Frequently Asked Questions about UCSD SOM Admissions
- Can you send me an application?
For our "primary" application, UCSD uses the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), so you will need to go to the AAMC web site and fill out the on-line AMCAS application.
Click here to connect to the AMCAS website. http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm.
- Can you send me a catalog?
You can access the School of Medicine Catalog on-line: http://meded.ucsd.edu/Catalog/.
- What courses do I need to complete as an undergraduate to be eligible to apply?
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 full year at an accredited 4-year institution in the United States. 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 applying.
You must complete the following lecture courses with a grade of "C" or better to be eligible to apply to the UCSD School of Medicine. Typically, each of these required courses must be completed at an accredited U.S. institution.
- One year (2 semesters or 3 quarters) of college-level Biology (excluding botany & biochemistry)
- One year (2 semesters or 3 quarters) of college-level General Chemistry (including biochemistry)
- One year (2 semesters or 3 quarters) of college-level Organic Chemistry
- One year (2 semesters or 3 quarters) of college-level Physics
- One year (2 semesters or 3 quarters) of college-level Math (only calculus, statistics, or computer science will be considered)
- UCSD does not require any laboratory coursework
- UCSD does not require English coursework, but competence in spoken and written English is required
- Do you accept AP credit to fulfill the coursework requirements?
AP credit with a score of 4 or 5 will fulfill some of the requirements:
- The full year of Math
- One semester of Physics (meaning you would need to complete ONE semester or TWO quarters to complete the requirements)
- One semester of General Chemistry (meaning you would need to complete ONE semester or TWO quarters to complete the requirements)
- Do you accept CLEP credits?
No.
- Do you accept International Baccalaureate credits?
We will accept IB credits if your undergraduate institution has verified your International Baccalaureate coursework.
- I haven't completed all of the required coursework, but I plan to do so in the upcoming academic year, prior to my potential matriculation date. Am I still eligible to apply?
Yes, you would be eligible to apply. We would evaluate your application based on the grades that are currently on your transcripts. Qualified applicants would move through our process with the understanding that any offer of admission would be conditional on a final transcript showing successful (grade of "C" or better) completion of the required coursework.
- What is the application deadline?
UCSD's deadline for receipt of all AMCAS application materials is November 1.
Applications are accepted through AMCAS beginning in early June. UCSD's deadline for receipt of secondary application materials is one month after the applicant is invited to submit secondary materials.
- What does the Admissions Committee consider in the initial review of my application?
The Admissions Committee looks at everything in your application file:
- GPAs
- MCAT scores
- State of legal residency
- Applicant's personal statement (aka AMCAS "Personal Comments")
- The extent and depth of extracurricular activities
- Work experience
- Honors and awards
- Cultural and socio-economic background
- Do you give preference to California residents?
Yes. As a state supported institution, we give preference to California residents. We have also found that we have higher matriculation rates for California residents than for out of state students. Typically, about 90% of each incoming class will be California residents. The Medical Scientist Training Program, which is supported in part by a NIH Training Grant, typically has a higher percentage of out-of-state students than the four year M.D. program.
- I grew up in California, but I'm going to school out of state. Can I still apply as a California resident?
AMCAS will allow you to choose your state of residency, but the burden of proof will be on you to prove your legal residency status prior to matriculation. Please visit this link
for more information on establishing residency.- I took the MCAT more than three years ago. Will I be able to use those scores?
No.
The oldest MCAT scores we will accept for the incoming class of 2009 (i.e. for the November 1, 2008 application deadline) will be from the April 2006 MCAT.
- When should I send letters of recommendation?
Letters of recommendation are part of our secondary application process. Please do not send letters to us until we have requested them.
- How many letters of recommendation should I send?
As stated above, you should send letters of recommendation only after we invite you to submit a secondary application. But, to help you plan ahead, here's what our requirements are in terms of letters of recommendation:
A minimum of three letters are required from faculty who can provide a well considered evaluation of your qualifications for the medical profession. (Two of the three must be from faculty with a science background at a four-year undergraduate institution – course instructors, research mentors, clinical faculty are all acceptable. It is preferred that applicants submit at least one letter from a faculty member in humanities or social sciences. If you are currently in a graduate program, the third letter may come from a graduate professor.) A letter from a laboratory course instructor will not fulfill this requirement. A MAXIMUM OF FIVE LETTERS WILL BE ACCEPTED – the 4th and 5th “extra” letters may come from any source you choose (e.g. work supervisor, non-faculty practicing physician). Additional letters will not be considered.
If you are applying for the MD/PH.D program you will need to provide us with a separate packet of recommendation letters. Recommendations mailed prior to our request will need to be resubmitted.- When should I send transcripts?
Only after we request them - we will require a final transcript prior to matriculation for accepted students. For applicants that have not completed the required courses, we may ask for updated transcripts throughout the year upon completion of the coursework.
- I'm not a U.S. Citizen; are the application requirements different for me?
You must be a United States citizen, or be a permanent resident, to be considered for acceptance at the UCSD School of Medicine. In addition, you will need to take all of the pre-requisite courses at an accredited American university.
- I have a medical degree from another country. Do I need to start over and apply to medical school in the U.S.?
This document found at this link will answer most questions regarding physicians from other countries: http://eyesite.ucsd.edu/residency/docs/FMG_Letter_and_Fact_Sheet.pdf
- [165 kb].- Does UCSD accept transfer students?
Unfortunately, we are unable to consider any requests for transfer into the School of Medicine. No exceptions are made.
- What are the average GPA/MCAT scores for your matriculating students?
Year after year, our averages hover around 3.73 GPA and 33Q MCAT.
Here are the specifics for the last four entering classes:Entering 2008
Cumulative GPA: 3.75
MCAT: 33.4 and Q (10.4 VR, 11.4 PS, 11.6 BS)Entering 2007
Cumulative GPA: 3.75
MCAT: 33.1 and Q (10.1 VR, 11.3 PS, 11.7 BS)Entering 2006
Cumulative GPA: 3.73
MCAT: 33.7 and Q (10.5 VR, 11.5 PS, 11.7 BS)Entering 2005
Cumulative GPA: 3.73
MCAT: 33 and Q (10.2 VR, 11.3 PS, 11.5 BS)- How many "Primary" AMCAS applications do you receive?
We received 5566 applications for the entering class of 2008.
- How many "Secondary" applications do you request?
We invited 1992 applicants to submit secondary applications for the entering class of 2008.
- How many applicants do you interview?
We interviewed to 678 applicants for the entering class of 2008.
- Is there any advantage/disadvantage to applying earlier or later in the process?
There is no advantage in terms of your chances of being accepted. All applicants who submit their AMCAS application by November 1, 2007 will be considered for admission. No preference is given to any applicant based on their application date or interview date. However, our Recruitment and Admissions Committee reviews files in order of completion. Therefore, the earlier your application is complete with us, the earlier you will hear from us regarding your status.
Admissions decisions are made on a "rolling" basis. Typically we will start to offer acceptances in late October. However, whether your interview is in late September or late March, the Recruitment and Admissions Committee will still complete the evaluation of your application in the same manner. Students interviewing at any time throughout the year may receive an offer of acceptance as their "initial decision".
- What is the "Acceptable Pool"? / Where do I stand on the waiting list?
Following an interview at UCSD, applicants will receive one of two initial decisions from the Recruitment and Admissions Committee:
- An offer of acceptance.
- A notification that you've been placed in the "Acceptable Pool". The Acceptable Pool is an unranked waiting list. In a typical year, many additional students will be accepted from the "Acceptable Pool". Most of these additional acceptances will be sent after May 1.
- If I'm in the Acceptable Pool, how will the admissions office know that I still am interested in UCSD?
We assume that all students in our "Acceptable Pool" maintain an interest in matriculating at UCSD. If you no longer are interested in UCSD, we ask that you notify us of your decision to withdraw as soon as possible, as a courtesy to other applicants. In early June, we will typically contact all applicants in our "Acceptable Pool" and ask if they are still interested in admission to UCSD.
- I'm starting medical school at a different institution in July and I want to remain under consideration at UCSD. Can I let you know that I am still interested in UCSD?
UCSD abides by the AAMC "traffic rules" which state:
"No school shall make an acceptance offer, either verbal or written, to any individual who has enrolled in, or begun an orientation program immediately prior to enrollment at, a U.S. or Canadian school. Enrollment is defined as being officially matriculated as a member of the school's first-year entering class."
Therefore, once you matriculate at another U.S. or Canadian school, we will withdraw your application from further consideration.
- Does UCSD know where else I am applying to medical school?
No. We do not receive that final page of your AMCAS application.
- Does UCSD know where I have been accepted to medical school?
For most of the admissions cycle, we do not know if you have been accepted to other medical schools. To quote from the AAMC Privacy Policy:
"We disclose, of course, information provided in a medical school application to the schools to which the applicant designates the information to be sent. We also circulate the names of applicants accepted to each school to every other school after all deadlines have passed but before classes have begun. We do that upon authorization by each school, in order to facilitate an orderly process for schools to resolve cases of applicants with multiple acceptances."
http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/datacollection.htm
Such notifications to schools of applicant acceptances typically occur in late spring.
