- Joined
- Jun 10, 2016
- Messages
- 1,107
- Reaction score
- 679
After seeing many Cal vs UCLA vs USC for Pre-Med posts (elsewhere and here), I've decided to share some information with you guys.
There are lots of students out there who have received their acceptance letters from these three schools and might wonder: "which is a better school in terms of preparation for medical school?"
Or, you are just wondering how to satisfy med school requirement at Cal, USC or UCLA.
Well, I am not here to give you guys my opinion, but I am simply here to break them down(objectively).
You can decide for yourself after reading this post.
Semester system (Fall-Spring):
UC Berkeley (122 days per semester)
USC (114 days per semester)
Quarter system (Fall-Winter-Spring):
UCLA (81 days per quarter)
Summer session:
UC Berkeley (3-week,8-week, 10-week)
USC (11-week)
UCLA (6-week,8-week,9-week,10-week)
UC Berkeley Medical school requirements (Bio,Physics,Chemistry,Math only)
*Honors courses are excluded!!*
Medical School Prerequisites | Career Center
Biology:
Bio 1A /3 units
Bio 1AL/ 2 units
Bio 1B /4 units
Total: 2 Lecture/1 Lab, 9 units
Chemistry (General,Organic & Bio):
Chem 1A /3 units [General Chemistry]
Chem 1AL/ 1 unit [General Chemistry]
Chem 3A /3units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 3AL/ 2units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 3B / 3units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 3BL /2 units [Organic Chemistry]
MCB102 / 4units [Bio Chemistry]
OR
Chem 135 /3units [Bio Chemistry]
OR
MCB100A / 4units [Bio Chemistry]
*MCB100A cross-listed as Chem C 130 /4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: With Chem 135 4 Lectures/ 3 Labs, 17 units
Total: With MCB 102 4 Lectures/ 3 Labs, 18 units
Total: With MCB C100A 4 Lectures/ 3 Labs, 18 units
Physics:
PHYS 7A / 4 units (You must take Math 1A and 2B)
PHYS 7B / 4 units
or
PHYS 8A / 4 units (You must take Math 1A or 10A or 16A)
PHYS 8B / 4 units
or
PHYS 7A / 4 units
PHYS 8B / 4 units
Total: 2 Lecture/Lab, 8 units
Math(2 Semesters of calculus and 1 semester of stats):
Math 1A / 4 units [Calculus]
Math 2B / 4 units [Calculus]
Stats 2 or Stats 20 or Stats 130A or Public Heatlh 142 / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lectures, 12 units
or
Math 16A / 3 units [Calculus]
Math 16B / 3 units [Calculus]
Stats 2 or Stats 20 or Stats 130A or Public Heatlh 142 / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lectures, 10 units
or
Math 53 / 4 units (Must take Math 2B) [Calculus]
Math 54 / 4 units [Calculus]
Stats 2 or Stats 20 or Stats 130A or Public Heatlh 142 / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lectures, 12 units
or
Math 10A / 4 units (Math 10A and 10B includes statistics and you don't have to take Stats) [Calculus & Statistics]
Math 10B / 4 units [Calculus & Statistics]
Total: 2 Lectures, 8 units
UC Berkeley total:
Minumum of 14 courses (Lec/Lab), 42 semester units
Maximum of 15 courses (Lec/Lab) , 47 semester units
(It varies!)
USC Medical school requirements
(Bio,Physics,Chemistry,Math only)
*Advanced/Honors courses are excluded!!*
https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/1/docs/advising/prehealth/PreMedAdvisingSheet.pdf
Biology-Biological Science:
BISC 120Lg/4units
BISC 220Lg/4units
Total: 2 Lectures/Lab, 8 units
Chemistry (General,Organic & Bio):
CHEM 105 aLg/ 4units [General Chemistry]
CHEM 105 bL/ 4units [General Chemistry]
CHEM 322 aL (or 325aL for CHEM majors)/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
CHEM 322 bL (or 325bL for CHEM majors)/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
BISC330L/4 units (Must take BISC320L) [Bio Chemistry]
or
CHEM 350g/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
or
BISC 312/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: 5 Lecture/Lab, 20 units
Physics:
PHYS 135aLg/ 4 units (Must take Math108g or Math 125g)
PHYS 135bL/ 4 units
Total: 2Lecutre/Lab, 8 units
or
PHYS 151Lg/ 4 units (Must take Math 125g)
PHYS 152L/ 4 units (Must take Math126g and Math 226 or Math 226 concurrently)
Total: 2Lecutre/Lab, 8 units
Math:
Math 125g/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 126g/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 208x or BISC 305 or Health Promotion 340Lg or Psychology 274Lg / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lecture, 16 units
USC total:
12 courses, 52 semester units
UCLA Medical school requirements
(Bio,Physics,Chemistry,Math only)
*Honors courses are excluded!!*
UCLA Career Center - Pre-Health Career Services
Note that Chemistry, Physics and Math have Life Science Path & General Path.
Although these are not their official names, but I am naming it as such.
Life Science majors (like Biology) can choose either between General Path or Life Science Path.You can find your Life Science majors here: Life Sciences | Majors & Minors
Other majors, however, must take the General Path.
Biology-Life Science:
LifeSci 1 / 5 units
LifeSci 2/ 4 units
LifeSci 3/ 4 units
LifeSci 4/ 5 units
LifeSci 23L/ 2 units (Must be taken with LifeSci 3 or 4)
Total: 4 Lectures/1Lab, 20 units
Chemistry (General,Organic & Bio):
Life Science Path:
Chem 14A/ 4units (Must take Math 3A or 31A you can take LifeSci 30A but you need 3A or 31A for Physics) [General Chemistry]
Chem 14B/ 4units [General & Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14BL/ 3units [General & Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14C/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14CL/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14D/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 153A/ 4units [Bio Chemistry]
Chem 153L/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: 5 Lectures/3Labs, 31 units
or
General Path(other majors):
Chem 20A/ 4units (Must take Math 31A) [General Chemistry]
Chem 20B/ 4units [General Chemistry]
Chem 20L/ 3units [General Chemistry]
Chem 30A/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30AL/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30B/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30BL/ 3units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30C/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30CL/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 153A/ 4units [Bio Chemistry]
Chem 153L/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: 6 Lectures/ 5 Labs, 42 units
Physics:
Life Science Path:
PHYS 6A/ 5units (Must take 3A,3B and 3C or 3C concurrently)
PHYS 6B/ 5units
PHYS 6C/ 5units
Total: 3 Lecture/Lab, 15 units
or
General Path(other majors):
PHYS 1A/ 5units (Must take 31A,31B and 32A or 32A concurrently)
PHYS 1B/ 5units
PHYS 4AL/ 2units
PHYS 1C/ 5units
PHYS 4BL/ 2units
Total: 3Lectures/2Labs, 17 units
Math:
Life Science Path:
Math 3A/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 3B/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 3C/ 4units [Calculus]
BIOSTAT 100A/ 4 units (You can also take Stats 10 or 13 for 5 units... but Biostat for Med school!) [Statistics]
Total: 4 Lectures, 20 units
or
General Path(other majors):
Math 31A/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 32B/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 32A/ 4units [Calculus]
BIOSTAT 100A/ 4 units (You can also take Stats 10 or 13 for 5 units... but Biostat for Med school!) [Statistics]
Total: 4 Lectures, 20 units
UCLA Total:
Life Science Path: 20 courses, 86 quarter units
General Path: 25 courses, 99 quarter units
UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate to Med School
https://career.berkeley.edu/MedStats/national
2015: 299 Matriculants out of 587 Applicants [ 51% ]
2014: 285 Matriculants out of 554 Applicants [ 51% ]
*This only represents First-Time applicants. 819 Applicants total for 2015*
USC Acceptance Rate to Med School
Couldn't find it, sorry---
UCLA Acceptance Rate to Med School
http://career.ucla.edu/Portals/14/D...l_School_Admissions_Statistics.pdf_042516.pdf
2014: 63 Matriculants out of 124 Applicants [ 51% ]
2013: 73 Matriculants out of 139 Applicants [ 53% ]
*This only represents about less than 15% of all Applicants from UCLA.*
Summary:
UC Berkeley total:
- Minumum of 14 courses , 42 semester units
- Maximum of 16 courses, 51 semester units
- 122 days per semester
- 3-week, 8-week, 10-week summer session
- 19 to 20 units maximum per semester (varies by department)
- Can take up to 130 units/136 units for double-major within Undergraduate
USC total:
- 12 courses, 52 semester units
- 114 days per semester
- 8-week summer session
- 20 units maximum per semester (any additional units after 18 unit will charge you with flat-fee)
- No known unit ceiling
UCLA Total:
- Life Science Path: 20 courses, 86 quarter units
- General Path: 25 courses, 99 quarter units
- 81 days per quarter
- 6-week,8-week,9-week,10-week summer session
- First only up to 10 units, then you can take up to 19 units per quarter
- Can take up to 216 units within Undergraduate
Hope this helped.
If there is any error or misinformation, please let me know!
If you want me to find out about other universities or compare other universities, let me know as well!
There are lots of students out there who have received their acceptance letters from these three schools and might wonder: "which is a better school in terms of preparation for medical school?"
Or, you are just wondering how to satisfy med school requirement at Cal, USC or UCLA.
Well, I am not here to give you guys my opinion, but I am simply here to break them down(objectively).
You can decide for yourself after reading this post.
Semester system (Fall-Spring):
UC Berkeley (122 days per semester)
USC (114 days per semester)
Quarter system (Fall-Winter-Spring):
UCLA (81 days per quarter)
Summer session:
UC Berkeley (3-week,8-week, 10-week)
USC (11-week)
UCLA (6-week,8-week,9-week,10-week)
UC Berkeley Medical school requirements (Bio,Physics,Chemistry,Math only)
*Honors courses are excluded!!*
Medical School Prerequisites | Career Center
Biology:
Bio 1A /3 units
Bio 1AL/ 2 units
Bio 1B /4 units
Total: 2 Lecture/1 Lab, 9 units
Chemistry (General,Organic & Bio):
Chem 1A /3 units [General Chemistry]
Chem 1AL/ 1 unit [General Chemistry]
Chem 3A /3units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 3AL/ 2units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 3B / 3units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 3BL /2 units [Organic Chemistry]
MCB102 / 4units [Bio Chemistry]
OR
Chem 135 /3units [Bio Chemistry]
OR
MCB100A / 4units [Bio Chemistry]
*MCB100A cross-listed as Chem C 130 /4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: With Chem 135 4 Lectures/ 3 Labs, 17 units
Total: With MCB 102 4 Lectures/ 3 Labs, 18 units
Total: With MCB C100A 4 Lectures/ 3 Labs, 18 units
Physics:
PHYS 7A / 4 units (You must take Math 1A and 2B)
PHYS 7B / 4 units
or
PHYS 8A / 4 units (You must take Math 1A or 10A or 16A)
PHYS 8B / 4 units
or
PHYS 7A / 4 units
PHYS 8B / 4 units
Total: 2 Lecture/Lab, 8 units
Math(2 Semesters of calculus and 1 semester of stats):
Math 1A / 4 units [Calculus]
Math 2B / 4 units [Calculus]
Stats 2 or Stats 20 or Stats 130A or Public Heatlh 142 / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lectures, 12 units
or
Math 16A / 3 units [Calculus]
Math 16B / 3 units [Calculus]
Stats 2 or Stats 20 or Stats 130A or Public Heatlh 142 / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lectures, 10 units
or
Math 53 / 4 units (Must take Math 2B) [Calculus]
Math 54 / 4 units [Calculus]
Stats 2 or Stats 20 or Stats 130A or Public Heatlh 142 / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lectures, 12 units
or
Math 10A / 4 units (Math 10A and 10B includes statistics and you don't have to take Stats) [Calculus & Statistics]
Math 10B / 4 units [Calculus & Statistics]
Total: 2 Lectures, 8 units
UC Berkeley total:
Minumum of 14 courses (Lec/Lab), 42 semester units
Maximum of 15 courses (Lec/Lab) , 47 semester units
(It varies!)
USC Medical school requirements
(Bio,Physics,Chemistry,Math only)
*Advanced/Honors courses are excluded!!*
https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/1/docs/advising/prehealth/PreMedAdvisingSheet.pdf
Biology-Biological Science:
BISC 120Lg/4units
BISC 220Lg/4units
Total: 2 Lectures/Lab, 8 units
Chemistry (General,Organic & Bio):
CHEM 105 aLg/ 4units [General Chemistry]
CHEM 105 bL/ 4units [General Chemistry]
CHEM 322 aL (or 325aL for CHEM majors)/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
CHEM 322 bL (or 325bL for CHEM majors)/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
BISC330L/4 units (Must take BISC320L) [Bio Chemistry]
or
CHEM 350g/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
or
BISC 312/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: 5 Lecture/Lab, 20 units
Physics:
PHYS 135aLg/ 4 units (Must take Math108g or Math 125g)
PHYS 135bL/ 4 units
Total: 2Lecutre/Lab, 8 units
or
PHYS 151Lg/ 4 units (Must take Math 125g)
PHYS 152L/ 4 units (Must take Math126g and Math 226 or Math 226 concurrently)
Total: 2Lecutre/Lab, 8 units
Math:
Math 125g/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 126g/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 208x or BISC 305 or Health Promotion 340Lg or Psychology 274Lg / 4 units [Statistics]
Total: 3 Lecture, 16 units
USC total:
12 courses, 52 semester units
UCLA Medical school requirements
(Bio,Physics,Chemistry,Math only)
*Honors courses are excluded!!*
UCLA Career Center - Pre-Health Career Services
Note that Chemistry, Physics and Math have Life Science Path & General Path.
Although these are not their official names, but I am naming it as such.
Life Science majors (like Biology) can choose either between General Path or Life Science Path.You can find your Life Science majors here: Life Sciences | Majors & Minors
Other majors, however, must take the General Path.
Biology-Life Science:
LifeSci 1 / 5 units
LifeSci 2/ 4 units
LifeSci 3/ 4 units
LifeSci 4/ 5 units
LifeSci 23L/ 2 units (Must be taken with LifeSci 3 or 4)
Total: 4 Lectures/1Lab, 20 units
Chemistry (General,Organic & Bio):
Life Science Path:
Chem 14A/ 4units (Must take Math 3A or 31A you can take LifeSci 30A but you need 3A or 31A for Physics) [General Chemistry]
Chem 14B/ 4units [General & Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14BL/ 3units [General & Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14C/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14CL/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 14D/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 153A/ 4units [Bio Chemistry]
Chem 153L/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: 5 Lectures/3Labs, 31 units
or
General Path(other majors):
Chem 20A/ 4units (Must take Math 31A) [General Chemistry]
Chem 20B/ 4units [General Chemistry]
Chem 20L/ 3units [General Chemistry]
Chem 30A/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30AL/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30B/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30BL/ 3units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30C/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 30CL/ 4units [Organic Chemistry]
Chem 153A/ 4units [Bio Chemistry]
Chem 153L/4 units [Bio Chemistry]
Total: 6 Lectures/ 5 Labs, 42 units
Physics:
Life Science Path:
PHYS 6A/ 5units (Must take 3A,3B and 3C or 3C concurrently)
PHYS 6B/ 5units
PHYS 6C/ 5units
Total: 3 Lecture/Lab, 15 units
or
General Path(other majors):
PHYS 1A/ 5units (Must take 31A,31B and 32A or 32A concurrently)
PHYS 1B/ 5units
PHYS 4AL/ 2units
PHYS 1C/ 5units
PHYS 4BL/ 2units
Total: 3Lectures/2Labs, 17 units
Math:
Life Science Path:
Math 3A/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 3B/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 3C/ 4units [Calculus]
BIOSTAT 100A/ 4 units (You can also take Stats 10 or 13 for 5 units... but Biostat for Med school!) [Statistics]
Total: 4 Lectures, 20 units
or
General Path(other majors):
Math 31A/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 32B/ 4units [Calculus]
Math 32A/ 4units [Calculus]
BIOSTAT 100A/ 4 units (You can also take Stats 10 or 13 for 5 units... but Biostat for Med school!) [Statistics]
Total: 4 Lectures, 20 units
UCLA Total:
Life Science Path: 20 courses, 86 quarter units
General Path: 25 courses, 99 quarter units
UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate to Med School
https://career.berkeley.edu/MedStats/national
2015: 299 Matriculants out of 587 Applicants [ 51% ]
2014: 285 Matriculants out of 554 Applicants [ 51% ]
*This only represents First-Time applicants. 819 Applicants total for 2015*
USC Acceptance Rate to Med School
Couldn't find it, sorry---
UCLA Acceptance Rate to Med School
http://career.ucla.edu/Portals/14/D...l_School_Admissions_Statistics.pdf_042516.pdf
2014: 63 Matriculants out of 124 Applicants [ 51% ]
2013: 73 Matriculants out of 139 Applicants [ 53% ]
*This only represents about less than 15% of all Applicants from UCLA.*
Summary:
UC Berkeley total:
- Minumum of 14 courses , 42 semester units
- Maximum of 16 courses, 51 semester units
- 122 days per semester
- 3-week, 8-week, 10-week summer session
- 19 to 20 units maximum per semester (varies by department)
- Can take up to 130 units/136 units for double-major within Undergraduate
USC total:
- 12 courses, 52 semester units
- 114 days per semester
- 8-week summer session
- 20 units maximum per semester (any additional units after 18 unit will charge you with flat-fee)
- No known unit ceiling
UCLA Total:
- Life Science Path: 20 courses, 86 quarter units
- General Path: 25 courses, 99 quarter units
- 81 days per quarter
- 6-week,8-week,9-week,10-week summer session
- First only up to 10 units, then you can take up to 19 units per quarter
- Can take up to 216 units within Undergraduate
Hope this helped.
If there is any error or misinformation, please let me know!
If you want me to find out about other universities or compare other universities, let me know as well!
Last edited: