ucla medical school acceptance rate

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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 raised their GPA and MCAT cutoff scores and 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 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.

First up is thestandalone MD program, which takes four years to complete and admits approximately 118 students each year. More on this program in a bit.

UCLA also offers the Medical Science Training Program (MSTP), an MD-PhD joint program with CalTech, which typically takes students eight years to complete. MSTP graduates generally go on to work in socio-medical and biomedical fields. MSTP usually accepts 15 students per year. 

Additionally, UCLA offers a five-year program calledUCLA PRIME, which 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. 

Finally, the UCLA/Charles R. Drew Medical Education Program is a joint MD program which focuses on community engagement and physician leadership in diverse and disadvantaged populations. In this four-year program, students spend the first two years at UCLA and then finish up at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. The UCLA/Charles R. Drew program usually admits 24 students per year.

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.

Part 3: UCLA Medical School admissions statistics

While UCLA has not published average GPA or MCAT scores for its most recent incoming class, given its low acceptance rate, it’s safe to say that most successful applicants will be academically impressive. Because UCLA requires a 3.4 GPA and 512 MCAT just to apply, we can assume that the average accepted student will have statistics well above these cutoffs.

With over 14,000 applications typically received for only 175 spots across all MD programs, the UCLA Medical School acceptance rate is incredibly low. In 2020, only 2.4% of applicants received an offer of admission. 

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Part 4: UCLA Medical School requirements

Since pre-med requirements can vary from school to school, let’s take a look at what UCLA Medical School expects from its applicants.

UCLA states that, on a broad level, the goals of your undergraduate education should be mastery of the following:

• Reading and writing in English
• Quantitative thinking (i.e. math and science)
• “Insight in human behavior, thought, and aspiration” (i.e. the social sciences and humanities)

What does this mean more specifically? Here’s the specific coursework that UCLA recommends in order to demonstrate the “competencies” that are central to their curriculum:

• Biology 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

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Part 5: UCLA Medical School tuition and scholarships

For the 2020–2021 school year, UCLA Medical School tuition and fees run $43,726. When factoring in other expenses such as room and board, books, and transportation, UCLA advertises their first-year cost of attendance as $78,046 per year.

While this is 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 6: UCLA Medical School application timeline

To apply to UCLA’s MD program, you will submit your application via AMCAS by October 15. UCLA suggests getting your materials in by September, and we suggest shooting for early in the summer.

(Suggested reading: The Ideal Medical School Application Timeline)

After this, you’ll receive your secondary application, which you should submit within the next 15 days or by October 30—whichever date falls earlier.

Those who make it past this round will be invited to interview at UCLA. Invitations for interviews are issued between July and December, with offers of admission typically going out beginning on October 15 and continuing until the incoming class is filled.

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Part 7: UCLA secondary application essays (examples included)

To complete UCLA’s secondary application, you’ll need to answer a number of very short questions. Since UCLA’s secondary prompts range between 300 characters (a few sentences) and 800 characters (one to two paragraphs), brevity and clarity are crucial here. 

Below are the 2020–2021 UCLA Medical School secondary essay prompts, advice on how to nail each question, and example responses written by our own students. 

Since questions 1, 2, and 3 are all variations of the same thing—essays on your extracurriculars for medical school—we can apply a similar approach to all three. 

Each essay should focus in-depth on one activity that has been important to you, which illustrates the passion you would bring to UCLA. You’ll want to make sure to relay what these activities have meant to you and how you’ve been affected by them. While these three essays don’t necessarily need to address medicine-related extracurriculars (though they certainly can), each should help argue that your dedication and perseverance would make you a fantastic addition to the UCLA Medical School community and a top-notch doctor.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

Question 1: Describe your involvement in the one most important non-academic activity in your life.(800 characters)

In this question, you’ll definitely want to adhere to the guidelines and write about a truly non-academic activity. This is a valuable opportunity to highlight who you are beyond your transcripts!

Example:

Playing the piano has been important to me ever since age six. As an unathletic kid, I wasn’t cut out for sports, the only extracurriculars offered by my school. Instead, I found a home in music, practicing eagerly each day and attending piano camp every summer. After ten years of study, my teacher told me that if I was serious about music, I should practice twice as much and attend conservatory after high school. I was torn—by then I’d developed an interest in science and was thinking of becoming a doctor. Though medicine ultimately won out, I was reluctant to give up music. That’s why I volunteered to become my church’s pianist, playing during services and weddings. Though I’m not playing music professionally, having a creative outlet keeps me happy and engaged with community.

Question 2: What has been the one most unique leadership, entrepreneurial or creative activity in which you participated?(800 characters)

This question is pretty 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. 

Question 3: What has been the one most important volunteer work you have done and why was it 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.

Question 4: Has there been or will there be a gap between achieving your last degree (baccalaureate or other degrees post baccalaureate) and the expected time of medical school matriculation? (300 characters to explain if yes)

Answering this prompt shouldn’t be too complicated. If you’ll be going straight from your undergraduate institution to medical school, go ahead and answer, “No.”

If you have taken time off, your response should specifically and straightforwardly describe what you’ve been up to in the intervening time as well as how long you’ve been out of school. You likely won’t have space for much else, but if you can squeeze it in, you could also address why you’ve taken time off and what you’ve gained from your experience.

Example:

Having graduated from Virginia Tech this past spring, I am currently in the middle of a gap year during which I am living in Blacksburg and working as a research assistant in an on-campus psychology lab under the supervision of my undergraduate thesis director. 

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Question 5: What is the one most important honor you have received? Why do you view this as important? (300 characters)

In choosing what honor to describe here, consider what skills or qualities you would like to emphasize, and ask yourself if what you’re choosing really needs to be further highlighted. For instance, writing about an academic honor might boost your profile as a great student. But the honor is visible on your transcript already. So what’s the story behind it? Perhaps you graduated Phi Beta Kappa (PBK), but had a miserable sophomore year with a slew of personal and academic difficulties. You might talk about those difficulties to frame the PBK accomplishment. Other people choose to write about honors that won’t show up on their resumé at all—the time a preschool class you volunteered with voted you Queen of Springtime, or a glowing evaluation from your volunteer work supervisor that focused on your compassion rather than productivity. Whether or not you choose an honor that came with a certificate, remember that you still have to tell a story, even if it’s a short one. 

Example:

I received the Teaching Assistant of the Year Award. I worked mostly with student athletes who didn’t always connect with science, but I managed to help them grasp and even enjoy the material. I’m proud to have helped them learn, and felt I could take some credit for a great basketball season!

Question 6: What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and advisor. (300 characters)

This is another straightforward question. Simply provide one or two sentences describing your project, as well as the other information requested, and you’ll probably be right at 300 characters. 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. Under the direction of my advisor, Dr. Ellen Sato, I observed children twice a week between Sep. 2016 and Mar. 2017, totaling 112 hours, and completed a 65-page thesis.

Question 7: Describe a problem in your life. Include how you dealt with it and how it influenced your growth. (500 characters)

This is essentially an “adversity essay” prompt, which we’ve discussed how to respond to in our guide on medical school secondary essays. Since hopefully you’ve already written a version of this essay, all you’ll need to do to adapt it to work for this question is cut it down to fit within the character limit.

Example:

I grew up in rural Maine and am the first in my family to go to college. When I began attending Columbia, I was intimidated by my intellectual, cosmopolitan peers. I felt like an outsider who could never belong, and my grades and mental health quickly declined. After a difficult first semester, I moved home and worked for my electrician dad. After 3 years, I reapplied to Columbia and am now graduating with honors. I credit my successful second try to the discipline and humility I gained from work.

Question 8: Please list any major paid work experience during or since college. (4000 characrers per work experience)

This question should be pretty easy to answer, especially since you’ve already listed your work experience in the AMCAS Work and Activities section of your primary application. Here you will simply want to give a short description of each work experience (position, location, and duties) along with the dates and approximate hours worked. This response can be formatted either as a list or written out in sentences. Either way, it doesn’t need to take essay form or argue anything. Remember to limit your response to paid work only.

Example:

 Clinical Scribe, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI (July 2018–present, 25 hours per week)

Primary duties: inputs patient data into electronic medical record system, monitors medical testing procedures such as urinalysis and X-rays, schedules patient appointments, and oversees communication with external labs. 

Laboratory Assistant, Gene Expression Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (September 2016–May 2018, 15 hours per week)

Primary duties: maintained lab equipment material stock, prepared reagents, and maintained supplies of sterile glassware. Received permission to perform independent research in lab beginning in September 2017.

Café Worker, Michigan League, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (September 2014–May 2016, 12 hours per week)

Primary duties: made sandwiches and coffee drinks, prepped ingredients, stocked to-go supplies, and cleaned café space.

Question 9: Is there any hardship to which you would like the committee to give special attention in evaluating your application? (500 characters)

You get to define hardship. It might mean personal health struggles or socioeconomic barriers you’ve had to overcome, or something else from your family or academic life. Some students find that this prompt overlaps with an answer they’ve prewritten to another school’s “diversity essay,” which we’ve covered in the same medical school secondaries guide we referred to earlier. Just as in Question 7, you’ll likely need to edit your existing essay to fit within the character limit, but you should otherwise be good to go.

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. I turned to homework late, and my grades suffered. I did two years at junior college before transferring to UC Davis. 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.   

Question 10: Where do you see yourself post-graduate education? What experiences have led you to this goal? (500 characters)

This is a common question that you’ll probably run into on other secondary applications. Essentially this question is asking you to describe your vision for your future.

A useful strategy for this prompt is to choose a specialty 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 enter that field. 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. With a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies, bettering women’s healthcare has long been important to me. 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 San Francisco. A UCLA education will help me towards this goal, especially with resources like the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Program.

Question 11: Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as any other relevant information. (500 characters)

Let’s break down the intent of this unprecedented 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 since March. Or, to offer another example, maybe you’ve been 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.

Part 8: UCLA Medical School interview

Students who make it past the secondary application round will be invited to interview. In the 2020–2021 application cycle, all interviews will be held virtually via a two-part process: the AAMC VITA and a one-on-one live interview.

While UCLA typically uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI Interview) format, interviews in this application cycle will consist of two 25-minute 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.

The David Geffen School of Medicine is one of the youngest elite medical schools in the United States, founded in 1951. It is the second medical school in the University of California system—the first was UCSF School of Medicine. The school’s reputation relative to its age is a testament to its strength as an institution.

There are 713 full-time students at the school, and about 120 enroll each year in the MD program (the school also houses a PhD program). With 2723 full-time faculty, David Geffen School of Medicine’s faculty-student ratio is 3.8:1.

Located in Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine is directly adjacent to the UCLA campus and is integrated with the university’s activities, so med students can take advantage of UCLA’s main campus life. Med students train at one of 21 affiliated hospitals in the L.A. area including Cedars-Sinai, UCLA Medical Center, and Kaiser hospitals. 

A focus on community dominates many aspects of student life at the school. Upon matriculation, first-year students can opt into the Big Sib Lil Sib program, which creates small families of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-years who share similar interests and hobbies. The program creates a bond between all of the classes and acts as a built-in support system at the start of medical school. First-years who participate are matched with a 2nd-year student who then introduces them to their Big Sib Lil Sib family, and events are held quarterly for the families. Outside of the Big Sib Lil Sib program, the school enriches the med school experience through annual events including a 2nd Year Banquet, a 4th Year Banquet, and an annual talent show. The school also publishes an annual journal each spring, UCLA BEAT, that showcases literary and visual art created by students and faculty.

“Classes are divided between labs, small learning groups, and lectures during your first two years. Although the material is challenging, it is taught well. There are also lots of resources for anyone who needs them, including small group and individual tutoring and an education counselor you can meet with. The lecturers also make themselves available for any questions, and many are well-known researchers on the topic they are teaching and love to chat about their research too!

Cliche, but my favorite part about UCLA DGSOM are the people! I’ve found fellow classmates that I trade kombucha starter with and others that will go horseback riding with me on a beach in Baja California. They are also the ones that will make study guides to share with the whole class. The camaraderie among my class is unbelievable here.”Irrawaddy LamouthStudent, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine

THE CURRICULUM AT DAVID GEFFEN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

David Geffen School of Medicine has been redesigning is medical curriculum since 2017. Now in its final phase, the redesign is expected to launch with the entering class in 2020.

The current curriculum is divided into three phases. In Phase 1—Human Biology and Disease—students learn foundational science and disease through a block-based curriculum, studying parts of the human body in isolation. Throughout the entirety of this phase, which lasts for the first two years, students also take classes in anatomy, biochemistry, clinical reasoning, clinical skills, ophthalmology, pharmacology, preceptorship, genetics, and doctoring.

Phase II of the curriculum takes place during the third year and comprises of students’ core clinical clerkships.

In the fourth year, students complete Phase III of the curriculum—4th Year Colleges. Students and faculty are grouped into academic colleges based on career and specialty interests. These colleges are Academic Medicine College, Acute Care College, Applied Anatomy College, Primary Care College, and Drew Urban Underserved College. Within a 4th Year College, clinical skills are honed by specialty faculty and students are able to select electives that closely align with their interests.

Though most students complete their med school curriculum in four years, the school does allow students the option to take a year off from their education and training to pursue research with a mentor at UCLA or with an external program. Travel grants of up to $600 are also available to students whose abstracts are accepted at a national conference to cover travel costs.