UC Los Angeles

How To Get Into UCLA Medical School: Application Tips

Hey premeds! This page serves as a high-yield resource for the UCLA Medical School Admissions. The information from this page is a GOLDEN resource. We’ve compiled it from UCLA Medical School acceptance rate data, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA website, and most importantly, from UCLA med school students themselves! You will have facts such as UCLA Medical School admissions statistics And you’ll get an insider perspective about how to get into UCLA medical school, including the student life and curriculum.

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team often gets asked, “How hard is it to get into UCLA Medical School?” It’s definitely very hard. But there are many strategies and steps you can take to learn how to get into UCLA Medical School. Whether you’re comparing medical schools that you have been accepted to, preparing for an interview, or wanting to learn more about med school, keep reading!

Why Choose UCLA School of Medicine?


The most common reasons we’ve heard from students:

  • Living in Los Angeles and Southern California
  • Access to a great public health school and public health opportunities
  • Excellent clinical opportunities in diverse communities 
  • Rotate through diverse hospitals and hospital systems

Applications

How to get into UCLA Medical School – Write excellent secondary essays

Be bold and convey your vision to change healthcare.

UCLA is becoming increasingly competitive each year, and the adcom committee wants to recruit the next healthcare leaders. Note that in the 2021-2022 cycle, UCLA changed its UCLA medical school secondary application questions to reflect what it means to be an “outstanding physician.”

Read more UCLA medical school secondary application tips

**This is one of the most popular secondary applications we help students with. Check out our secondary essay editing packages today!**

How to get into UCLA medical school

UCLA Medical School Secondary Application Essay Prompts:

  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 max)
  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 max)
    • B. Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (800 characters max)
    • 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 max)
  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 max)
  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 so, 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 max)

If you have questions about the UCLA Medical Schools secondary application, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.

NEED HELP WITH EDITING YOUR
UCLA 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.

UCLA Medical School
Interview Format

How to Get Into UCLA Medical School – Ace Your Interview:

In the past 5 application cycles, UCLA has had either multiple mini interviews or traditional one-on-one interviews. We’ll give you resources here to thrive in both your Multiple Mini Interviews and your traditional interviews! Don’t forget to download our interview guide down below. 

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team strongly advises you to stress why you will thrive at UCLA and why you want to attend David Geffen School of Medicine over other medical schools. 

Resources for UCLA MMI interviews: 

The best way to practice for your Multiple Mini Interview is through our Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course

Plus, read our 3 popular MMI blogs here:

  1. The Multiple Mini Interview: What it is, and How to do Well
  2. 5 Tips to Ace the MMI Interview
  3. 50 Multiple Mini Interview Questions and MMI Interview Tips

Resources for UCLA traditional interviews: 

  1. How to Prepare for Medical School Interviews
  2. 4 Common Medical School Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

The Cracking Med School Admissions team has helped several students get accepted to Harvard and ace their interviews! Make sure to contact us and get our help.

download your interview guide

If you are prepared, the interview gives you the perfect opportunity to standout and shine by sharing with people what you are passionate about.

Med School Admissions Interview Guide eBook Cover
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

UC Los Angeles Medical School Acceptance Rate

Applied
0
Interviewed
0
Accepted
0
Admit Rate
0

UCLA Medical School Admissions Statistics:

  • UCLA Medical School Average GPA: 3.73
  • UCLA Medical School Average MCAT: 510 (128 chemical & physical/ 126 critical analysis/ 128 biological & biochemical/ 129 psychological, social & biological)

How did UCLA Med Students Do on Their USMLE Step Exams?

  • Average UCLA Medical School USMLE Step 1 Percentage Passing Rate: 98%
  • Average UCLA Medical School USMLE Step 2 Score: 251

Source: U.S. News 

Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders

We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With

Dr. Rachel Rizal

Rachel Rizal, M.D.

Changing the trajectory of people's lives

Undergraduate
Princeton University

Medical School
Stanford School of Medicine

Residency
Harvard, Emergency Medicine

Awards & Scholarships
Fulbright Scholar
USA Today Academic First Team
Tylenol Scholarship

Rishi Mediratta, MD, MSc, MA

Rishi Mediratta, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.

Advising students to attend their dream schools

Undergraduate
Johns Hopkins University

Medical School
Stanford School of Medicine

Residency
Stanford, Pediatrics

Awards & Scholarships
Marshall Scholar
Tylenol Scholarship
Global Health Scholar

Each year, the Cracking Med School Admissions team
helps students get accepted to top medical schools.
We can help you get accepted!

Contact us today.

The Insider's View on UCLA Medical School's Pre-clinical years

How to Get Into UCLA Medical School – Know the Curriculum:

Curriculum Overview:

UCLA Medical School’s curriculum is called HEALS and was recently implemented in 2020. Key components of the HEALS curriculum include themes such as Structural Racism and Health Equity, a Discovery year, Interprofessional Education, Point of Care Ultrasound, as well as Ethics and Humanities.

Check out UCLA’s Curriculum!

Pre-Clinical Years:

As a UCLA medical student, you spend your first year taking a Base Camp course, Scientific Foundations of Medicine, Foundations of Practice, Early Authentic Clinical Experience, and Structural Racism & Health Equity, Ethics & Humanities. First-year medical students will get to take part in early clinical experiences by being health coaches, patient navigators, and more both through community-based clinics and student-run clinics. UCLA’s preclinical curriculum is unique in that you start clerkships earlier. As a second year UCLA medical student you engage in finishing the four courses from your first year, Intersessions, and starting the eight required clerkships.

Grades:

Grades for pre-clinical years are pass/fail.

Grades for clinical years are Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail (basically like grades).

How to Get Into UCLA Medical School – Know Unique Highlights:

Unique highlights about pre-clinical years:

  • The Base Camp course prepares first year-medical students for pre-clerkship with courses focused on Social Determinants of Health, Ethics/Professionalism, Basic/Introductory Clinical Skills, and Essential Basic Science concepts.
  • Intersessions are mandatory second year curricular courses where students integrate their knowledge from clerkships into research or advocacy efforts
  • UCLA’s preclinical curriculum is condensed to allow for clerkships to begin earlier in the second year

Watch more about UCLA’s walk-in and mobile clinic around downtown Los Angeles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=ReUAFMUT6IM

Discovery Areas of Concentration:

  • Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research
  • Global Health
  • Social Science and Medical Humanities
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Health Justice and Advocacy
  • Medical Education and Leadership
  • Bioinformatics and Data Science
  • Health Delivery Improvement Science

Dual Degree Programs:

  • MD/MBA
  • MD/MPH
  • MD/MPP
  • MD/MS
  • MD/MLS
  • MD/MA

Taking Time Off:

Most MD candidates at UCLA graduate within 4 years. There is less flexibility in the curriculum to take time off, even in the 4th year, because of the large work-load of clinical requirements. Additionally, because you are placed in a cohort of students in your 3rd and 4th year, there is less flexibility to take 1-2 months off during your 3rd and 4th years.

Research Opportunities:

There are several opportunities for research at the David Geffen School of Medicine. However, med students take advantage of several other departments and institutes across UCLA. For a full list of UCLA research opportunities, check out this link here: https://medschool.ucla.edu/departments

Learn more about UCLA:

Why choose UCLA? Check it out!

What students are saying about UCLA Medical School

The Insider's View on UCLA Medical School's clinical years

Clinical Years:

Around September of your second year, students begin their clerkships alongside their four concurrent first year courses.

The following are the required clerkships that second year students participate in:

  • Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
  • Family Medicine (4 weeks)
  • Medicine (8 weeks)
  • Neurology (4 weeks)
  • OB-GYN (4 weeks)
  • Pediatrics (4 weeks)
  • Psychiatry (4 weeks)
  • Surgery (8 weeks)

In the third year, medical students have a Discovery year where they have a designated time to engage in a dual degree or scholarly experiences such as research. Students can choose from several Discovery Areas of Concentration to be engaged in during their third year. The last year of medical school, students participate in clinical elective blocks, residency interviews, and a capstone course.

 

How to Get Into UCLA Medical School – Tailor Unique Opportunities to Your Interests:

Unique highlights about clinical years:

  • Students have the opportunity to work at several hospitals and through different types of hospital systems.
  • Advanced clinical electives are a requirement and are a large bulk of your 4th year (30 weeks); as a results, there are plenty to choose from.

Main Clinical Rotation Sites:

  • UCLA Olive View Hospital
  • Cedars Sinai Medical Center
  • Harbor UCLA
  • Kaiser Sunset
  • Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital
  • Ronald Regan Medical Center at UCLA
  • Santa Monica – UCLA Orthopedic Medical Center
  • St. Mary’s Medical Center
  • West Los Angeles Veteran’s Affairs

What students are saying about clinical rotations at UCLA

Housing

Where do students live?

Students can apply for graduate housing during medical school, however most students find off-campus housing.

Getting around:

You will need a car to get around, preferably all 4 years of medical school. And be prepared for traffic! Although, when you are doing your clinical rotations, you often commute during non-rush hours. So the commute times don’t have to be too bad :).

financing

Financial Considerations:

UCLA offers several scholarship options including the Internal Medical School Scholarships, Leaders of Tomorrow Scholars Program, UCLA Philanthropic Scholarship, Dean’s Leadership in Health and Science Scholarship, and Leaders of Tomorrow Scholars Program. Students can also work with the UCLA financial aid office to find outside scholarships, loan options, and financial aid solutions.

  • UCLA Medical School Tuition & Fees: ~$43,843 in-state and ~$56,088 out-of-state
  • Average indebtedness of UCLA Med School graduates: ~$84.125

Source: U.S. News

Cracking Med School Admissions Resources

Get in!

Ask Us a Question.
We help Students just like you Get Into UCLA School of Medicine Every Year!

Scroll to Top