
Admission
Advising
General Degree Requirements
General Education Requirements
Programs for Minority and Disadvantaged Students
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Academic Regulations
Attendance
College-Level Examination Program
Concurrent Enrollment
Course Change Procedures
Credit by Examination
International Students
Pass/Fail Privilege
Probation/Drop Policy
Dropped Status
Removal from Probation
Repeating Courses
Retroactive Language Credit
Scholastic Awards
Dean's List
Graduation with Distinction
Second Undergraduate Degree Candidates
Senior Residence Requirements
Special Students
Student Health Policy
Caregiver Background Checks
Appeals and GrievancesThe UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) is committed through education, research, patient care, and service to prepare graduates of all its programs to meet the health needs of a changing society.
The School of Medicine and Public Health offers two undergraduate programs that lead to bachelor of science degrees, and many courses that are taken by students in other health science majors. Both programs are affiliated with SMPH departments: Clinical Laboratory Science with the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Physician Assistant with the Department of Family Medicine. Student academic affairs are administered through the Admissions and Student Services Office for SMPH Health Professions Programs, 1140 Medical Sciences Center, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706.
Both programs provide a strong background in liberal arts and sciences. Students who complete these programs are eligible to take national certification examinations for their respective professions and are well prepared to pursue further education in post-baccalaureate specialty programs or to enter graduate school in a variety of fields. Students interested in becoming physicians may satisfy course requirements for many medical schools by earning the bachelor of science degree in clinical laboratory science or by following the pre-medicine curriculum while earning a degree in a major offered in the College of Letters and Science or College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
The programs are divided into pre-professional and professional components. Each pre-professional component takes a minimum of two years (four semesters) to complete on a full-time basis. The professional components are two years long. The physician assistant major requires two summer sessions and the CLS cytotechnology option requires one summer session. There is no limit to the number of qualified students who may follow the pre-professional curricula; however, enrollment in the professional programs is limited and competitive, and requires a professional program application. Completion of pre-professional course work does not guarantee admission to either professional program. See the individual program sections for information about admission criteria and selection processes for the professional programs.
Students enrolled in the pre-professional curricula complete university and school requirements by taking professional program prerequisite courses offered by various schools and colleges at UW-Madison. Some students may complete all or most of the pre-professional course requirements at other accredited two- or four-year colleges or universities. All professional courses are completed at UW-Madison.
Faculty and instructional staff in the professional programs are committed to professional education in health care that will assure quality care to all who will receive the services of their graduates. Instruction is provided by program faculty, SMPH school faculty, and clinicians who are practicing in the community. In addition to acquiring didactic information and participating in clinical experiences, students are expected to develop professional attitudes and exhibit ethical behavior during interaction with peers, faculty, and patients. Classroom, laboratory, and clinical experiences provide the basis for professional and intellectual growth.
All applicants who meet the admission requirements of the university may indicate pre-clinical laboratory science on the undergraduate application for admission. They will be classified as PCL (pre-clinical laboratory science) and according to year—1, 2, 3, or 4. On-campus students who have been accepted into the professional programs will be transferred to the clinical laboratory science or physician assistant classification for the semester in which the professional program begins. They are classified as CLS (clinical laboratory science) or PA (physician assistant) and according to year—3 or 4. On campus students who wish to transfer to the SMPH Health Professions Programs for pre-clinical laboratory science should:
Please note: The Physician Assistant Program is in transition and the program will not admit students to the pre-Physician Assistant classification following spring 2007. Advisors are available to assist anyone who is interested in pursuing the degree. Please call 608/263-5620 for an appointment.
All entering first-year students will be assigned an academic advisor. Appointments for advising may be made throughout the year by contacting the advisor's program office. Call 608/262-2085 for an appointment with a clinical laboratory science advisor.
Advisors also meet with prospective students, or those enrolled in other schools and colleges, who are interested in exploring a career in clinical laboratory science or as a physician assistant. Interested persons may make an appointment by calling the appropriate number above. Students are expected to become familiar with the academic policies and degree requirements of their programs and the school. The responsibility for fulfilling requirements rests with the student.
Prospective transfer students may have transcripts evaluated in the school's Admissions and Student Services Office. This service is available as time permits. Those who wish transcript evaluations should send copies of all college-level courses to that office with a written request that includes the student's name, address, and program of interest. Lists of equivalent prerequisite courses available at other Wisconsin institutions may be obtained from the Admissions and Student Services Office.
The following minimum degree requirements apply to students in both majors:
Natural Sciences: 12 credits
Humanities: 6 credits
Social Studies: 6 credits
Ethnic Studies: 3 credits. All students who entered UW-Madison as freshmen in fall semester 1989 and later must complete 3 credits of ethnic studies as designated in the Timetable. Ethnic studies courses may also fulfill 3 credits of humanities or social studies. While ethnic studies is a graduation requirement and may be taken at any time during the course of study, it is easier for students to complete this requirement in the pre-professional years and as part of the required humanities and social studies courses. Transfer students who have completed school requirements for humanities and social studies before entering UW-Madison will be encouraged, but not required, to take an ethnic studies course.
Language: Foreign language is required for admission to the university for those students who graduated from high school in December 1990 or later. No additional foreign language is required by the SMPH programs. Students who take foreign language may receive retroactive credit under the rules established by the College of Letters and Science. Foreign language courses in literature count as humanities.
Mathematics: 3 units of high school mathematics to include algebra, plane geometry, and an upper-level course are required for admission to the university. Applicants who graduated from high school before December 1990 are admitted to the University with one year of high school algebra and one year of plane geometry. Additional courses may be required by the individual programs or to complete general education requirements.
English: English 101 or 100, or exemption by placement examination is required.
All students who matriculated at a college or university in summer 1996 or later must fulfill the general education requirements of the university as well as school and program requirements. Specific information about fulfilling general education requirements is found in each program section.
In addition to campuswide programs such as the Academic Advancement Program (AAP), TRIO-Student Support Services Program, Supplemental Instruction (SI), and the Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant, the SMPH provides assistance to minority and disadvantaged students through the Office of Student Academic Development and the SMPH Office of Multicultural Affairs, Room 2146 HSLC, 750 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53706; 608/265-4867.
Pre-professional students should contact the Office of Student Financial Services, 432 North Murray Street, Madison, WI 53706 (608/262-3060) for information about financial aid.
The school administers a limited number of scholarships available to students in the final year of the professional programs who have GPAs of 3.0 or above on professional course work. Applications are available in the Admissions and Student Services Office during fall semester.
Students are expected to attend all lectures and laboratories for courses in which they are enrolled. Students who believe they have a legitimate reason to be absent should advise their instructors. If students find it difficult to reach all of their instructors, they should contact the Admissions and Student Services Office for assistance. The instructor shall determine requirements for make-up work.
Credit will be granted for the General Examination according to the criteria established only to freshmen before they have earned more than 15 degree credits. College-Level Examinations (CLEP) may be applied in Undergraduate Programs in the SMPH as follows:
A continuing student with 15 or fewer degree credits may register for the general or subject examination(s) by contacting the Office of Testing and Evaluation Services, 366 Educational Sciences Building, 608/262-5863.
Students with any of the classifications in SMPH Health Professions Programs—PCL, CLS, PPA, or PA—must obtain permission from the assistant dean to enroll in correspondence study or to take courses for degree credit during the same semester at UW-Madison and other accredited colleges or universities. Students may enroll in a college-level correspondence course offered by UW-Extension during the first two weeks of fall or spring semester without additional fees, if they are enrolled for 12 additional credits at UW-Madison. Total credits for fall or spring, including correspondence courses, may not exceed 18 without permission of the assistant dean. Additional fees will be assessed for credits over 18.
Course change procedures are described in the Timetable. Late add & drop course changes require a completed Course Change Form available on the registrar's Web site at registrar.wisc.edu. The form must be brought to the Admissions and Student Services Office for approval by the assistant dean. Some course changes also require approval of the course instructor or department chair.
Degree credit may be awarded on the basis of an examination given by a course instructor when a student has demonstrated possession of knowledge equivalent to that which would be learned in the course. The course instructor will evaluate the appropriateness of such an examination and will determine the level of achievement necessary for credit to be awarded. Final approval of the assistant dean is required.
The Clinical Laboratory Science Program accepts applications from all international students. The Physician Assistant Program accepts applications from international students who are permanent residents of the United States.
Prospective students who have international transcripts must submit an application for Undergraduate Admission to the Admissions and Student Services Office to have their transcripts evaluated.
Students for whom English is a second language must achieve a minimum score of 600 (Paper) or 250 (computer) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and 100 (Internet).
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are in good standing are eligible to carry courses on a pass/fail basis. Students may not take general school or program requirements on a pass/fail basis. Sophomores and juniors may carry one pass/fail course per semester. Seniors may carry two pass/fail courses per semester. A maximum of ten pass/fail courses may be carried for degree credit. Students may enroll to take a course pass/fail by completing a Pass/Fail form available on the registrar's Web site at registrar.wisc.edu. The form must be brought to the Admissions and Student Services Office for approval by the assistant dean. Changing a course to pass/fail must occur no later than Friday of the fourth week of classes. A minimum grade of C is required for the registrar to convert the grade submitted by the instructor to S or pass.
The probation/drop policy applies to all students enrolled in the pre-professional classifications. See individual program sections for "retention in the professional program." The student's academic status at the end of each semester or summer session is determined as follows:
If not on probation and:
If on probation and:
If on strict probation and:
Students with pre-professional classifications are advised of a dropped status on their grade reports and in a letter from the assistant dean. Students who have been dropped from the SMPH Health Professions Programs may not continue in that school or any other school at UW-Madison until readmitted by the SMPH. Once dropped, students are readmitted through a successful appeal to the assistant dean in the Admissions and Student Services Office.
Any student will be removed from probation at the end of any semester in which the semester GPA is 2.0 or better on any number of credits and the cumulative GPA is at least 2.0.
Pre-professional students are permitted to repeat any course once. Both the original grade in the course and the grade resulting from the repeated course will be included in computation of the GPA. Credit toward the degree will be counted only once. Students should contact the Admissions and Student Services Office before repeating a course for which a passing grade has been earned. See professional program retention policies for information about repeating courses that are part of the professional program curricula.
Students enrolled in SMPH School Health Professions Programs may earn retroactive credit in foreign languages as described in the Admission section in the front of this catalog.
Students who earn a GPA of 3.75 on 12 or more graded credits during fall or spring semester are eligible for the dean's list. This designation will be posted on the transcript and appear on the semester grade report.
Graduation with Distinction will be noted on the transcript of students who earned 60 or more credits at UW-Madison and a grade point average that places them in the top 20 percent of those graduating from SMPH Health Professions Programs that term.
Second undergraduate degree candidates are considered for admission to the PCL and professional programs as well as the PA professional program. Students who apply as second undergraduate degree candidates must meet the admission and transfer grade point requirements of the university in place at the time they apply for admission.
Students must be enrolled at UW-Madison for the last 30 credits before completing school and degree requirements. Individual exceptions of 3 credits may be made only upon recommendation of the program coordinator and approval of the assistant dean.
Some students who intend to apply for the professional programs may enroll as University Special students while completing prerequisites. Admission is through the Division of Continuing Studies, 1305 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1523; 608/262-1156. Students who plan to enroll as University Special students should discuss course requirements and the professional application process with an advisor in the program they wish to enter, and complete a Graduate and Professional Student form to be submitted with their application to the Division of Continuing Studies.
This policy applies to first-year professional students. M.D., M.D./Ph.D., Clinical Laboratory Science, Physical Therapy Master's, and Physician Assistant students at the University of Wisconsin SMPH are required to:
Students will be exempt from immunization (a) if they object on the grounds that administration of immunizing agents conflicts with their religious beliefs (unless the Board of Health has declared an emergency or an epidemic of disease), or (b) if they present a statement from a licensed physician which states that their physical condition is such that administration of one or more of the required immunizing agents would be detrimental to their health.
Students will not be cleared to enroll until all information has been provided.
* The information on varicella immunity will not affect your acceptance to the university. The reason for collecting this information is to identify those students without varicella immunity in order to assist in controlling the spread of this disease to patients. (Approved May 1994; revised April, 2006)
Under the authority of Wisconsin Act 27, known as the Caregiver Law, background checks are required of licensed caregivers and others associated with health and child care facilities in Wisconsin, including students receiving clinical training at these facilities. For more information about Wisconsin Act 27, please see the Department of Health and Family Services Web site, www.dhfs.state.wi.us.
Applicants accepted into the Professional Programs are required to go through a background check and will receive further information during the admissions process. The information obtained by this check will be used by the program's clinical training facilities to determine the individual's eligibility to train within the facility. A Wisconsin background check is required of all applicants regardless of their place of residence. If an applicant has resided in another state(s) within three years of initiating the Wisconsin check, a background check is also required in that state(s).
Students who believe they have been treated unfairly have the right to a prompt hearing of the grievance. Many grievances are resolved informally and students may receive satisfaction while speaking with the person at whom the grievance is directed. If the problem is not resolved at the individual level, and the grievance is directed at someone outside the health professions program in which the student is enrolled, the student should take the matter to the appropriate department chair. If the matter is still unresolved, the student may obtain advice about filing further appeals from the dean's office for that department. Depending on the nature of the grievance, students may wish to consult the Equity and Diversity Resource Center, Room 179A, Bascom Hall (608/263-2378) for assistance.
Procedures for students who have a grievance within one of the health professions programs in the School of Medicine and Public Health:
First, the student should discuss the grievance with the person at whom the grievance is directed. If the matter is not resolved to the student's satisfaction, the next step is to make an appointment with the program director to discuss the issue. The program director will present the grievance to the program faculty for discussion and possible resolution. The student will be informed in writing of the faculty decision regarding the grievance. If the student is not satisfied with the faculty decision, he or she may appeal to the school Appeals Committee. The student may schedule a pre-appeal conference with the assistant dean for student services, Room 1140, Medical Sciences Center (608/263-6800), for information about filing an appeal. All Appeals Committee decisions are reviewed by the dean of the School of Medicine and Public Health and are the final level of appeal within the school.