All inquiries regarding admission programs and procedures of the UCI College of Medicine should be directed to:
University of California, Irvine
College of Medicine
Office of Admissions
P.O. Box 4089
Irvine, CA 92697-4089
Telephone: (949) 824-5388, (800) UCI-5388; World Wide Web: http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/Departments/Medicaleducation/.
The UCI College of Medicine is a member of the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). All students who seek entrance to medical school must first apply to AMCAS. Requests for applications should be submitted directly to:
The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS)
Association of American Medical Colleges
Section for Student Services
2501 M Street, N.W., Lobby 26
Washington, D.C. 20037-1300
Applications may be submitted between June 1 and November 1 of the year preceding anticipated admission. Students who wish to apply to the College of Medicine should designate it on their AMCAS application form, and AMCAS will forward the application to the College.
Last year, the College received approximately 4,000 applications from AMCAS. From these, some 500 candidates were granted interviews, and 92 students were enrolled in the first-year class beginning in September.
Applications received by the College are reviewed by its 40-member Admissions Committee composed of basic science and clinical faculty, and medical students. Applications are initially screened on the basis of both the student's academic performance (GPA and MCAT scores) and on non-cognitive variables that reflect depth and breadth of life experience.
After initial screening, selected applicants are requested to submit additional materials which include letters of recommendation, supplemental information forms, and a nonrefundable application fee of $40.
In addition to scholastic achievement, attributes deemed desirable in prospective students include leadership ability and participation in extracurricular activities, such as research and medically related experience, as well as community service. The Admissions Committee also looks for qualities considered valuable in a physician. These qualities include the intellectual and emotional capacity to provide comprehensive and continuing medical care, the ability to cope with disease and guide patients through a complex array of medical services, a commitment to sensitivity to individual patient needs, and a dedication to the advancement of the art, science, and practice of medicine.
Applicants may expect to receive notification about their admission status from the College any time from November until the beginning of the following fall term. The Admissions Committee maintains a list of alternate candidates for possible acceptance should a vacancy occur before the end of the first week of classes. Accepted applicants must return a written statement of their acceptance of the College's offer within two weeks after receipt of the notice of acceptance. No advance deposit to hold a position in the class is required of applicants. Students who are accepted sign a Statement of Intent to Register, but (in keeping with the recommendations of the Association of American Medical Colleges) are free to withdraw prior to enrollment if their medical school or career choice changes.
Because the University of California is a state-assisted institution, preference is given to California residents who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States. The College does, however, participate in the student exchange program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Under this program, qualified legal residents of certain Western states without medical schools (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) are considered along with California residents. The states of origin reimburse the State of California for the educational costs of students who are accepted.
To be eligible for this program, students must apply to WICHE certifying officers in their own states. For addresses of certifying officers, contact:
WICHE Student Exchange Program
P.O. Drawer P
Boulder, CO 80301-9752
(303) 541-0214
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. Completion of a minimum of three full years of undergraduate work with a superior scholarship record. This work must total not less than 90 semester units or an equivalent number of quarter units that are acceptable for a bachelor's degree credit in an accredited institution of higher education. 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 and all courses listed as "in progress" on the AMCAS application (with a C grade or higher). Failure to meet requirements or falsification of information are grounds for rejection or dismissal.
2. Completion of the following college course requirements prior to matriculation:
| Semester | Quarter | ||||
| Units | Units | ||||
| One year of general chemistry | 8 | 12 | |||
| One year of organic chemistry | 8 | 12 | |||
| One year of physics | 8 | 12 | |||
| One and one-half years of biology | |||||
| and/or zoology | 12 | 18 | |||
| (NOTE: these courses must include one year of lower-division biology and/or zoology plus a half year of upper-division courses excluding botany.) | |||||
| One quarter of college level calculus | 2.7 | 4 | |||
| One semester/two quarters of | 3 | 8 | |||
| biochemistry (Can be taken in combination | |||||
| with molecular biology or genetics.) | |||||
Applicants are strongly encouraged to have completed their basic science requirements at the time of application. In addition, premedical students 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. Candidates must attain satisfactory scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). An officially certified test score must be received by the College's Admissions Office before the candidate's application can be considered. Students applying to the 1999-2000 entering class must have taken the MCAT no earlier than April 1996 and no later than August 1998. Inquiries regarding the MCAT should be addressed to:
MCAT Program Office
P.O. Box 4056
Iowa City, IO 52243
(319) 337-1357
The College's formal advisor system includes basic science advisors and career specialty advisors.
Basic Science Advisors
| Robert Steele, Ph.D., Chair | (949) 824-7341 |
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.
Career Specialty Advisors
| Deborah Stewart, M.D., Chair | (949) 824-8358 |
| Associate Dean Student and Resident 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
| Deborah Stewart, M.D., Chair | (949) 824-8358 |
| Associate Dean Student and Resident 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.
The College is developing a Peer Counseling Program aimed at providing a confidential personal support system. It will allow students to seek assistance from peers in coping with the stress of balancing the demands of professional school and personal life. Peer counselors will receive initial and ongoing training and will serve as a "front-line" system, lending a helping hand and a listening ear to any student in need. However, students with ongoing problems and any major crises will be encouraged to seek professional help via existing campus and College of Medicine resources.
Medical Scholars Program
| Marcia London Albert, Ph.D. | (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.
A new MSP component is designed to meet the needs of third-year students as they face the challenges and transitions that are a part of this phase of their training. 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, what to emphasize in studying, and test experiences. Both third- and fourth-year students benefit from participating in this program.
| 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 leading to 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.
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 to a limited number of students each year. Applicants not accepted into MSTP may be considered separately for admission to the College of Medicine.
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