If you’re interested in applying to UCLA’s medical school, you’re in luck. We know it can be a daunting process—and we want to make it as easy for you as possible. Let us discuss Ucla Medical School Admissions, ucla medical school admissions requirements and ucla medical school requirements for international students.
UCLA’s School of Medicine is one of the top-ranked medical schools in the nation. It’s also one of the most diverse, with students from all over the world coming together to learn how to become doctors.
If you’re interested in getting more information about UCLA’s admissions process, check out our website! You’ll find everything from how to apply and deadlines to tips on how to get involved on campus.
We hope that you’ll consider applying! We know that if you choose us, you will be able to grow into an incredible doctor who impacts lives across the world.
ucla medical school admissions requirements
Ucla Medical School Admissions
Prior to submitting an application, you must request that a complete set of official transcripts be forwarded directly to AMCAS by the registrar of each school you have attended.
Official transcripts are not required for work you have taken the previous term (e.g. if application is submitted in summer, previous spring official transcripts are not required). No processing of your application will be performed until both the application and all required official transcripts are received by AMCAS.
Completed applications are accepted by AMCAS no earlier than June 1 and no later than November 1 the year before the August of planned enrollment.
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How to Get Into UCLA Medical School: Requirements and Strategies
Learn the UCLA Medical School acceptance rate and admissions strategies, plus sample UCLA secondary essays
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: UCLA Medical School MD programs
Part 3: How hard is it to get into UCLA Medical School?
Part 4: UCLA secondary application essays (examples included)
Part 5: UCLA Medical School interview
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Part 1: Introduction
As one of the best-ranked and most prestigious medical schools in the United States, UCLA Medical School, also known as the David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM at UCLA) is, unsurprisingly, also one of the most competitive. With an acceptance rate under 3 percent, getting admitted to UCLA Medical School has long been a challenge for even the brightest applicants. That became even more the case in 2019 when UCLA received a huge, scholarship-boosting gift from their namesake donor.
If you hope to be one of the lucky few to earn an MD from UCLA, read on to learn more about how to get into UCLA Medical School. In this guide, we’ll explain all the elements of the UCLA Medical School application, help you understand what UCLA is looking for in applicants, and give you expert advice on tackling the UCLA secondary application prompts.
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Part 2: UCLA Medical School MD programs
Since there are a number of different ways to get an MD through UCLA, let’s first go over what programs UCLA’s medical school offers:
- The four-year, traditional MD program, which admits approximately 118 students each year.
- The Medical Science Training Program (MSTP), an MD-PhD joint program with CalTech, which usually accepts 15 students per year and takes eight years to complete.
- UCLA PRIME, a five-year program that accepts around 18 students each year and is designed for those interested in leadership and advocacy roles pertaining to medical care for underserved communities. Students in UCLA PRIME earn an MD and a master’s degree in a complementary field, most commonly an MBA, MPH, or MPP.
- The UCLA/Charles R. Drew Medical Education Program, a four-year, joint MD program which admits 24 students per year and focuses on community engagement and physician leadership in diverse and disadvantaged populations. Students spend the first two years at UCLA and then finish up at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
What’s the difference between the regular UCLA MD and the UCLA/Charles R. Drew MD programs?
While both programs offer an MD, there is a key difference between them. As an officially designated minority-serving institution and Historically Black Graduate Institution, Charles Drew University is “dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations.” As such, the UCLA/Charles R. Drew joint program aims to graduate physicians who are dedicated to fulfilling this mission.
Applicants are chosen on the bases of both their academic merits and their commitments to service. Demonstrating a true commitment to working in disadvantaged communities is extremely important to being a good candidate for the UCLA/Charles R. Drew program, so keep that in mind when choosing which programs to apply to.
While all of UCLA’s MD programs are worth considering if their parameters are of interest to you, in the remainder of this post we’ll focus on how to get into the standalone MD program.
UCLA Medical School tuition and scholarships
For the 2021–2022 school year, UCLA Medical School tuition and fees run $45,306 for in-state students and $57,551 for out-of-state students. When factoring in other expenses such as room and board, books, and transportation, UCLA advertises their first-year cost of attendance as $83,182 and $95,427 for in-state and out-of-state students, respectively.
While these figures are undeniably expensive, UCLA does offer both need- and merit-based scholarships, including the David Geffen Medical Scholarships, which cover the entire cost of attendance for up to 20 percent of entering students each year. On top of this, there are over 100 other UCLA Philanthropic Scholarships available to medical students.
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Part 3: How hard is it to get into UCLA Medical School?
UCLA Medical School admissions statistics
With an acceptance rate of just 2.8 percent, UCLA Medical School is incredibly competitive. Here are some admissions figures for the class of 2024:
- Applications: 11,778
- Matriculants: 175
While UCLA has not published an average GPA or MCAT score for its most recent incoming class, given its low acceptance rate, it’s safe to say that most successful applicants will be academically impressive.
To get a sense of the academic caliber expected by UCLA, we can look to the fact that, in 2019, they announced that they would raise their GPA and MCAT cutoff scores to 3.4 and 512. This announcement was not without controversy, and it appears that these cutoffs were never officially instituted. That said, we can assume that the average accepted student will have stats well above these numbers.
UCLA Medical School admissions requirements
Since premed requirements can vary from school to school, let’s take a look at what UCLA Medical School expects from its applicants.
While UCLA doesn’t require applicants to complete specific coursework, they do recommend being able to demonstrate mastery of the following competencies:
- Biological sciences and physiology: Cellular and molecular biology, genetics
- Chemistry, biochemistry, and physical sciences: Inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry of intermediary metabolism, and associated labs
- Humanities courses such as literature and/or art, history, philosophy, religion, ethics, economics, social behavior, and psychology
- Math and statistics courses such as biomathematics, computer science, and matrix algebra
UCLA also looks for:
- Good writing and interpersonal skills
- Clinical experience
- Some experience or familiarity with research
- Knowledge of the challenges of health care delivery (i.e. the political, ethical, legal, scientific, or public health sides of medicine)
- Awareness of the importance of diversity
Furthermore, you must have taken the MCAT no later than September of the year before your admission into UCLA. In the 2021–2022 application cycle, you must submit an MCAT score earned between January 2016 through September 28, 2021.
UCLA Medical School application timeline
To apply to UCLA’s MD program, you’ll submit your application via AMCAS. Here’s a timeline you can use to plan your application:
- May 3, 2021: AMCAS application opens
- May 27, 2021: AMCAS application can be submitted
- July 2021–November 2021: Applications reviewed
- July 2021–December 2021: Interview invitations extended
- August 2021–January 2022: Interviews conducted
- October 1, 2021: AMCAS application deadline
- October 15, 2021: Offers of admission begin to be made
UCLA employs rolling admissions, and their timeline has a few unique aspects that we’ll go into here. As always, you should plan to submit your complete AMCAS application as early as possible for the greatest odds of admission.
Note that UCLA does screen applicants before sending out their secondary application. If you receive a secondary from UCLA, you’re required to complete it within two weeks.
As noted above, UCLA begins sending admissions offers as early as October 15th, continuing until the first-year class is full. However, if you receive an offer of admission from UCLA, you must respond within two weeks.
(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)
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Part 4: UCLA secondary application essays (examples included)
To complete UCLA’s secondary application, you’ll need to answer a number of short questions. Since you’ll have 800 characters—about a paragraph—to answer each of UCLA’s secondary prompts, brevity and clarity are crucial.
Below are the 2021–2022 UCLA Medical School secondary essay prompts, advice on how to nail each question, and examples of successful responses.
Question 1: At the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, students are provided with curriculum and experiences enabling them to become an “Outstanding Physician, AND…,” dedicating themselves to important societal missions. What missions do you want to embrace? What have you done toward your missions? (800 characters)
In asking what societal missions you want to embrace, this prompt is essentially asking, “What is important to you? How do you want to make a difference as a physician?” You might think of this as a spin on prompts that ask you to envision yourself five or ten years into the future, which you’ve probably encountered in some of your other secondary applications.
A useful strategy for answering this prompt is to choose a specialty, medical condition, or public health issue that interests you (even if you aren’t really sure what you want to do yet, as this won’t commit you to anything) and describe how the experiences you’ve already had have prepared you to contribute to that field or issue. Try to also tie your response to UCLA and the reasons why UCLA will best prepare you for the future you are describing.
Example:
My goal is to become an OB/GYN. Majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies in college, I have long been aware that women in the U.S. face far worse health outcomes than women in other high-income countries. Specifically, I’m interested in working to decrease the maternal mortality rate among American women, which is the highest among wealthy nations. Other experiences that have led me down this path include shadowing an OB/GYN during my junior year, volunteering in a clinic at a women’s prison, and my current job as a services coordinator at a women’s shelter in Austin. A UCLA education will help me towards this goal, especially with resources like the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Program.
Question 2: Respond to the following and indicate how these areas of experience have impacted your progress toward your future career goals in relation to becoming an “Outstanding Physician, AND…”.
- A. Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity. (800 characters)
- B. Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (800 characters)
- C. Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 characters)
These questions ask you to reflect on how your extracurriculars have informed your career aspirations.
Each essay should focus in-depth on one activity that has been important to you, illustrating the dedication and perseverance you would bring to UCLA. You’ll want to make sure to relay what these activities have meant to you, what you’ve learned from them, and—importantly—how they relate back to the mission you identified in Question 1.
A. Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity. (800 characters)
This question is fairly open-ended, so take the opportunity to think broadly. Essentially, this essay is a space to differentiate yourself from the competition. If you feel that none of your activities are “unique” enough to write about here, instead try approaching this prompt by brainstorming how you have contributed in unique or interesting ways, even in commonplace situations.
Example:
I began volunteering at Planned Parenthood as a University of Texas undergraduate, first performing data entry and later becoming a campus activist. In the latter role, I organized on-campus events to educate my peers and raise awareness surrounding women’s healthcare and reproductive rights. Though working for Planned Parenthood in liberal Austin was a mostly peaceful endeavor, it opened my eyes to the obstacles and threats faced by clinics in other parts of Texas, including my hometown of Waco. Wanting to do more, I decided to organize a silent auction benefit and reached out to dozens of local businesses and university departments to solicit items for auction. The event was such a success—we raised over $3,000—that I’ve continued to put it on each year as a UT grad living in Austin.
B. Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (800 characters)
When discussing volunteer work, make sure to get specific and use anecdotes if possible. You’ll want to describe why that specific activity was meaningful to you and how it impacted you personally rather than rely on sentimental tropes such as “a passion for helping others.” A good answer to this question will demonstrate that what you’ve learned or how you’ve grown as the result of your volunteer work has made you a better potential doctor.
Example:
Though I’ve long wanted to be a doctor, art has always been another passion. I was fortunate to have these interests merge in 2017 when my painting professor encouraged me to volunteer at an art center for adults with developmental disabilities. Unsure of what to expect, on my first day I got into a conversation with a woman named Libby about paint colors and the moods they represented—we found ourselves high-fiving in agreement. Working at the art center, I’ve been able to connect with many students over art, which has not only deepened my belief in its importance but has also expanded my understanding of creativity itself. The students I work with each week inspire me and strengthen my resolve to be the best provider I can be in the future.
C. Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 characters)
This is a straightforward question. You’ll want to choose a fairly substantial project and ideally one that had measurable results such as a completed thesis, a presentation, or a publication.
Example:
For my senior thesis as a linguistics major, I studied language acquisition in infants attending my college’s on-campus preschool. I tracked English language development and memory skills in a group of two year olds—some from monolingual homes and some from bilingual homes—to learn what effect a dual-language upbringing had on language acquisition and cognitive development. Under the direction of my advisor, Dr. Ellen Sato, I observed children twice a week between September 2018 and March 2019, totaling 112 hours, and completed a 65-page thesis.
Question 3: Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information. (800 characters)
Let’s break down the intent of this prompt: it provides space to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively impacted you, allowing you to be seen holistically in the event that the pandemic disrupted your education, test taking, application preparation, or other relevant circumstances.
While it’s highly likely that the pandemic has impacted you in one or more of these ways, we don’t recommend using this essay to excuse relatively minor missteps or outcomes you wish had turned out differently, such as receiving a B in a virtual class when you believe you would have received an A in person.
Rather, an essay that responds to this prompt should discuss reasons why the pandemic has truly kept you from putting your best foot forward. For example, perhaps you were supposed to work in a lab during your gap year but the lab has been shut down. Or, to offer another example, maybe were prevented from taking the MCAT because testing centers near you were closed and then booked solid for months.
Whatever the circumstances are that you believe merit explanation, keep your response concise and factual, remembering that your goal is to explain why the scenario should not prevent you from being considered a strong applicant.
Our secondary essays guide provides further guidance on how to tackle COVID essays, including an example essay.
Question 4: Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare? If you answered “Yes” to the above, answer the following prompt: Describe how this inequity has impacted you or your community and how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community. (800 characters)
You can think of this prompt as a cross between a diversity essay and an adversity essay—draw on our guidance for both types of essays in crafting your response. Additionally, ensure that you read the prompt and its specific definition of “marginalized” carefully, and only respond if you identify as a being a member of a group whose access to education or healthcare has been limited.
If you have space, you might also want to try inserting one or two sentences that tailor the essay to specific resources or dimensions of UCLA or Los Angeles.
Example:
I grew up working in my family’s Vietnamese restaurant after school. As a child, I always turned to homework late, and my grades suffered as a result. No one in my family had attended college, and because I knew I didn’t have good grades or test scores, I didn’t bother applying to four-year colleges out of high school. Instead, I did two years at junior college before transferring to UC Davis at the urging of a professor. Once I could focus on schoolwork, I saw my potential. Sometimes I’m frustrated I didn’t get access to the opportunities my peers had. But I also value where I come from. I want to make a career in a city like LA, where I can bring medical access to diverse communities across financial and language barriers.
ucla medical school requirements for international students
Struggling to write your UCLA Medical School secondary essays?
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Part 5: UCLA Medical School interview
Students who make it past the secondary application round will be invited to interview. In the 2021–2022 application cycle, all interviews will be held virtually.
While UCLA typically uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI Interview) format, interviews in this application cycle will one-on-one traditional interviews.
Since it’s difficult to know what questions you’ll be asked, you should first prepare by practicing thinking quickly on your feet. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re familiar with the UCLA Medical School program, facilities, and mission statement and can speak fluently about why DGSOM is the right medical school for you.
Additionally, though this year’s interviews will be traditional, consider why UCLA usually uses the MMI. DGSOM’s Associate Dean for Admissions has stated that the MMI measures “whether applicants have the ability to monitor their own and others’ emotions to guide their thinking and action” and that they are “looking for those students with high emotional intelligence.” In other words, while you should prepare as much as you can, you definitely don’t want to seem like you’re delivering an obviously rehearsed response. Instead, do your best to speak naturally and in a personable manner.
(Suggested reading: How to Ace Your Medical School Interviews)
Final thoughts
As one of the best and most selective medical schools in the country, applying to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA may seem like a reach”for even the most qualified students. Since the majority of your fellow applicants will also have outstanding GPAs and MCAT scores, your secondary essays must be top-notch in order to stand out from the crowd. Though UCLA’s admissions statistics are admittedly daunting, applying the advice in this guide will provide you with a road map to ace your application.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world’s foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
THERE’S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE MED SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY 30-MINUTE CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.https://calendly.com/shirag-shemmassian/30min?embed_domain=www.shemmassianconsulting.com&embed_type=InlineDr. Shemmassian/ 5 CommentsMedical School1 Likes Share
Comments (5)
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veronica A year ago · 0 Likes
For the questions about extracurriculars, can we use examples from before college or should we limit the experiences to only those completed during college?
Dr. Shemmassian A year ago · 0 Likes
Hi Veronica!
We take it you’re talking about the Work and Activities section. If so, then yes, you should nearly always limit your discussions to activities you participated in since high school.
veronica A year ago · 0 Likes
OK, does the same apply for the secondary essays about your extracurricular activities and interests (the first three essays)?
Dr. Shemmassian A year ago · 0 Likes
Yes.
Alex Park A year ago · 0 Likes
I have a 512 MCAT and 3.97 Science and 3.99 cumulative GPA. I am an out of state applicant. Is it even worth applying and paying the primary and secondary fees?
UCLA School of Medicine is one of the top medical schools in the world. UCLA’s MD Program for Physician Scientists is designed for students who want to pursue careers as physician-scientists and has three levels: MD/PhD, MD/MPH, and MD/MS.
The MD/PhD program offers a rigorous curriculum that integrates research with clinical studies. Students complete the first two years of medical school at UCLA before beginning a Ph.D. in a chosen area of biomedical science in their junior year. This program is considered a good fit for students looking to work in academia or research after graduation.
The MD/MPH program allows students to earn an MPH degree while completing their medical degree. The program offers training in epidemiology, health policy and management, biostatistics, public health laboratory science, and other related fields.
The MD/MS program allows students to complete an MS degree in any relevant field (such as chemistry or biology) while completing their medical degree.
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