Competitiveness of California medical schools

[JTMD]

I've been reading a lot about how hard it is to get into a California medical school just how hard are they to get into?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Short Answer: VERY

 

[claduva94]

I don't have the exact number but around 15% of CA applicants end up matriculating there. And that is IS! Given how many medical schools there are there, I think you can easily do the math.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

The problem with the California schools is that ALL the UC schools are very competitive. In most states there are great schools, but then they will have a few state schools with lower averages that give students a better chance. ALL of the California schools have an MCAT average of at least 32 and 3.7 GPA. UC Riverside is the only school that has a lower MCAT, but half of their class of 50 is UCR students and the other half are students from the I.E. or with close ties to UCR or the I.E. Therefore, UCR is not even an option for many students.

It doesn't really stop with MD. Even the DO schools in Cali are pretty good. Plus, if you can't get into a Cali MD and want to go DO, Western and Touro University are the only options and they will run you 52k per year.

Lesson here: LIVE IN TEXAS!

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

This is how some of the UC's are ranked according to the most recent US News "selectivity criteria."
UCLA- 12
UCSF 13
UCSD- 20
UC Davis -59

Private schools that are about "as selective" as UCLA and UCSF are Vanderbilt, Baylor, Duke, and NYU.
UCSD is comparable to schools like Case and Pitt.

Davis is not as selective as the others but is still more competitive than a lot of other state schools.

Other state schools that are ranked relatively high in terms of selectivity are Michigan (21) UVA (24) and UTSW (22).

 

[DermViser]

Well the first requirement is being able to spell "competitiveness".

 

[FutureOncologist]

It really sucks to be a CA resident applying to medical school. I talked to high school juniors a few weeks ago and they were looking at schools to apply to and maybe medical school. I told them "Go Texas and never look back".

 

[JTMD]

Well the first requirement is being able to spell "competitiveness".

Typo now fixed grammar nazi

 

[Goro]

As the exceptionally wise gyngyn has pointed out, UCLA alone produces enough grads each year to fill every seat in every CA medical school. hence, CA is the biggest net exporter of medical school matriculants.

I've been reading a lot about how hard it is to get into a California medical school just how hard are they to get into?

 

[unnumzaan]

It really sucks to be a CA resident applying to medical school. I talked to high school juniors a few weeks ago and they were looking at schools to apply to and maybe medical school. I told them "Go Texas and never look back".

Seriously. If you are planning to take a few gap years, might as well make it in Texas to establish residency.

 

[Revolution9]

I would really like to stay in California for medical school, but don't want to end up at a bad school just because I want to stay close to home (and the beach). I got a 35 on the MCAT and have a 3.9 GPA at the moment, is it safe for me to just apply to California schools?

 

[Vain Brother]

I would really like to stay in California for medical school, but don't want to end up at a bad school just because I want to stay close to home (and the beach). I got a 35 on the MCAT and have a 3.9 GPA at the moment, is it safe for me to just apply to California schools?

nope

 

[gyngyn]

I would really like to stay in California for medical school, but don't want to end up at a bad school just because I want to stay close to home (and the beach). I got a 35 on the MCAT and have a 3.9 GPA at the moment, is it safe for me to just apply to California schools?

As I look at CA applicants with your stats on my waitlist I see that almost all of them have been accepted to fine OOS schools. A few have also been accepted IS.

Even very strong CA applicants must pay at least as much attention to their OOS application. Statistically, OOS is more likely.

 

[ZedsDed]

I would really like to stay in California for medical school, but don't want to end up at a bad school just because I want to stay close to home (and the beach). I got a 35 on the MCAT and have a 3.9 GPA at the moment, is it safe for me to just apply to California schools?

Do tell. What is a "bad school" in California?

 

[NeuResurgens]

I would really like to stay in California for medical school, but don't want to end up at a bad school just because I want to stay close to home (and the beach). I got a 35 on the MCAT and have a 3.9 GPA at the moment, is it safe for me to just apply to California schools?

Do not apply only to CA schools. You have pretty solid stats, but they are extremely hard to get into for anyone.

 

[resiroth]

Do not apply only to CA schools. You have pretty solid stats, but they are extremely hard to get into for anyone.

I would go further and say only apply to Californian schools that you have reason to attend. Essentially UCs are like Georgetown and BU. Desirable, but often for location more so than as schools.

You'd be more likely to get into a top 10 than ucsd imo. Your call, and again, worth applying if you would be near family etc. and have a reason beyond "it's sunny and you are a medical school".

 

[gyngyn]

I would go further and say only apply to Californian schools that you have reason to attend. Essentially UCs are like Georgetown and BU. Desirable, but often for location more so than as schools.

You'd be more likely to get into a top 10 than ucsd imo. Your call, and again, worth applying if you would be near family etc. and have a reason beyond "it's sunny and you are a medical school".

Californians have a compulsion to apply to the CA schools no matter how poorly suited they are for them. It really does no good to give counsel in this matter. I have tried for almost 40 years. I have given up.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Californians have a compulsion to apply to the CA schools no matter how poorly suited they are for them. It really does no good to give counsel in this matter. I have tried for almost 40 years. I have given up.

Californians and Non-Californians both, it would seem! Your advice is still appreciated here, though!

 

[resiroth]

Californians have a compulsion to apply to the CA schools no matter how poorly suited they are for them. It really does no good to give counsel in this matter. I have tried for almost 40 years. I have given up.

To be fair I went by LizzyM and thought that was representive. Only the guy that went to UCR got a californian acceptance out of all of us. It's a shame since I sat next to someone on a flight that was previously on a committee for ucsd and said I would be competitive at all of them. Since then I've tried to make people consider applying more OOS, since as much as we want to stay in California, finding a job is also much easier OOS too, especially for derm.

 

[gyngyn]

To be fair I went by LizzyM and thought that was representive. Only the guy that went to UCR got a californian acceptance out of all of us. It's a shame since I sat next to someone on a flight that was previously on a committee for ucsd and said I would be competitive at all of them. Since then I've tried to make people consider applying more OOS, since as much as we want to stay in California, finding a job is also much easier OOS too, especially for derm.

All CA applicants (no matter how strong they are!) need to pay at least as much attention to their OOS list as IS. OOS is almost twice as likely as IS.
I wish I knew a way to make this more clear. This has been true for decades yet it remains a mystery to many...

 

[resiroth]

All CA applicants (no matter how strong they are!) need to pay at least as much attention to their OOS list as IS. OOS is almost twice as likely as IS.
I wish I knew a way to make this more clear. This has been true for decades yet it remains a mystery to many...

Humans are bad at probability especially when the chance of something happening is low.

Aka it's a 3% chance or a .3% chance. In our mind that's "really darn low" but in reality it's a 10 fold difference!

My theory is that people know California schools are hard to get into (aka very low) and also that OOS are hard to get into (aka very low, even if they're 3x as likely) so they equate the too and say "hey and I'd have amazing weather!". Little do they know that only UCSD and UCSF have "California" weather, rest are just "good".

 

[gyngyn]

Humans are bad at probability especially when the chance of something happening is low.
.

CA is a wonderful state. To study medicine is also wonderful.
To study medicine in CA is an extraordinary opportunity (at any of the schools).
To be a physician is worth leaving CA.

 

[Revolution9]

This is all been pretty helpful. I would like to thank everyone for their input on this topic. I will be adding out of state MD schools to pursue good schools rather than adding California DO schools just to stay in California.