Application Process

Overview

THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE selects applicants for matriculation who have demonstrated the personal qualities of intelligence, maturity, integrity, dedication to the ideal of service to society, and who are best suited for meeting the educational goals of the school, whether in a field of primary care specialization or other discipline of medicine. The school desires students with diverse interests and backgrounds, and is committed to expanding opportunities in medical education for individuals from socioeconomic and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. The Admissions Committee has no preference for an undergraduate major field of study, but does prefer students with evidence of broad training and in-depth achievement in a particular area of knowledge, whether in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. It is recommended that students enter medical school after four years of undergraduate study; the absolute minimum requirement is attendance for three academic years at an accredited college of arts and sciences, with at least one year at an accredited U.S. four-year institution. It is recommended that students take their course of study in the most demanding curricular environment possible. Whenever possible, the Admissions Committee prefers that prerequisite courses be completed at an approved four-year institution. Students who have attended a foreign school must have completed at least one year of study at a four-year college in the United States prior to application.

A solid understanding of the fundamental sciences is essential for the study of medical sciences, and applicants are required to have successfully completed with a grade of C or better the equivalent of: one year of biology (excluding botany and biochemistry); one year of physics; two years of chemistry, including one year of organic chemistry; and one year of mathematics (only calculus, statistics, computer science, or a combination of these three, will be considered towards completion of this requirement). The ability to express oneself clearly in both oral and written English is essential. Additional specific courses are not presented as required prerequisites. A variety of courses may provide a foundation for social development and prepare the student for the many roles of a physician. A broad base of knowledge is advantageous in preparing for these roles of a physician and may include courses in: behavioral sciences, the biology of cells and development, genetics, biochemistry, English, social sciences. Proficiency in a foreign language such as Spanish is considered highly desirable.

Applicants must have successfully completed the academic prerequisites prior to matriculation. All candidates must submit MCAT scores no older than the April 2005 test administration.

Early submission of an application is strongly advised. Applicants are urged to take the MCAT in the spring, but no later than the fall, prior to the year of anticipated matriculation. UCSD School of Medicine participates in the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). After April 1 of the calendar year preceding that for which admission is sought, the AMCAS application will be available to complete on line at www.aamc.org. Completed applications must be received by November 1 of that year. No charge is levied by UCSD for the preliminary review of application materials. UCSD prefers that applicants postpone sending supplementary information until requested to do so by the Office of Admissions. Candidates invited to submit a formal application will be provided supplemental information forms by the School of Medicine, and will be required to pay a $60 formal application fee.

Candidates for admission are evaluated on the basis of their undergraduate academic record, performance on the MCAT, nature and depth of scholarly and extracurricular activities undertaken, letters of recommendation from premedical committee or professors, personal interviews with members of the Admissions Committee, and other standards of comparison that may be established by the faculty.  Personal interviews with members of the Admissions Committee are required of all qualified applicants. The Admissions Committee interview evaluates the applicant's abilities and skills necessary to satisfy the nonacademic or technical standards established by the faculty, and the personal and emotional characteristics that are necessary to become an effective physician. Appointments for personal interviews are made only at the request of the Office of Admissions after a formal application has been filed and credentials reviewed. Travel and financial arrangements for interviews are the applicant's responsibility. Preference is necessarily afforded to California residents when all other selection factors are equal, and consideration is given only to applicants who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Our school is particularly interested in students from socioeconomic and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds who have shown a determination to pursue careers in medicine, and who have demonstrated the academic and personal qualities required of all good physicians.

A Summer Program is available to provide additional training and preparation to those students entering medical school whose educational background may be less rigorous in the biomedical sciences. The course is highly structured and directed towards ensuring student success during the first year of medical school.

UCSD School of Medicine participates in the Student Exchange program operated by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Under this program, legal residents of western states without a medical school pay the same tuition at UCSD as residents of California, with the applicant's home state paying the difference between resident and non-resident tuition. To be certified eligible, students must apply to the WICHE certifying officer in their home state. State eligibility requirements vary, and the number of students included from each state depends on appropriations by the respective state legislature. For additional information, please visit the WICHE website at: http://www.wiche.edu/sep.

Admissions Committee decisions are communicated to applicants by mail, usually starting during the fall quarter, and continuing for an extended period. Following notification of acceptance, an applicant is allowed two weeks to make a written reply to the Office of Admissions.