THE M.D. PROGRAM
Admissions and Outreach
All inquiries regarding the UCI College of Medicine's admission programs and procedures should be directed to:
University of California, Irvine
College of Medicine
Office of Admissions and Outreach
Medical Education Building 802
Irvine, CA 92697-4089
Telephone: (949) 824-5388 or (800) UCI-5388
World Wide Web: http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/admissions
The UCI College of Medicine is a member of the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). All students who seek entrance to the UCI College of Medicine must complete the AMCAS application. AMCAS application information is available at http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm. In addition, while AMCAS is undergoing changes this coming year, a separate UC application may be required. Applicants are asked to check the UCI College of Medicine Admissions Office Web site (http://www.ucihs. uci.edu/admissions/) after June 1, 2003 to see if the UC application is going to be required. Applications must be submitted between June 1 and November 1 of the year preceding anticipated admission.
SELECTION FACTORS
The UCI College of Medicine seeks to admit students who are highly qualified to be trained in the practice of medicine and whose backgrounds, talents, and experiences contribute to a diverse student body. The Admissions Committee carefully reviews all applicants whose academic record and MCAT scores indicate that they will be able to handle the rigorous medical school curriculum. Careful consideration is given to applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds (i.e., disadvantaged through social, cultural, and/or economic conditions). In addition to scholastic achievement, attributes deemed desirable in prospective students include leadership ability and participation in extracurricular activities, such as clinical and/or medically related research experience, as well as community service.
Information provided by the AMCAS application and the UC application is used for preliminary screening. Based on decisions reached by the Admissions Committee, applicants may be sent a secondary application. Applicants receiving a secondary application are requested to submit additional materials which include a minimum of three letters of recommendation, supplemental information forms, and a nonrefundable application fee of $60. Upon further review by the Admissions Committee, approximately 500 of those applicants receiving a secondary application will be interviewed. Regional interviews are not available. Preference is given to California residents and consideration is given only to those applicants who are either United States citizens or permanent residents. The UCI College of Medicine does not accept transfer students.
The UCI College of Medicine participates in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Professional Student Exchange Program for applicants from certain western states without medical schools.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION
First-year students may enter only in September of each year. Students can be considered for admission to the College of Medicine if they meet the following requirements:
1. A minimum of three years (90 semester units) of undergraduate course work is required, including a minimum of one full-time year at an accredited U.S. college or university. A baccalaureate degree is strongly recommended but not required. Candidates for admission may submit community college credit only to the extent granted on transfer to a four-year college or university. For purposes of evaluation, letter or numerical grades are preferred for course work, particularly for the required subjects listed below. Final enrollment into the first-year class at the College of Medicine is contingent upon evidence of satisfactory completion of all requirements with a grade of C or higher and of all courses listed as in progress at the time of application. Failure to meet the requirements or falsification of information are grounds for rejection or dismissal.
2. Completion of the following college course requirements prior to matriculation:
| Semester | ||||
| Subject | Comments | Units | ||
| Biology | Courses must include a minimum | 12 | ||
| of one semester or two quarters of | ||||
| upper-division biology, excluding botany. | ||||
| General Chemistry | 8 | |||
| Organic Chemistry | 8 | |||
| Physics | 8 | |||
| Biochemistry | One semester or two quarters. On the | 4 | ||
| quarter system, a quarter of biochemistry | ||||
| must be taken in combination with either | ||||
| an additional quarter of biochemistry, | ||||
| molecular biology, or genetics. | ||||
| Calculus: | One semester or one quarter of calculus | 4 | ||
| is required. | ||||
Applicants are strongly encouraged to have completed their basic science requirements at the time of application. No specific major is required, however, demonstrated ability in the sciences is of great importance. In addition, applicants are advised to take advantage of the intellectual maturation afforded by a well-rounded liberal arts education. English, the humanities, and the social and behavioral sciences are considered particularly important. The following courses are also recommended but not required: cell biology, genetics, physical chemistry, vertebrate embryology, and Spanish.
3. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is required. An officially certified test score must be received by the Admissions and Outreach Office before the candidate's application can be considered. Applicants applying to the fall 2004 entering class must have taken the MCAT no earlier than April 2001 and no later than August 2003. MCAT information is available on the World Wide Web: http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/start.htm.
Medical Student Advisor System
The College's formal advisor system includes basic science advisors, clinical science advisors, and career specialty advisors.
Basic Science Advisors
| Leslie M. Thompson, Ph.D., Chair | (949) 824-6756 |
There are 12 basic science advisors. Six advisors are assigned on an every other year rotational basis to each incoming class and follow that class through their basic science years. The basic science advisors meet on a monthly basis to review students academic progress, and to initiate interventive programs for students in academic difficulty and at academic risk. They also serve as a source of support and guidance for first- and second-year medical students.
Clinical Science Advisors
| Lloyd Rucker, M.D., Chair | (949) 824-4609 |
| Associate Dean Curricular Affairs |
The Clinical Science Advisors (CSA) combine teacher, advisor, and mentor into a single individual. By starting in the teaching role, the CSAs develop mentoring relationships with students that carry over into their role as advisor. When fully involved, each CSA will work with groups of eight-ten students from the second-, third-, and fourth-year classes, roughly 27 students in total. Students and CSAs first meet during the second year when the CSA serves as the facilitator for the problem-based learning small groups of the Patient-Doctor course. Toward the end of the second year, CSAs begin to provide scheduling and career advice for their students. In the third year, the faculty meet with students in groups and individual sessions to provide further career advice, to monitor progress in the third year, and to advise students about fourth year schedules. In the fourth year, advisors monitor the students' schedule for progress and review any requested changes.
Career Specialty Advisors
| Michael Prislin, M.D., Chair | (949) 824-5932 |
| Associate Dean Student Affairs |
Career specialty advisors are generally full-time College of Medicine faculty who are identified as knowledgeable about career and residency options in their field. They are available to students as career-choice consultants.
Peer Review and Peer Counseling Program
| Michael Prislin, M.D., Chair | (949) 824-5932 |
| Associate Dean Student Affairs |
The College of Medicine has an informal peer review process, aimed at early detection and assistance for medical students who are experiencing difficulty such as professional conduct problems, suspected impairment, violation of the honor code, or violation of any University policy, regulation, or rule. The Peer Review Committee is comprised of two representatives from each class, the student body co-presidents, and two advisory faculty members. The committee operates within guidelines set jointly by the College of Medicine administration and the student body. Cases involving serious professional misconduct are referred to the Dean's Office. The Peer Review Committee conducts hearings and may impose sanctions or provide assistance to the student.
Medical Scholars Program
| Geraldine Codd | (949) 824-3415 |
| Academic Skills Coordinator |
The Medical Scholars Program (MSP), a student-driven effort, is an innovative, collegial study support program which was implemented in the fall of 1993. This program benefits all students in the College of Medicine and provides a special sense of community for first-year students. A great deal of the informal knowledge concerning medical school is communicated through the components of MSP. Small groups of first-year students are led by second-year co-leaders who develop clinically relevant case-based problems for discussion covering material learned in first-year basic science courses. Fourth-year students serve as co-leaders for similar groups of second-year students. First-year discussion groups meet every other week, and groups for second-year students meet once per month. First- and second-year students also receive MSP study packets, which contain test questions and answers from the previous year, and are distributed prior to each examination.
Another component of MSP is designed to meet the needs of students as they face the challenges and transitions of their third year. During their various clerkships, third-year students are assisted in four basic areas by fourth-year students: oral examinations, presentation of cases, written examinations, and clinical skills. These fourth-year students not only share their knowledge of the subjects, but also share information about appropriate study material, and what to emphasize in studying for their various test experiences. Both third- and fourth-year students benefit from participating in this program.
Medical Scientist Training Program (M.D./Ph.D.)
| Alan Goldin, M.D., Ph.D., Chair | (949) 824-5264 |
Exceptionally well-qualified students interested in careers in academic medicine and with demonstrated research accomplishments may be considered for admission to the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). Students in this program pursue a combined curriculum for an M.D. degree from the College of Medicine and a Ph.D. degree from any of the graduate programs at UCI. The program requires a minimum of seven years for completion, and students holding either degree are not eligible for MSTP. Additional information is available from the MSTP Coordinator's Office, (949) 824-5264; e-mail: mstp@uci.edu; World Wide Web: http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/mdphd/.
Applicants must submit a supplementary application (available from the College of Medicine Office of Admissions) to the Medical Scientist Training Program when they are submitting their secondary application information to the College of Medicine. Students accepted into the program have the option of pursuing graduate study in any of the graduate programs at UCI. Although a specific graduate department need not be chosen at the time of admission, students are expected to have selected a field for their graduate studies. Financial support in the form of a fellowship, which includes a stipend as well as tuition and fees, is provided. Applicants not accepted into MSTP may be considered separately for admission to the College of Medicine.
M.D./M.B.A. Degree Program
| Maria Chandler, M.D./M.B.A. Faculty Advisor | (949) 824-7133 |
The M.D./M.B.A. program requires five or six years for completion. It is aimed at individuals who are exceptional in ability and motivation and who seek a career as physicians with major responsibility for administration and management in health care organizations and institutions. Students in this program pursue a combined curriculum for an M.D. degree from the College of Medicine and an M.B.A. degree from the Graduate School of Management.
Students must be currently enrolled in the M.D. program in order to apply to the combined M.D./M.B.A. program. During their second or third year of medical school, interested students submit an application to the Graduate School of Management Admissions Committee, after review by the College of Medicine. Final acceptance to the program is granted by the Graduate School of Management, and M.B.A. course work begins following completion of the student's third year of medical school. Students should be aware that enrollment in the M.D. program does not guarantee acceptance into the M.B.A. program.
The MCAT, along with the completion of three years of medical school training in good standing and passage of USMLE Step 1, currently serve as a waiver for the GMAT entrance examination usually required for application to the M.B.A. program. The total number of units required to graduate from each program separately are satisfied in the M.D./M.B.A. program.
Click here for the M.D. curriculum.
