Hi premeds! This page serves as a high-yield resource for UC San Diego School of Medicine. The information from this page is a GOLDEN resource. We’ve compiled it from UC San Diego Medical School admissions rate data, the UC San Diego School of Medicine website, and most importantly, from UCSD Medicine students themselves! You will have facts such as admissions statistics, and you’ll get an insider perspective about the curriculum & student life.
UCSD School of Medicine is one of the top medical schools in California. The combination of perfect weather, rigorous curriculum, and ample research opportunities (particularly in biotechnology) make this a great medical school in California. UCSD School of Medicine also has many PRIME programs, or special programs that are targeted towards improving the health of specific populations like LatinX and Native Americans.
From our experience successfully advising students to receive acceptances to UCSD School of Medicine, the admissions committee values students who have strong clinical and strong research backgrounds. Additionally, more of our research-oriented out-of-state students are receiving interviews each year. Finally, it’s important to do well on your UCSD Multiple Mini Interview.
Whether you’re comparing medical schools that you have been accepted to, preparing for an interview, or wanting to learn more about UCSD Med School, this keep reading!
Need help getting accepted to UCSD Medical School? Get the Cracking Med School Admissions team’s expertise. We’ve gotten several students into UC San Diego School of Medicine over the last decade. If you have questions, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.
WHY CHOOSE UC SAN DIEGO
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE?
The most common reasons we’ve heard from students:
- Emphasis on research
- Close to biotech companies; some students collaborate or work part-time for biotech companies
- Strong academics
- Collaborations with biotech and pharmaceutical industry
- The best weather in the United States
- California!
- Close to military base
Applications
If you are contemplating about whether you should apply as an out-of-state applicant, we strongly suggest that you do if you have strong clinical experiences and research skills. Many of our students have received out of state acceptances to UC San Diego School of Medicine. UCSD has one of the most challenging and longest medical school secondary essay applications. They are due within a month of receiving the school’s secondary. We highly encourage students applying to start pre-writing these essays.
Make sure you read our HIGH-YIELD blog post How To Write An Autobiography For Medical School.
Get all our UCSD secondary application tips here.
UC San Diego School Of Medicine MD Essays
- Autobiographical Sketch: This should be a true autobiographical statement. Topics to be included are family, childhood, primary and secondary school years, undergraduate years, and, if applicable, what you’ve done since completing your bachelor’s degree. You should also discuss the motivational factors which led you to a career in medicine, including any disadvantages or obstacles which might put your accomplishments into context. A repeat of your AMCAS statement will not be acceptable.
Please note: If you are applying to the MD/PhD program, please include why you are specifically interested in seeking MD/PhD training at UCSD. - Possible Career Pathway: Some medical school applicants are already focused on pursuing a particular career pathway in medicine. While many students will change from this pathway during medical school, knowing of your potential interests does help us to assign interviewers. Your choice below does not influence how the Admissions Committee selects students to interview.
Please select from one of career pathways listed below. In addition to this selection, please provide a brief description of your future career goals:- Academic Medicine (Working as a faculty member at a School of Medicine either as a clinician, a clinician-educator, or a clinician investigator. This could be in any field of medicine)
- Primary Care and/or work in underserved communities (Working as a general internist, a pediatrician, or a family medicine physician and/or spending the majority of your time working in a community currently underserved by the medical profession)
- Public Health, administrative leadership in medicine (Pursuing an MPH and/or working for a public health department or organization; working in health care policy; working as a hospital administrator)
- Specialist in private practice (Working in a private practice or managed care setting as a sub-specialist. Examples include cardiologist, infectious disease specialist, obstetrician, orthopedic surgeon, general surgeon, anesthesiologist, radiologist)
- Other/undecided
UC San Diego School Of Medicine PRIME-HEq Essays
- Please describe your interest in the PRIME-HEq program. Topics to include are longitudinal experiences that you’ve had with underserved communities, including the type of community that you’ve worked with and your level of involvement. Additionally, you should discuss the length of time that you’ve spent working in these communities. (4,800 characters max)
- Please describe your interest in the PRIME-HEq program. Topics to include are longitudinal experiences that you’ve had with underserved communities, including the type of community that you’ve worked with and your level of involvement. Additionally, you should discuss the length of time that you’ve spent working in these communities. (4,800 characters max)
UC San Diego School Of Medicine Global Health Academic Concentration Essays
- Please describe your interest in Global Health. The term Global Health can have many meanings; for our purposes, we find the definition provided by Koplan et. al. in their 2009 Lancet publication useful: “the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide”. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how Global Health issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. (4,800 characters max)
UC San Diego School Of Medicine Global Health Academic Concentration Essays
- Please describe your experiences with American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, including the type of community and your level of involvement. Please provide the length of time you spent working in or exposed to these communities. Be sure to detail any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how American Indian and Alaskan Native issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Finally, please delineate how completion of the PRIME-TIDE program will help you obtain your medical education goals. (4,800 characters max)
UC San Diego School Of Medicine PRIME TIDE (Transforming Indigenous Doctor Education)
- Please describe your experiences with American Indian and Alaskan Native communities, including the type of community and your level of involvement. Please provide the length of time you spent working in or exposed to these communities. Be sure to detail any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how American Indian and Alaskan Native issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Finally, please delineate how completion of the PRIME-TIDE program will help you obtain your medical education goals. (4,800 characters max)
If you have questions about the UC San Diego School of Medicine secondary application, email us at info@crackingmedadmissions.com or contact us.
NEED HELP WITH EDITING YOUR
UCSD 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.
UCSD Medical School
Interview Format
How to Get Into UC San Diego Medical School – Ace Your Interview
One important component to getting accepted into UC San Diego Medical School is to ace your multiple mini interview!
The best way to practice for your Multiple Mini Interview is through our Mastering the Multiple Mini Interview course.
Read our 3 popular MMI blogs here:
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.
UC San Diego Medical School Acceptance Rate
UC San Diego Medical School Admissions Statistics:
- UCSD Medical School Median GPA: 3.8
- UCSD Medical School Average MCAT: 516 (129 chemical & physical / 128 critical analysis / 130 biological & biochemical / 130 psychological, social)
How did UCSD Med Students Do on Their USMLE Step Exams?
- Average UC San Diego Medical School USMLE Step 1 Score: 234
- Average UC San Diego Medical School USMLE Step 2 Score: 249
Source: U.S. News Graduate School Rankings 2021
Your medical school application Coaches, Mentors, & Cheerleaders
We Personally Advise Every Student We Work With
Rachel Rizal, M.D.
Changing the trajectory of people’s lives
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Princeton University
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Stanford School of Medicine
Residency
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Awards & Scholarships
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USA Today Academic First Team
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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 UC San Diego Medical School's Pre-clinical years
How to Get Into UC San Diego Medical School – Know the Curriculum:
Curriculum Overview:
As a UC San Diego Medical School student, your first two years are spent as a pre-clinical student, mainly learning through lectures. Then, you are in clinical rotations your last two years of medical school.
UCSD also has special PRIME programs. Read more here.
Pre-Clinical Curriculum:
You start learning physical exam techniques with during some of your classes but also spend one day a week with a physician longitudinally through “Ambulatory Care Apprenticeship.” Most of the classes during your first two years are basic sciences courses, covering everything from human anatomy to physiology. Additionally, there are ample opportunities to do research throughout UCSD School of Medicine. The University of California, San Diego is top-notch in biotechnology research and is surrounded by a plethora of biotech companies.
Your third and fourth years of medical school are spent in clinical rotations. During your third year, you rotate through internal medicine (12 weeks); surgery (8 weeks); pediatrics (8 weeks); reproductive medicine (6 weeks); psychiatry (6 weeks); neurology (4 weeks); primary care (1 afternoon per week); and two 2-week clinical selectives. During your fourth year, you spend a majority of your time in various clinical rotations. You get to choose which clinical rotations to rotate through.
View the curriculum on UCSD’s website here:
https://meded.ucsd.edu/index.cfm/ugme/curriculum_requirements/core_curriculum/
Grading:
During the first two pre-clinical years, grades are Pass/Fail.
For the most part, most core clerkships are graded: Honors, Near Honors; Pass; and Fail. Third year selective courses are Pass / Fail. Fourth year clerkship rotations are Honors/Pass/Fail.
Unique highlights about pre-clinical years:
- Problem-based learning
- One day a week, you participate in “Ambulatory Care Apprenticeship” in which you work with one faculty member in clinic. This allows students to see a wide array of primary care issues. Additionally, students improve and practice their clinical techniques with one physician over years.
What students are saying about UCSD School of Medicine
The Insider's View on UC San Diego Medical School's clinical years
Clinical Years:
Main Clinical Rotation Sites:
- Jacobs Medical Center
- Rady Childrens Hospital
- San Diego Naval Regional Medical Center
- San Diego VA Medical Center
- Scripps Mercy Hospital
- UCSD Medical Center – Hillcrest
- UCSD Medical Center – Thornton
Students have a wide variety of clinical sites they can choose from for each rotation. This allows students a wide breadth of experience across different types of hospital settings and patient populations.
During the first two years of medical school, there are volunteer medical missions that UCSD medical students can participate in, and they can go to a mobile clinic / free clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. our Cracking Med School Admissions team has participated in this programs and would highly recommend it!
What students are saying about clinical rotations at UCSD Medicine
Housing
Where do students live?
Students at UCSD Medical School tend to live on-campus during their first two years in medical school and then live in nearby off-campus apartments their last two years.
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 UC San Diego Medical School’s financial aid office.
- UC San Diego School of Medicine Tuition: ~$41,000 in-state and $47,000 out-of-state plus room and board
- Average indebtedness of graduates: ~$139,000
Source: U.S. News Graduate School Rankings 2021
Cracking Med School Admissions Resources
Here are useful Cracking Med School Admissions resources:
- How To Write A Personal Statement For Medical School
- Download Cracking Med School Admission’s FREE AMCAS Activities Workbook
- Premed Timeline: Planning For Medical School Applications
Read our other popular school blogs here: