California medical school admissions

[Rooks]

I always hear about how California is the most competitive state for medical school admissions. How does it differ from other states in terms of:

1) Overall GPA
2) MCAT
3) Volunteering hours and experiences
4) Research
5) Other expectations/things I should know

Thank you!!

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[Davidfromcali]

A lot of very competitive applicants for too few IS state seats. Also, many of the Cali schools are some of the strongest programs in the country that recruit OOS students.

 

[Rooks]

Just to reiterate @Davidfromcali, it is simply competition in terms of applicants per seat. This lets the schools be more selective. Additionally, UCSF, UCLA, and to a lesser extent UCSD are “national” schools who look for top candidates from across the country. Some of the other UC schools are in whole or part looking for service oriented individuals with strong evidence of primary care and staying in the community.

You can see stats in school websites, the MSAR, or some aggregate stats on an the AAMC FACTS site

Thank you for your response. What would be considered "strong evidence of primary care"? Right now I'm seriously considering becoming a primary care doctor.

 

[Rooks]

Have you shadowed a pcp?
Have to volunteered in any primary care clinic?
Do you have evidence of working with underserved or marginalized groups?
Do you have evidence of working with community based groups?
Do you have strong ties to communities within the state?

I've volunteered hundreds of hours with hospice patients, some of which were poor and dying alone in cramped and stressful and uncomfortable conditions in gov-funded nursing homes. On the other hand, I've also worked with those on the flip side of the coin. Would this count as underserved or marginalized?

How many of these questions in your opinion would an applicant need to say yes and show evidence of, in order to prove their dedication to primary care?

Thank you.

 

[gyngyn]

Here's a recent thread on the topic: Why is California considered such a bad state to be a resident of in terms of medical school applications?

 

[Goro]

I always hear about how California is the most competitive state for medical school admissions. How does it differ from other states in terms of:

1) Overall GPA
2) MCAT
3) Volunteering hours and experiences
4) Research
5) Other expectations/things I should know

Thank you!!

Read MSAR and find out. This would be a good research skill to pick up.

 

[Rooks]

Read MSAR and find out. This would be a good research skill to pick up.

Is it worth getting MSAR if I'm not applying for a couple years?

 

[Goro]

Is it worth getting MSAR if I'm not applying for a couple years?

 

[Goro]

Not yet. But your College library should be able to get a copy for you or give you access to a copy

 

[KnightDoc]

Is it worth getting MSAR if I'm not applying for a couple years?

It's as worth it as posting your questions here now is worth it. If the answers can wait, wait. If you want the information now, it's never too early to start planning.

 

[HopeP]

Just to give an idea of the numbers for just the 6 UC schools you have nearly 48,000 individual applications (27,000 instate, 21,000 OOS) for a total of 789 total matriculated first yeat medical students (648 IS, 141 OOS). That would be in the neighborhood of 3,000-4,000 total issued acceptance and WL, about 500 of which are OOS or less than 1%.

As I tell all applicants your goal should be to get into any medical school and you need to target your schools based on academic metrics and adherence to their mission. Of the 100% who apply on average to 15 schools each, 60% dont get any acceptance and another 20% get a single acceptance.

Why is the yield <25%?

 

[KnightDoc]

Just to give an idea of the numbers for just the 6 UC schools you have nearly 48,000 individual applications (27,000 instate, 21,000 OOS) for a total of 789 total matriculated first yeat medical students (648 IS, 141 OOS). That would be in the neighborhood of 3,000-4,000 total issued acceptance and WL, about 500 of which are OOS or less than 1%.

As I tell all applicants your goal should be to get into any medical school and you need to target your schools based on academic metrics and adherence to their mission. Of the 100% who apply on average to 15 schools each, 60% dont get any acceptance and another 20% get a single acceptance.

Since when is 500 less than 1% of 21,000?

 

[KnightDoc]

Why is the yield <25%?

Maybe because people who are good enough to get into these schools have choices? Also, I'm sure the numbers @gonnif is citing about individual applications mean that "individuals" file multiple applications to multiple schools. So I'm sure the yield is greater than 25%, and what you are looking at does not take into account that some people have multiple acceptances, but can only matriculate at one school.

 

[HopeP]

Maybe because people who are good enough to get into these schools have choices? Also, I'm sure the numbers @gonnif is citing about individual applications mean that "individuals" file multiple applications to multiple schools. So I'm sure the yield is greater than 25%, and what you are looking at does not take into account that some people have multiple acceptances, but can only matriculate at one school.

789 matriculants out of 3000-4000 acceptances that is about ~25%. That seems really low when 60% are not accepted at all, 20% has only 1 acceptance, still UC schools are offering acceptances 4 times to class size. That seems really odd, it feels like UG admission, not medical school.

 

[KnightDoc]

789 matriculants out of 3000-4000 acceptances that is about ~25%. That seems really low when 60% are not accepted at all, 20% has only 1 acceptance, still UC schools are offering acceptances 4 times to class size. That seems really odd, it feels like UG admission, not medical school.

But it might only be 1500 people holding the 4000 acceptances, which would make the yield over 50%, which is actually quite likely the case. Yes, only 20% have multiple acceptances, but those 20% are bunched at the top schools, and many of them have more than 2.

@gonnif is saying 48,000 individual applications, NOT 48,000 individual applicants!!! If it were the latter, that would mean almost every applicant in the country is applying to at least one CA school, and, believe mean, that is absolutely NOT the case for the vast majority of applicants who are neither CA residents nor gunning for Stanford, UCLA or UCSF. As a result, it is a guarantee that the 4000 acceptances are not held by 4000 individuals, and that is why your yield calculation is invalid.

 

[KnightDoc]

sorry, should have been 3%

Which is 300% of 1%, a huge difference.

I'm just busting chops. I totally get your point, and you are, of course, 1,000,000% correct about CA schools, especially for OOS. It's just not quite as bad as 1% (yet!).