Is Wayne State University A Good Medical School? (Major Pros & Cons)

The Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) is a public institution and traces its history back through four institutions since its founding in 1868.

Its mission is to provide first-rate medical education while leading the field through research and patient care! So let’s find out what they deliver.

Is Wayne State University a Good Medical School?

Wayne State is an excellent med school. They are prestigious, offering outstanding scientific research opportunities, a combined-degree option, impressive extracurriculars, and a good city location. But there are a few weaknesses, such as its low acceptance rate, the huge class sizes, a high cost of living, and tuition.

We’ll break this all down in more detail in this article.

Interested in learning more about specific medical school pros and cons? Check out our Medical School Guides here – we cover all osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) schools.

Why Wayne State University Medical School? Major Pros

High-quality research

WSUSOM has good research credentials and offers excellent opportunities for med students.

The institution’s research emphasis includes cancer, women’s and children’s health, neuroscience, and population studies. It is an affiliate of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, one of 26 NCI-designated Cancer Centers in the United States, where its students oversee more than 400 clinical trials, participate in a national program to study cancer data for future research, and provide about half of all national statistics on cancer in African Americans.

Combined Degrees

Besides MDs, Wayne offers many graduate programs. It includes an MD/PhD, 10 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs, 8 Master of Science programs, and 4 certification programs.

Studying in Detroit

When comparing WSUSOM to other med schools in Michigan, it has a clear advantage just for being in a big city. Add that to its ties to the Detroit Medical Center, and students can encounter less common diseases and injuries that may not be as prevalent in other small towns.

Living in Detroit

Whether you’re a foodie or an art enthusiast, Detroit has tons for you to do. The city has a mixed population with numerous backgrounds and ethnicities, allowing you to learn from its unique diversity.

Students can catch a game or concert in The District, grab a bite in Corktown or enjoy a day outside by the water.

Extracurriculars

WSUSOM has a lot of extracurricular opportunities, allowing its class to serve the city community. It’s home to more than 70 student-run organizations, clinic opportunities, and learning communities.

Here are some of the most important:

Clinical

  1. Street Medicine Detroit
  2. Cass Clinic
  3. HUDA Access Clinic
  4. CHIP
  5. Malta Medical Clinic
  6. Dew Clinic

Community

  1. Gleaner’s Food Bank
  2. Auntie Na’s
  3. Run Detroit
  4. Code Blue

Interest/cultural groups

  1. Art in Medicine
  2. Black Medical Association
  3. LGBT+ People in Medicine
  4. OBGYN

Professional groups

  1. APSA
  2. American Medical Association
  3. Benjamin Rush Institute

Talent groups

  • Ultrasounds A Cappella
  • Detroit Medical Orchestra

Prestige

US News and World Report named the Wayne State University School of Medicine a Top 100 medical school for research in its annual Best Medical Schools rankings, in #68th. The school was also ranked 86th in Primary Care.

Other rankings pointing to its prestige include:

  • 28th Most Diverse Medical School
  • 58th in Most Graduates Serving in Medically Underserved Areas
  • 98th in Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas
  • 111th in Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care

Faculty-Student Ratio 

The faculty-student ratio at Wayne State University is 0.7:1. The School of Medicine has 816 full-time faculty members.

Diversity

WSUSOM ranks 26th among the Most Diverse medical schools.

Rotations and clinical facilities

Alongside Detroit Medical Center, Wayne State Medicine is also affiliated with Henry Ford Health System hospitals, providing tremendous clinical opportunities for its students.

The Detroit Medical Center includes:

  • the Children’s Hospital of Michigan
  • the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan
  • Detroit Receiving Hospital
  • Harper University Hospital
  • Hutzel Women’s Hospital
  • Sinai-Grace Hospital
  • Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital
  • the DMC Surgery Hospital

And the primary affiliates within the HFHS are:

  • Henry Ford Hospital
  • Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital
  • Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital

Note: there are reports that WSUSOM lost its partnership with HFH (see the Reddit comments at the end of the article for more details).

Why Wayne State University Medical School? Major Cons

Very selective

For the class year of 2025, there were 10,386 applicants to WSUSOM. Only 305 received admission offers.

That puts the Wayne State School of Medicine’s acceptance rate at about 2.9%.

Tuition

Wayne State Medicine’s tuition is $36,638 for in-state and $64,837 for out-of-state.

Class size

WSUSOM keeps a large class size, with 270+ students in a class. That could make it tough to strike up relationships with professors in the hopes of getting residency recommendations.

Cost of Living

Detroit’s cost of living is 3% higher than the national average. It is not a super expensive city to live in, but other areas are sure cheaper.

Climate

In Detroit, the summers are warm and the winters are freezing. Be able to tolerate the extremes if you wish to go here.

Wayne State University Med School Key Data

GPA/MCAT:

The average MCAT score of applicants who matriculated into WSUSOM was 511. The average GPA was 3.7.

Match List

Wayne State keeps an excellent match record. On its 2022 Match Day, 302 of their students matched, representing a 97.4% match rate.

51% matched in-state, and 43% matched into primary care.

What Are The Entry Requirements For Wayne State University? 

WSUSOM evaluates candidates through a holistic admission process. It means the Admission Committee considers your personality, maturity, character, and suitability for a medical career after analyzing your entire record, including GPA, MCAT scores, recommendations, and interview results.

But it is important to note that WSUSOM considers prior experience in the health care field a desirable characteristic that will improve your chances.

According to our research, the percentage of accepted applicants with relevant experience includes the following data:

  1. 87 percent – Non-medical/clinical community service or volunteer experience
  2. 90 percent – Medical/clinical community service or volunteer experience
  3. 1 percent – Military service
  4. 56 percent – Medical/clinical paid employment

Related: Best Pre-Med Schools In Michigan (Costs, Extracurriculars & Admission Info)

Early Decision Program

The Early Decision Program requires a minimum MCAT score of or above 511 and an overall GPA of 3.75.

WSUSOM: Reddit’s Opinion

Here are some comments from Reddit which stood out regarding the pros and cons of Wayne State University Medical School. 

Positive Opinion On Wayne State University Medical School

Its prestige brings career benefits

if you’re considering staying in Michigan, you can’t really beat Wayne for career benefits. Half of all the doctors in the entire state are Wayne MDs. The name carries some serious clout, arguably even more that UMich because you’ll have that alumni connection almost everywhere.

– u/Tobbygan

Negative Opinion On Wayne State University Medical School

The school doesn’t address students’ needs

So they say the curriculum is whatever. They focus on one body system at a time and I’ve heard mixed reviews. The admin admin admin. It is GARBAGE. they lost their partnership with Henry Ford hospital and have just been doing a terrible job of addressing student needs, especially after this pandemic. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

– u/-Ok-Refrigerator6059

Conclusion: Is WSUSOM A Good Medical School? 

Wayne is an excellent med school. Its prestige and research opportunities are solid, it has a range of combined degree options and is situated in a cultural hotspot. Drawbacks such as its low acceptance rate, large class sizes, and Detroit’s high cost of living, are definitely worth some consideration, however.