Are you interested in applying to one of the six university of California medical schools?
Do you have know which school is right for you? Today, we will cover all the UC medical
schools in detail, discussing requirements and admission statistics.
Hi! My name is Chris and I’m an admissions associate here at BeMo. Before we get started,
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you don’t miss any of our upcoming videos. If you would like us to help you with your
med school application, click on the link above or below this video to schedule your
free initial consultation . As a quick tip, check out the time stamps in the description
of this video to navigate to specific sections of the video that you are interested in.
Here’s a look at what we’ll review today: * Overview of University of California Medical
Schools * University of California, Davis, School
of Medicine * University of California, Irvine, School
of Medicine * University of California, Los Angeles David
Geffen, School of Medicine * University of California, Riverside, School
of Medicine * University of California, San Diego, School
of Medicine * University of California, San Francisco,
School of Medicine * Interviews
* Status: In-State vs. Other * Experiences: AMCAS Work and Activities
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Overview of University of California Medical Schools
These programs enjoy worldwide and domestic recognition for their general programs as
well as medical schools specifically. However, with these impressive accomplishments,
med schools in the UC school system also have highly competitive acceptance rates of only
1.3-2.2%. The programs also very strongly prefer in-state applicants, and few accept
applications from international and Canadian applicants.
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
Course prerequisites: Biological Sciences, 1 year
Chemistry, general and organic sequence: 2 years (If you are unable to take a full year
of organic chemistry, courses in biochemistry will be accepted.)
Physics, 1 year Average accepted MCAT score: 510
Minimum accepted GPA: 3.74
University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
Course prerequisites: Biology, 1.5 years, including one upper-division
biology course. Chemistry, 2 years, to include general/inorganic
chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. Physics, 1 year
Average accepted MCAT score: 514 Minimum accepted GPA: 3.78
University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen, School of Medicine
Recommended Courses: Biological Sciences and Physiology
Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physical Sciences with lab
Humanities Mathematics and Statistics
Average accepted MCAT score: 513 Average accepted GPA: 3.6
University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine
Course prerequisites: Mathematics — 8 semester hours in calculus
and/or statistics. Physics — 8 semester hours, labs optional.
General chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry — 16 semester hours, labs optional.
Biology — Eight (8) semester hours, labs optional.
Minimum accepted MCAT score: 506 Minimum accepted GPA: 3.6
University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
Course prerequisites: 2 semesters of college-level Biology
2 semesters of college-level General Chemistry 1 semester of college-level Biochemistry
2 semesters of college-level Organic Chemistry. 2 semesters of college-level Physics.
2 semesters of college-level Calculus or Statistics
Laboratory coursework for all courses that
offer corresponding labs. Average accepted MCAT score: 516
Average accepted GPA: 3.77
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
Course prerequisites: Biology, one year with laboratory (may include
biochemistry) Chemistry, one year, including at least one
semester of organic chemistry with lab (may include biochemistry)
Biochemistry, at least one course Physics, one semester
Average accepted MCAT score: 94th percentile Minimum accepted GPA: 3.20
Interviews Before we move on to tips for how to choose
the right school for you, we should note the
number of applicants who were invited to interview.
The med school interview is an integral part
of the application process, as it allows prospective
students to articulate why they want to become a doctor, and reflect on the experiences and
learning outcomes that they can bring to the program. Schools that entertain a higher number
of interviews thus provide more opportunities for applicants to personally articulate their
suitability to the program. Luckily, your chances at getting an interview are quite
a bit higher than the competitive rates for admission, as most UC schools invited 6-10%
of all applicants to interviews. All applicants invited to an interview stand
a strong chance of receiving an admittance into the program, which is why it is so integral
to learn how to prepare for a med school interview.
Ideally, an interview should give the committee
a strong grasp of who you are and your life story, how your experiences and learning outcomes
will shape you as a physician and make you an asset to the medical community, and how
you will integrate into the program. In addition, med school interviews test students’ abilities
to problem-solve ethically complicated situations, communication, and demonstrate other qualities
identified by the AAMC as Core Competencies required of physicians. In the latest admissions
cycle, UC med schools used a variety of med school interview formats. UC Riverside, UC
San Diego, and UC Davis all used the MMI format. UC San Francisco took the more traditional
route, with applicants being invited to 2 traditional blind interviews. UC Irvine and
UCLA asked candidates to interview both through the traditional med school interview and the
AAMC VITA video interview. The best way to prepare for your interview
is to practice with sample questions and answers. It is important to get ready to answer such
common medical school interview questions like tell me about yourself and what is your
greatest weakness. Make sure to learn the interview format of your chosen schools and
prepare accordingly. If your school uses the MMI format, don’t forget to run through
MMI questions during your preparation, as it is a challenging interview format, with
many scenario and policy-type questions. Ideally, you will want to receive personal
feedback from a medical school advisor as you practice and prepare. Personalized feedback
can help you improve more than your answers. Quality feedback can help you work on your
posture, communication skills, and confidence. Status: In-State vs. Other
One of the first things to consider when selecting which schools to apply to is your residency
status. Not all UC schools accept Canadian and international applicants. UC Riverside,
thanks to its commitment to Inland Southern California and interest in applicants who
can demonstrate their dedication to the region, only accepts applications from in-state candidates
and may consider out-of-state applicants on a case-by-case basis, provided the applicant
can demonstrate a significant relationship to California.
UC San Diego and UC San Francisco are the two schools that will accept applications
from out-of-state candidates, but reject applications
from International students. Although it should
be noted that UC San Diego is willing to consider applications from Canadian applicants on a
case-by-case basis, similar to UC Riverside’s treatment of out-of-state applicants. UC Irvine
expands the pool of eligible applicants slightly, as it accepts applications from out-of-state
and Canadian applicants.
Only UC Davis and UCLA are classified as Canadian-friendly
US medical schools. A “Canadian-friendly” program treats Canadian applicants as out-of-state
applicants, using the same admission requirements
and, most importantly, will not charge international
tuition fees for admitted candidates. The only two schools that are willing to consider
all types of resident categories are UC Davis and UCLA, as they accept applications from
in-state, out-of-state,
Canadian, and international applicants. Despite this, note that only a
total of 7 international students matriculated in all of the UC med schools in recent years.
This means that the competition will be particularly
fierce if you are applying from outside of
the USA and Canada. Thus, UC rankings may demonstrate competitive
acceptance rates, high grades, and test scores, but you must also remember to consider your
residency status. Make sure to check each school’s residency criteria before you apply
to determine whether you fit their eligibility
requirements. All UC med schools accept applications
from DACA students. Experiences: AMCAS Work and Activities
With that being said, to impress any of the schools in our UC rankings, your application
must involve more than just your scores. What makes a strong application is the amalgamation
of the candidate’s personal story, academic record, and previous experience, all of which
should demonstrate the ways in which you are a good fit for the programs of your choice.
In addition to your grades, statistics, and your premedical experience, one of the key
factors to consider when deciding which programs to apply to is how your previous record and
extracurriculars align with the school’s values and interests. In other words, you
should consider your fit in the program, and how the program’s values relate to your
own experiences and goals. Each program’s mission statement is the first stop for accessing
important information about how the program defines itself and what it holds most valuable.
For this reason, it is a key indicator of the type of experiences and applicant profiles
that the med school will find attractive. For example, UC Davis’s mission statement
states that the school is aiming to provide learner-centered education to a diverse body
of students and cultivate in them “the passion to improve lives and transform the health
of the communities they will serve as physicians, scientists, and health care leaders.” UC
Davis’s interest in creating a diverse body of students means that the admissions committee
will likely be interested in hearing what makes each applicant a diverse candidate,
be it life experiences, personal background, or extra-curricular experiences that have
shaped their understanding of diversity. On the other hand, the mission statement for
UC Riverside’s med school is perhaps the most specific of all the UC schools, as it
discusses the school’s commitment to servicing the community of Inland Southern California,
training a diverse workforce, and developing innovative research and healthcare delivery
programs for the medically underserved in the region. This mission statement makes it
clear that in addition to a vested interest and commitment to diversity, innovation, and
the health of the medically underserved, prospective
students must demonstrate their interest in
and familiarity with Inland Southern California . As such, previous familiarity with the region
and experience within it, along with experience with medically underserved communities, will
be of paramount importance for hopeful applicants to the program.
When choosing which programs to apply to, you can assess the values and mission of the
school and how well they align with your own interests and experiences. For the UC schools,
you will be able to demonstrate and discuss your previous experiences in your AMCAS Work
and Activities section. To understand what types of experiences will
help your application, you should look to the profile of the previously accepted candidates,
which you can access on the MSAR database. Learn how to use MSAR to choose the best medical
school for you. This is a great source for information regarding the types of experiences
you should be accumulating, as it provides data on the premedical experience of the admitted
class for each school. As with most med schools, research is a key
experience for most of the applicants for all of the UC med schools. If you are interested
in applying to one or more of UC med schools,
try to find significant experiences in research/lab
prior to your application, as well over 90% of the successful applicants have significant
experiences in a research/lab environments. If you are still seeking to gain quality research
experience, make sure to prepare a solid resume and research assistant cover letter. These
two documents will help you find research positions during your undergrad on campus
and off.
You should also look to find meaningful experiences
in medical/clinical community service and volunteering, since most successful applicants
had these experiences as well. Indeed, UC Davis and UC Riverside were the only universities
for whom the successful cohort had more experience in medical/clinical community service and
volunteering than research/lab experience. For these schools, experiences like volunteering
in hospitals can make you an attractive candidate. Generally, experiences in community service
and shadowing also make important contributions to applicants’ profiles, as the vast majority
of all of the programs’ matriculating cohorts demonstrate significant experiences in these
fields. Indeed, shadowing is often a recommended experience for applicants, so you should try
to find some experiences in shadowing or clinical observation prior to your applications.
On the flip side, a minority of successful applicants have previous medical/clinical
paid employment experience, meaning that these types of experiences, though valuable, are
not as integral in securing an admission to one of the UC med school programs.
Check out our blogs for more grad school tips. I have included links in the description of
this video so you can find the blog easily. If you would like us to help you with your
video interviews, click on the link above or below this video to schedule your free
initial consultation. Hopefully you enjoyed the video so please subscribe, like and leave
a comment. If you have any questions about video interviews that I didn’t cover in
this video, let me know in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
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