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About Is UCI A Good Medical School
the UCI School of Medicine advances medical knowledge and clinical practice through scholarly research (Discover), physician education (Teach) and high-quality care (Heal).
The School of Medicine at University of California–Irvine has an application deadline of Nov. 1. The application fee at University of California–Irvine is $120. Its tuition is full-time: $35,220 (in-state) and full-time: $47,465 (out-of-state). The faculty-student ratio at University of California–Irvine is 2:1. The School of Medicine has 822 full-time faculty on staff.
Hi premeds! This page serves as a high-yield resource for UC Irvine Medical School. The information from this page is a GOLDEN resource. We’ve compiled it from UC Irvine Medical School admissions data, UCI Medical School acceptance rate date, the UCI Medical School website, and most importantly, from UC Irvine med students themselves! You’ll get an insider perspective about the curriculum and student life.
Whether you’re comparing medical schools that you have been accepted to, preparing for an interview, or wanting to learn more about UC Irvine Med School, this keep reading!
Need help getting accepted to UC Irvine Medical School? Get the Cracking Med School Admissions team’s expertise.If you have questions, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Applications
Admissions Stats
Pre-Clinical
Clinical Rotations
Housing & Social
Financing
Resources
Get In
Why Choose UC Irvine Medical School?
The most common reasons we’ve heard from students:
AWESOME weather. Warm and sunny all year round.
Able to enjoy the beach and outdoor sports throughout the year.
Collaborative culture.
Innovative medical education curriculum and receptive to med student feedback.
UC Irvine’s PRIME program.
Great mentorship from UCI Medical School faculty members.
APPLICATIONS
UC Irvine has 3 secondary essays. For those interested in serving Latino Communities, definitely apply to UCI PRIME-LC.
UCI Medical School
UCI Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts:
UCI Medical School Secondary Application MD Essay Prompts:
Essay 1. What personal accomplishment are you most proud of and why? (1500 char)
Essay 2. Please describe to the Admissions Committee a challenge you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience. (1500 char)
Essay 3. Do you have a baccalaureate degree? (Y/N)
This essay is only for applicants that have already received their baccalaureate degree. Please clarify for the Admissions Committee your activities (school, work, and/or volunteer, travel, etc.) since receiving your undergraduate degree. You may list them in chronological order or you may incorporate them into an essay, stating why you chose particular activities. (1500 char)
UCI Medical School Secondary Application MD PRIME-LC Program (Latino under-served communities) Prompts:
Do you wish to be considered for the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community? (Y/N)
Essay 1. Please describe how you have served your community (school, neighborhood, city, etc.) and how these experiences have prepared you for PRIME-LC. (1500 char)
Essay 2. Please describe the reason for your interest to be trained as a physician leader for the Latino community. In addition, explain how you intend to utilize the PRIME-LC specialized training to impact community health and health services for the Latino community. (1500 char)
NEED HELP WITH EDITING YOUR
UC IRVINE SECONDARY ESSAYS?
Get the Cracking Med School Admissions team’s expertise through our secondary essay editing packages. If you have questions, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.
SECONDARY ESSARY EDITING
UC IRVINE MEDICAL SCHOOL
INTERVIEW FORMAT
Interviews at UC Irvine Medical School are multiple mini interviews (MMIs). You may have to role-play scenarios.
Want to learn more about how to prepare for your UC Irvine Medical School interview? Get tips and tricks to ace multiple mini interviews by reading our blogs and doing a mock interview with us. We can help you incorporate your stories and experiences throughout your MMI answers.
Check out our popular MMI resources here:
The Multiple Mini Interview: What it is, and How to do Well
5 Tips to Ace the MMI Interview
Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview Online Course
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UCI MEDICAL SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE RATE
Applied
6,281
Interviewed
594
Accepted
253
Admit Rate
4
UC IRVINE MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS STATISTICS:
UCI Medical School Average GPA: 3.76
UCI Med School Average MCAT: 516 (129 chemical & physical / 128 critical analysis / 129 biological & biochemical / 129 psychological, social)
HOW DID UC IRVINE MED STUDENTS DO ON THEIR USMLE STEP EXAMS?
Average UCI Medical School USMLE Step 1 Score: 231
Average UCI Medical School USMLE Step 2 Score: 246
Source: U.S. News Graduate School Rankings 2021
YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION COACHES, MENTORS, & CHEERLEADERS
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THE INSIDER’S VIEW ON UC IRVINE MEDICAL SCHOOL’S PRE-CLINICAL YEARS
How To Get Into UCI Medical School Tips – Know The Curriculum
Curriculum Overview:
As a UCI medical school student, your first two years are spent as a pre-clinical student, mainly learning through lectures. Then, you take USMLE Step 1 and spend the next two years in clinical rotations. There are many required clinical rotations during your fourth year of med school. Attendance is usually mandatory during your pre-clinical years, which is different than most med schools, which make attendance optional.
Pre-Clinical Years:
The first two years are pre-clinical years, divided into various blocks. Aside from learning in the classroom, students learn through a) point-of-care ultrasound b) clinical skills in the Simulation Center.
The first year consists of the following blocks:
Normal Human Structure and Function: gross anatomy, embryology, histology, and physiology
Mind and Brain: neuroscience, neuroanatomy, behavioral science, ethics, head and neck anatomy
Molecular Basis of Medicine: biochemistry, molecular biology, medical genetics, and cancer
The second year consists of an immunology block as well as systems-based modules (i.e. cardiology, pulmonary, renal, urogenital, gynecological, endocrine, GI, MSK, hematologic, and neurologic).
How To Get Into UCI Medical School Tips – Know Unique Characteristics
Unique highlights about pre-clinical years:
UC Irvine medical school prides itself on its iMedEd curriculum, integrating technology to further advance your medical education.
For example, all students at UC Irvine medical school receive iPads; it was one of the first medical schools in the country to give iPads to all its students. Additionally, students learn how to use hand-held ultrasounds, which has proved to be useful in their clinical rotations and global health electives.
To learn more about the innovative technological curriculum at UC Irvine’s program:
Taking Time Off:
According to our discussion with students, most students do not take time off at UC Irvine Medical School. The school is much less flexible with taking time off. The students who do take time off mainly pursue research (such as bench lab research or global health) and pursue these endeavors in between their 2nd and 3rd years or their 3rd and 4th years.
Dual Degree Programs at UCI:
UC Irvine Medical School does participate and offer dual-degree programs, such as MD/PhD, MD/MBA, MD/MPH, and MD/ Biomedical and Translational Science. To learn more about dual-degree programs offered, visit this website: http://www.meded.uci.edu/curricular-affairs/about-dual-degree-programs.asp
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT UCI MEDICAL SCHOOL
Coming from the East Coast, now I know why people move to California. The weather here is perfect 365 days of the year.
There are plenty of opportunities to work with under-served communities: I did my research at local public schools teaching health education.
Plenty of opportunities to work with underserved communities.
I love the great sense of camaraderie and collegiality among my classmates!
Coming from the East Coast, now I know why people move to California. The weather here is perfect 365 days of the year.
There are plenty of opportunities to work with under-served communities: I did my research at local public schools teaching health education.
Plenty of opportunities to work with underserved communities.
I love the great sense of camaraderie and collegiality among my classmates!
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THE INSIDER’S VIEW ON UC IRVINE MEDICAL SCHOOL’S CLINICAL YEARS
How To Get Into UCI Medical School Tips – Know The Curriculum
Clinical Years:
During the 3rd and 4th years of medical school, students are in clinical rotations. While there is ample time to pursue electives during your fourth year of medical school, there is less time (compared to other medical schools) for free time to pursue non-clinical related activities and travel.
The third year curriculum consists of:
Ambulatory Medicine (4 weeks)
Family Medicine (4 weeks)
Inpatient Medicine (8 weeks)
Neurology (4 weeks)
Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 weeks)
Pediatrics (6 weeks)
Psychiatry (6 weeks)
Surgery (8 weeks)
Requirements during the fourth year curriculum:
2 weeks of Emergency Medicine
4 weeks of a sub-internship (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics)
4 weeks of an ICU selective (Surgery, Medicine, Pediatrics, Neurology)
2 weeks of Clinical Foundations (includes ACLS training)
24 weeks of electives
How To Get Into UCI Medical School Tips – Know Unique Characteristics
Unique highlights about clinical years:
Students have Clinical Foundations III prior to starting their clinical rotations during the 3rd year. Topics covered include: introduction to the electronic medical record, professionalism, Basic Life Support (BLS), and leadership
Many opportunities to work with the under-served communities around Orange County.
Main Clinical Rotation Sites:
UCI Medical Center
Long Beach Veterans Affairs
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
Children’s Hospital of Orange County
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT CLINICAL ROTATIONS AT UC IRVINE MED
I’m grateful for the ultrasound training I received during my pre-clinical years. I can use the ultrasound at bedside and diagnose things from fluid status, heart failure, and cellulitis.
During the family medicine rotation, you can take advantage of special tracks such as working with special populations: integrative medicine, geriatrics, and underserved communities.
The diversity of patients is phenomenal. It makes me feel comfortable to practice with patients around the world!
I’m grateful for the ultrasound training I received during my pre-clinical years. I can use the ultrasound at bedside and diagnose things from fluid status, heart failure, and cellulitis.
During the family medicine rotation, you can take advantage of special tracks such as working with special populations: integrative medicine, geriatrics, and underserved communities.
The diversity of patients is phenomenal. It makes me feel comfortable to practice with patients around the world!
I’m grateful for the ultrasound training I received during my pre-clinical years. I can use the ultrasound at bedside and diagnose things from fluid status, heart failure, and cellulitis.
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HOUSING
Where do students live?
Students can apply for graduate housing during medical school, however except for PRIME-LC students, housing is not guaranteed.
Getting around:
You will need a car to get around, preferably all 4 years of medical school.
FINANCING
Financial Considerations:
You can apply for grants and financial aid with UCI Medical School’s financial aid office.
UCI Medical School Tuition & Fees: ~$41,000 in-state and $53,000 out-of-state plus room and board
Average indebtedness of graduates: ~$183,000
Source: U.S. News Graduate School Rankings 2021
Getting into a medical school in California is a very common goal among premed students given the state’s high-ranking programs, reduced in-state tuition at public institutions, idyllic weather, cultural diversity, and so on.
Unfortunately, California med school admissions are also incredibly difficult due to schools’ competitive stats, the large state population, and the massive number of applications each program receives.
Do a quick search online and you’ll come across horror stories from students on premed forums like:
(Note: “Zero IS interviews” refers to 0 in-state interview invitations.)
(NOTE: “ZERO IS INTERVIEWS” REFERS TO 0 IN-STATE INTERVIEW INVITATIONS.)
This might leave you wondering how anyone manages to get into one of California’s 16 medical schools. Fortunately, there are systematic approaches to gaining these coveted seats, as many of our students have demonstrated over the years:
Stanford Medical School Acceptance
STANFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE
UCSF Medical School of acceptance
UCSF MEDICAL SCHOOL OF ACCEPTANCE
In this guide, our goal is to demystify what it takes to get into California medical schools. We’ll provide statistics, rankings, and other relevant information about each school so you can make informed, data-driven decisions about where to apply. Plus, we’ll go over admissions strategies to help you improve your odds of gaining an acceptance.
Learn everything you need to know to get into medical school.
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Part 2: List of medical schools in California: 2021 rankings & admissions statistics
Your first step is to learn about your competition when applying to California med schools. We dug up the most pertinent information about each school to help you understand the admissions landscape, whether you’re a California resident or out-of-state applicant.
While compiling this information, we observed the following trends:
California medical schools boast high rankings. In the 2022 U.S. News Best Medical Schools (Research) rankings, two are in the top 5, four in the top 25, and seven in the top 50.
Tuition and fees to attend California medical schools are comparable to schools outside of California.
While out-of-state students must pay more than in-state students at public California (i.e., UC) med schools, tuition and fees for out-of-state UC students are still lower than all California private schools’ tuition and fees.
California residents enjoy higher interview rates at most schools.
In the “U.S. News Ranking” column in the table below, numbers in parentheses reflect each medical school’s national ranking, whereas numbers outside parentheses reflect each California medical school’s relative rank. Relative rankings allow us to more easily answer the question, “Which are the ‘best’ medicals school in California?”
(Note: We strongly advise you to sign up for MSAR for the most up-to-date and comprehensive data on individual MD programs and to sign up for Choose DO for DO program data.)
California Medical Schools
U.S. News Ranking
Location
Degree
Year Est.
Annual Tuition & Fees
Avg. GPA
Avg. MCAT
Interview Rate
First-Year Class Size
Stanford University School of Medicine
1 (4)
Stanford
MD
1908
$63,311 IS
$63,311 OOS
3.89
519
6.7% IS
6.9% OOS
90 (25.5% IS)
UCSF School of Medicine*
1 (4)
San Francisco
MD
1864
$36,765 IS
$49,010 OOS
3.86
518
8.6% IS
5.2% OOS
178 (73% IS)
UC San Diego School of Medicine^ 3 (19) San Diego MD 1968 $38,383 IS $50,628 OOS 3.83 517 12.9% IS 6.3% OOS 133 (87.2% IS) UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine^
4 (21)
Los Angeles
MD
1951
$39,268 IS
$$51,513 OOS
3.84
516
8.1% IS
5.8% OOS
175 (58.9% IS)
USC Keck School of Medicine^
5 (29)
Los Angeles
MD
1885
$69,237 IS
$69,237 OOS
3.76
517
13.2% IS
4.8% OOS
186 (80.6% IS)
UC Davis School of Medicine*
6 (48)
Davis
MD
1966
$41,927 IS
$54,172 OOS
3.69
512
9.9% IS
0.4% OOS
127 (94.5% IS)
UC Irvine School of Medicine^ 6 (48) Irvine MD 1896 $37,223 IS $49,468 OOS 3.85 516 10.6% IS 4.7% OOS 104 (90.4% IS) UC Riverside School of Medicine^
8 (93-123)
Riverside
MD
2008
$38,823 IS
$51,248 OOS
3.59
508
6.4% IS
0.3% OOS
78 (97.4% IS)
Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine
8 (93-123)
Vallejo
DO
1997
$58,400 IS
$58,400 OOS
3.5
507
NA
135 (85% IS)
Western University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine^
8 (93-123)
Pomona
DO
1977
$59,600 IS
59,600 OOS
3.68
510
12.7% Combined
227 (87% IS)
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
UR
Clovis
DO
2019
$55,720 IS
$55,720 OOS
3.4
505
NA
79 (81% IS)
California Northstate University College of Medicine
UR
Elk Grove
MD
2015
$61,219 IS
$61,219 OOS
3.72
513
11.6% IS
1.3% OOS
101 (95% IS)
California University of Science and Medicine^
UR
San Bernardino
MD
2015
$58,700 IS
$58,700 OOS
3.68
512
NA
130 (97.7% IS)
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science^
UR
Los Angeles
MD
1966
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Kaiser Permanente Tyson School of Medicine^
UR
Pasadena
MD
2019
Free
3.87
516
8.2% IS
5.9% OOS
50 (50% IS)
Loma Linda University School of Medicine^
UR
Loma Linda
MD
1909
$61,600 IS
$61,600 OOS
3.86
510
7.6% IS
5.5% OOS
168 (45.8% IS)
*Public medical schools in California | | ^Medical schools in Southern California | UR: Unranked | IS: In-state | OOS: Out-of-state | NA: Not available
Part 3: California medical school profiles
Now that you’re familiar with the admissions statistics of every medical school in California, we’ll provide further information on each institution to help you learn even more about them. After all, med schools vary in ways besides how challenging they are to get into. When deciding where to apply to medical school, you’ll want to take many factors into account—location, curriculum, culture, resources, and competitiveness all play a role in determining which schools will be the best fits for you.
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Not only is California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine one of just three osteopathic medical schools in California, it’s also brand new—the inaugural class matriculated in 2020. CHSU-COM is also the only med school located in California’s Central Valley, so one of its stated goals is to train physicians who will stick around and work in this medically underserved region. A cornerstone of CHSU-COM’s curriculum is team-based learning, which emphasizes students collaborating together to evaluate information rather than receiving it through lectures.
California Northstate University College of Medicine
California Northstate University College of Medicine, located in the Sacramento area, is another relatively new California med school with a focus on educating doctors who will help address a regional shortage of primary care physicians. It should be pointed out that CNU has faced criticism for a couple of things: its status as a for-profit institution that doesn’t allow its students access to federal loans, and the fact that it hasn’t yet moved from provisional to full LCME accreditation despite graduating a class of students. For these reasons, some believe there is risk associated with attending CNU.
So, should you consider applying to CNU? If you’re dead set on earning an MD in California, and the lack of access to federal loans isn’t a concern for you, you might add CNU to your list. However, other med schools may present surer bets in terms of proven quality and career opportunities.
California University of Science and Medicine
California University of Science and Medicine is another fairly new California med school founded in part by Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, a well-established teaching hospital near San Bernardino. CUSM emphasizes a participatory curriculum that incorporates clinical sciences beginning in the first year, and it describes itself as a “socially accountable medical school”—one of the tenets of its mission is to address the health concerns and wellbeing of its local community. As such, it also focuses in its admissions process on admitting students from California’s Inland Empire.
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science is a historically Black institution with a focus on social justice and health equity for underserved populations. The four-year MD program offered by CDU is a joint program with UCLA; one of its aims is to develop medical leaders who will focus on advancing healthcare for disadvantaged areas. Accepting just 24 students each year, CDU/UCLA is a small, tight-knit program. However, students take all the same classes and benefit from the same resources as regular UCLA med students; the difference lies in CDU’s specialized focus on underserved populations, which includes rotating at community hospitals and clinics in underprivileged parts of Los Angeles.
Kaiser Permanente Tyson School of Medicine
The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine is yet another newcomer to the California medical school landscape, having matriculated its first class in 2020. Yet, the Kaiser Permanente name was already well known in the region for its health insurance, vast system of hospitals, and residency programs, which date back to 1946. Kaiser has vowed to waive tuition for its first five classes (through the entering class of 2024), which has helped establish it as a desirable—and competitive—med school option. Though Kaiser doesn’t give preference to students interested in any particular specialty, free tuition may especially appeal to those hoping to enter primary care or other lower-paid specialties. At just 50 students accepted each year, its entering class size is among the smallest of any of the California med schools.
(Related reading: How to Get Into Kaiser Permanente Medical School)
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Loma Linda University School of Medicine is a Seventh-day Adventist medical school in the Inland Empire whose mission is to “continue the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus Christ to make man whole.” Part of this mission includes an emphasis on service and a holistic approach to patient care. Sometimes, prospective students wonder how Loma Linda’s Christian values impact its medical curriculum—as an LCME-accredited medical school, you can rest assured that a Loma Linda medical education won’t have gaps or deviations based on religion. That said, students are required to attend chapel, take religion courses, and adhere to a fairly strict code of conduct. For these reasons, cultural fit will be important in determining if Loma Linda is the right school for you.
Stanford University School of Medicine
Consistently one of the best-ranked medical schools in California and the nation, Stanford is nearly unbeatable in terms of prestige and resources. As a premier research university, Stanford prepares its med students to be both excellent providers of patient care and innovative leaders and researchers. That’s evident in its Discovery Curriculum, which allows students the flexibility to pursue their education via different pathways and to focus on scholarship. As such, in order to be a strong candidate for Stanford, interests in both medical care and research are critical. Stanford’s admissions process is incredibly competitive, even for exceptional applicants.
(Related reading: How to Get Into Stanford Medical School)
Touro University of California College of Osteopathic Medicine
Touro University California is an osteopathic medical school in the Bay Area. Though religion is not an especially visible part of Touro’s curriculum or culture, it’s a med school under Jewish auspices whose values include service, social justice, and intellectual pursuit. Touro’s curriculum emphasizes primary care and includes a Global Health Program that sends students around the world for a month to gain hands-on experience in foreign countries. Touro is known for fostering a friendly, tight-knit community, and its desirable location makes it one of the more competitive DO schools in the country.
UC Davis School of Medicine
UC Davis’s School of Medicine boasts a strong research reputation and an even stronger reputation in primary care—it routinely ranks among the top med schools in the nation for primary care (it currently sits at #11). In addition, UC Davis emphasizes caring for the underserved and includes multiple pathways for students interested in urban, valley, or rural medicine. UC Davis’s highly competitive admissions process admits very few out-of-state students and heavily favors applicants from Northern and Central California, especially those from rural areas or who plan to practice primary care in a rural area.
UC Irvine School of Medicine
UC Irvine’s School of Medicine is guided by the mission statement, “Powered by discovery and innovation, UCI Health will advance individual and population health.” As you might then expect, UCI is known as a strong research institution and is particularly acclaimed for its research in cancer and the neurosciences. In addition, they offer the iMed curriculum which integrates technology into the med school curriculum in forward-thinking ways. UCI also emphasizes community outreach and aims to reach underprivileged populations in Southern California. Admission into UCI is quite competitive.
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
As UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine routinely ranks among the best medical schools in both California and the nation, it excels in preparing its students for both clinical practice and research. In addition, UCLA emphasizes lifelong learning, a “firm commitment to the humanistic, ethical, legal and cultural aspects of medicine,” and community engagement, as exemplified by their multiple programs that prepare students to practice in underserved communities. Given its many strengths, UCLA is one of the most difficult med schools to get into in the country.
(Related reading: How to Get Into UCLA Medical School)
UC Riverside School of Medicine
UC Riverside is a medical school with a clear mission: to educate a diverse workforce of physicians and to develop research and healthcare delivery programs in order to improve the health of medically underserved Californians, especially residents of the Inland Empire. UCR’s curriculum emphasizes ambulatory primary care, and students begin seeing patients under mentor supervision beginning in their first year. Given UCR’s regional focus, it is very difficult for out-of-state applicants to get in; candidates from the Inland Empire who are committed to practicing there have the best chances of admission.
UC San Diego School of Medicine
UCSD’s School of Medicine is often associated with the word “innovation”—they were the first to integrate science into the medical school curriculum and they’ve pioneered multiple lifesaving surgeries. On top of this, the university is known as an all-around powerhouse in scientific research. UCSD has a reputation for rigor and its grads tend to produce an impressive residency match list each year. These are some of the reasons why UCSD is consistently highly ranked and challenging to get into.
(Related reading: How to Get Into UCSD Medical School)
UCSF School of Medicine
Like Stanford, UCSF is consistently considered one of the best, most prestigious medical schools in both California and the United States. However, UCSF is unique among top schools in that it’s the only med school to rank in the top 4 nationally for both research and primary care. This is unsurprising given its highly decorated faculty, excellent clinical reputation, and the diverse patient population it serves. In addition to these strengths, UCSF also emphasizes public service and community health. These focuses are combined in UCSF’s Bridges Curriculum, which aims to meet the challenges of 21st-century health care. You’ll need to be an outstanding applicant in order to be competitive for UCSF’s difficult admissions process.
(Related reading: How to Get Into UCSF Medical School)
USC Keck School of Medicine
USC’s Keck School of Medicine has a reputation for both robust research and unmatched clinical training. USC students are able to gain a wide range of hands-on experience at a variety of public and private hospitals, including LAC+USC Medical Center, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country. As such, USC students get the opportunity to work with a highly diverse patient population, including underserved communities. Because the first two years of USC’s curriculum are pass/fail, thus eliminating competition between students, the school is also known for its friendly atmosphere and good work-life balance. For all of these reasons, admission into USC is very competitive.
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Western University of Health Sciences is an osteopathic medical school with campuses in both Southern California and Oregon. Established to address a shortage of primary care physicians in the western U.S, its mission is “to produce, in a humanistic tradition, health care professionals and biomedical knowledge that will enhance and extend the quality of life in our communities.” One distinctive feature of Western is its Interprofessional Education curriculum, in which DO students explore case studies alongside students in other healthcare professional programs.
Part 4: California medical school admissions strategies
In this section, we’ll cover two strategies—beyond achieving high stats and completing all the right extracurriculars for medical school—to help maximize your odds of getting in.
Strategy 1: Take a data-driven approach to decide which California medical schools to apply to
Although med schools in California are often lumped together as uniformly difficult to get into, as seen above, there is significant variability with regard to admissions statistics that you would be wise to incorporate when developing your medical school list.
We routinely observe how students add certain schools to their list “just because” or thinking that “it can’t hurt,” even though the data clearly show that their chances of getting in are slim to none.
For instance, UC Riverside receives over 1,000 applications from out-of-state applicants each year, despite the fact that none of them receive interviews or get admitted. Why waste your money and time when you could be spending your resources on better options?
In addition, be realistic about your admissions odds based on your GPA and MCAT score.
For example, Stanford admits students with an average GPA of 3.9 and an average MCAT score of 519. If you have a 3.6 GPA and below a 510 MCAT score, you’re highly unlikely to get in unless you’re exceptional in some other regard (e.g., you’re a first author on five publications to high-impact research journals).
While we’re proponents of including a few “reach” schools in your med school list, we don’t subscribe to the “it can’t hurt to apply” philosophy when it comes to applying to schools that are nearly impossible for you to get into.
Writing high-quality secondary essays takes a lot of time, so it’s best to prioritize schools that you have a better chance of getting into. Focusing on far, far reach schools at the expense of realistic ones detracts from your chances of getting admitted to the latter.
In other words, it can hurt to apply to unrealistic schools, in California or elsewhere.
Strategy 2: Focus on each California medical school’s mission and demonstrate fit
As we noted in the school profiles above, each California medical school—like any other med school—has specific areas that it excels in and about which it’s proud.
For instance, the home page of UC Irvine’s website boasts research grants, research discoveries, and information on upcoming grand rounds. On the other hand, Loma Linda’s website’s home page largely highlights their commitment to service, to the community, and to promote Christian values.
It’s not that Loma Linda’s faculty are not interested in conducting research (they are) or that UC Irvine does not care about service or the community (it does), but rather that the type of students they aim to recruit differ.
Therefore, when completing secondary applications for each school, make sure to demonstrate fit with their stated and presented mission.
The same advice applies during medical school interviews in California or elsewhere. While MMI interviews leave less room for explicit statements about your commitment to a certain community within California, etc., you can still demonstrate how your values align with each school’s mission through the answers you provide.
Final thoughts
California’s many residents eager for in-state tution to its prestigious public universities, plus the state’s widespread popularity with in-state and out-of-state applicants alike, make getting into California medical schools a challenge. Even if you’re an excellent student, you’ll still have to contend with unusually high amounts of competition and low acceptance rates. That said, getting into medical school in California is possible. If you’re able to achieve high academic stats and ensure that your background, experiences, and essays align with the type of students each school you apply to is looking for, you can boost your odds of earning your MD in the Golden State.
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.
Over 90% of our students get into med school—the first time.
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Appendix A: California medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in California (MD)
California Northstate University College of Medicine
California University of Science and Medicine
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine (Tyson)
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
UC Davis School of Medicine
UC Irvine School of Medicine
UCLA School of Medicine (Geffen)
UC Riverside School of Medicine
UC San Diego School of Medicine
UCSF School of Medicine
USC School of Medicine (Keck)
Osteopathic medical schools in California (DO)
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Touro University of California College of Osteopathic Medicine
Western University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine
Appendix B: California medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in California
UC Davis School of Medicine
UC Irvine School of Medicine
UCLA School of Medicine (Geffen)
UC Riverside School of Medicine
UC San Diego School of Medicine
UCSF School of Medicine
Private medical schools in California
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
California Northstate University College of Medicine
California University of Science and Medicine
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
Touro University of California College of Osteopathic Medicine
USC School of Medicine (Keck)
Western University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine
Appendix C: California medical schools by region
Medical schools in Southern California
California University of Science and Medicine
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
UC Irvine School of Medicine
UCLA School of Medicine (Geffen)
UC Riverside School of Medicine
UC San Diego School of Medicine
USC School of Medicine (Keck)
Western University of Health Sciences – College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical schools in Northern California
California Northstate University College of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
UC Davis School of Medicine
UCSF School of Medicine
Touro University of California College of Osteopathic Medicine
Medical schools in Central California
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
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