Three Phases, Six Years
The pathway runs in three two-year phases, each in a different location:
Undergraduate studies at one of WAUSM’s undergraduate partner universities in the United States.
Transition into medical coursework, continuing into the full pre-clerkship curriculum at WAUSM’s campus in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Clinical clerkships at WAUSM’s partner hospitals, back in the United States.
Your bachelor’s degree is awarded by your undergraduate partner university in Year 3. Your MD is awarded by WAUSM in Year 6.
The Full Pathway Timeline
The pathway runs across 17 terms, using fall, spring, and summer sessions rather than the traditional two-semester academic year:
Six years, one path: from undergraduate to your MD
The Accelerated Pathway to MD moves you from full-time undergraduate study in the U.S., to WAUSM’s campus in Grand Bahama, to clinical clerkships back in the U.S. — earning a bachelor’s degree and a Doctor of Medicine in six years.
Undergraduate studies
Years 1–3 · year-round terms
Full-time undergraduate study at one of WAUSM’s partner universities in the U.S., completing the bachelor’s degree by the end of Year 3.
Transition & pre-clinical MD
Years 3–4 · year-round terms
Dual-credit terms begin in Year 3 in Freeport, Grand Bahama — counting toward both the bachelor’s degree and the MD — followed by the foundational medical sciences of the pre-clerkship curriculum, about 80 miles from South Florida.
Clinical clerkships
Years 5–6 · U.S. teaching hospitals
Core and elective clinical rotations at WAUSM partner teaching hospitals across the U.S. Year 6 completes in Fall and Spring.
Dual-credit terms count toward both the bachelor’s degree and the MD. Location is shown by the country flag under each phase.
How the Timeline Is Compressed
The pathway uses year-round terms, fall, spring, and summer, rather than the traditional two-semester academic year with long breaks. Year 3 layers dual-credit coursework that counts toward both your bachelor’s degree and your medical curriculum. The result is the same depth of undergraduate and medical education as a traditional timeline, completed in less time because the calendar itself is used more fully.
Two Years Faster
Students completing the APMD can earn both degrees in six years rather than the eight or more years typical of the traditional route. That route means applying to college, completing a bachelor’s degree, then applying to medical school separately, with no guaranteed acceptance. The APMD removes that gap: that’s two fewer years before you’re in residency and practicing.
Conditional Acceptance, Explained
The APMD uses a single application that can lead to two outcomes at once. When you’re accepted into the APMD Program, you receive acceptance into one of WAUSM’s undergraduate partners and also receive conditional acceptance into WAUSM’s MD Program, before you’ve taken a single undergraduate course. That’s an important difference between the APMD and traditional routes: instead of two separate, sequential applications with a gap of uncertainty in between, your undergraduate and medical school paths are connected from day one.
That acceptance into the MD Program is conditional. Progressing from your undergraduate partner into WAUSM’s MD Program depends on meeting a defined set of academic benchmarks along the way, so the pathway is connected from the start while progression is earned.
How the APMD Compares
The APMD, the traditional pre-med route, and the MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) are all legitimate paths into medicine. They’re just built for different starting points and goals.
| APMD | Traditional pre-med | MBBS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to MD | Six years | Eight or more years | Varies (from secondary school) |
| Degrees earned | Bachelor’s + Doctor of Medicine | Bachelor’s, then MD (separate) | MBBS (single degree) |
| Application | One application; conditional MD acceptance up front | Two separate, sequential applications | Direct from secondary school |
| Medical-school seat | Conditional acceptance secured at the start | No guaranteed acceptance | N/A |
| US licensure | Built around US licensure from day one | US-based | Not built around US licensure; may require additional exams or retraining |
A Degree, Either Way
The APMD isn’t all-or-nothing. Your bachelor’s degree is awarded by your partner university once you’ve met that university’s full undergraduate degree requirements. A student who meets those requirements but decides medicine isn’t the right path still holds a full bachelor’s degree from an accredited US university, the same degree earned by any other graduate of that school.
Because the degree is tied to the university’s own requirements, a student who steps away early may still need to complete additional undergraduate coursework to finish the degree. Either way, the structure gives you a clear six-year path forward, without requiring you to commit to all six years before you’ve started.
Ready to take the next step?
Learn more about the Accelerated Pathway to MD, or start your application today.
Questions? Email [email protected].