Do UC med schools give priority to CA res. like undergrads?

[Justiii]

Hi, everyone. I'm a freshman in community college. I want to attend a UC school for undergrad. but I don't think it will turn out that way(As I'd be a transfer and an out-of-state applicant). I'm definitely going to apply for UC med schools after I graduate. But I was wondering if they show preference to CA residents. Is that true? What can I do about that, become a CA resident? Idk. Please help thanks 🙂

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[gyngyn]

Hi, everyone. I'm a freshman in community college. I want to attend a UC school for undergrad. but I don't think it will turn out that way(As I'd be a transfer and an out-of-state applicant). I'm definitely going to apply for UC med schools after I graduate. But I was wondering if they show preference to CA residents. Is that true? What can I do about that, become a CA resident? Idk. Please help thanks 🙂

There is no other state that exports more applicants to medical school than CA. Though there is a preference at some UC's for CA residents (UCD and UCR), 2/3's of the well qualified CA applicants must leave CA to go to medical school. For these reasons, almost any other state is a better bet for IS preference.

To illustrate, out of 5692 CA applicants last year only 888 found 1st year positions in CA (15.6%). Another 1480 had to leave CA to matriculate elsewhere.

 

[ruedjgtc]

I agree with gyngyn, in California I received no love, but I did great out of state overall. On the interview trail you'll see many of the California exiles.

 

[Bovary]

The above posters are both correct. To specifically answer your question though, yes, the UC medical schools DO show a significant preference for California residents. However, if you could wave a wand to give yourself residency in any state with the hopes of getting into a state med school (assuming you're an averagely-qualified applicant), like the above have said, CA wouldn't be the wisest choice.

 

[hoihaie]

UCSD screens by numbers only. The admin director hosted a presentation for UCSD ppl to detail how ucsd som applicatin goes.

 

[Aerus]

Not only does California have some of the least in-state friendly state med schools, it also has (on average) one of the most competitive pool of applicants. Those are two strikes against the hopes of staying in California for med school.

 

[TreadLightly]

Nope. UCI even explicitly states on its website that it doesn't give preference to CA residents. Most of its students are CA residents because almost every CA resident that gets in wants to stay in state.

Pretty lame to use state taxes to run a school that doesn't give priority to residents of that state.

 

[el_duderino]

If you're looking for a state to establish residency in to improve your chances at medical school, CA should be choice #50 out of 50.

 

[Goro]

To follow up, my learned colleague gyngyn is fond of pointing out that UCLA alone produces enough grads to fill every CA medical school seat.

Not only does California have some of the least in-state friendly state med schools, it also has (on average) one of the most competitive pool of applicants. Those are two strikes against the hopes of staying in California for med school.

 

[Hipocrates]

Not only does California have some of the least in-state friendly state med schools, it also has (on average) one of the most competitive pool of applicants. Those are two strikes against the hopes of staying in California for med school.

On the other hand, UCLA is somewhat of a feeder school for its own medical school (Geffen) because Geffen knows how rigorous and challenging UCLA's undergraduate courses are. For example although UCLA medical school has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the country at only 3.5%, the UCLA medical school acceptance rate for UCLA undergraduates for the 2013 entering class was a whopping 13%: http://career.ucla.edu/Students/gra...rnia-medical-schools-acceptance-matriculation

 

[gyngyn]

On the other hand, UCLA is somewhat of a feeder school for its own medical school (Geffen) because Geffen knows how rigorous and challenging UCLA's undergraduate courses are. For example although UCLA medical school has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the country at only 3.5%, the UCLA medical school acceptance rate for UCLA undergraduates for the 2013 entering class was a whopping 13%: http://career.ucla.edu/Students/gra...rnia-medical-schools-acceptance-matriculation

That would be 17 out of about 844 applicants from UCLA. It looks less whopping this way!

 

[Abstractions]

That would be 17 out of about 844 applicants from UCLA. It looks less whopping this way!

So if I'm reading this chart correctly, its saying that out of the 844 applicants from UCLA, only 135 applied to Geffen?

 

[Aerus]

On the other hand, UCLA is somewhat of a feeder school for its own medical school (Geffen) because Geffen knows how rigorous and challenging UCLA's undergraduate courses are. For example although UCLA medical school has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the country at only 3.5%, the UCLA medical school acceptance rate for UCLA undergraduates for the 2013 entering class was a whopping 13%: http://career.ucla.edu/Students/gra...rnia-medical-schools-acceptance-matriculation

While there may be some truth to that, I'd argue that the high % acceptance rate is moreso due to how well qualified successful premeds at UCLA are.

 

[gyngyn]

So if I'm reading this chart correctly, its saying that out of the 844 applicants from UCLA, only 135 applied to Geffen?

That would be very surprising indeed. UCLA is usually the largest producer of pre meds in the country. 135 is the number of Geffen spots in the first year class.

 

[gyngyn]

While there may be some truth to that, I'd argue that the high % acceptance rate is moreso due to how well qualified successful premeds at UCLA are.

UCLA is the feeder to the nation!

 

[Abstractions]

That would be very surprising indeed. UCLA is the largest producer of pre meds in the country. 135 is the number of Geffen spots in the first year class.

Ah that makes a lot more sense; so the graph is actually showing: Column 1: Total # of slots for IS applicants, Column 2: # of UCLA applicants accepted at that school, Column 3: # of UCLA matriculants at that school.

 

[Hipocrates]

That would be 17 out of about 844 applicants from UCLA. It looks less whopping this way!

The information provided by the UCLA Career Center is:

For the 2013 med school entering class a total of 135 UCLA graduates applied to UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. Of those 135 applicants, 17 applicants were accepted to UCLA Geffen School of medicine. (15 of those 17 applicants actually matriculated at Geffen). 17 divided by 135 equals 13%. So if you are a UCLA graduate, you have a 13% chance of being admitted to Geffen. Overall, on the other hand, the acceptance rate for all applicants from all undergraduate schools is only 3.5% .

By the way gyngyn, where did you come up with the number of 844 for UCLA applicants to Geffen in 2013? According to the chart, only 135 UCLA graduates applied to Geffen for the 2013 entering class. For this chart's purpose, 135 does NOT refer to the number of spots in the first year class but rather to the number of UCLA graduate applicants in 2013. Coincidently, 135 MAY be the number of spots in the first year class but I do not think that is exactly accurate.

 

[gyngyn]

The information provided by the UCLA Career Center is:

For the 2013 med school entering class a total of 135 UCLA graduates applied to UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. Of those 135 applicants, 17 applicants were accepted to UCLA Geffen School of medicine. (15 of those 17 applicants actually matriculated at Geffen). 17 divided by 135 equals 13%. So if you are a UCLA graduate, you have a 13% chance of being admitted to Geffen. Overall, on the other hand, the acceptance rate for all applicants from all undergraduate schools is only 3.5% .

By the way gyngyn, where did you come up with the number of 844 for UCLA applicants to Geffen in 2013? According to the chart, only 135 UCLA graduates applied to Geffen for the 2013 entering class. For this chart's purpose, 135 does NOT refer to the number of spots in the first year class but rather to the number of UCLA graduate applicants in 2013. Coincidently, 135 MAY be the number of spots in the first year class but I do not think that is exactly accurate.

The AAMC compiles a list of the applicants from all US schools. UCLA almost always comes out first with over 800 aps. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[gyngyn]

The information provided by the UCLA Career Center is:

For the 2013 med school entering class a total of 135 UCLA graduates applied to UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. Of those 135 applicants, 17 applicants were accepted to UCLA Geffen School of medicine. (15 of those 17 applicants actually matriculated at Geffen). 17 divided by 135 equals 13%. So if you are a UCLA graduate, you have a 13% chance of being admitted to Geffen. Overall, on the other hand, the acceptance rate for all applicants from all undergraduate schools is only 3.5% .

By the way gyngyn, where did you come up with the number of 844 for UCLA applicants to Geffen in 2013? According to the chart, only 135 UCLA graduates applied to Geffen for the 2013 entering class. For this chart's purpose, 135 does NOT refer to the number of spots in the first year class but rather to the number of UCLA graduate applicants in 2013. Coincidently, 135 MAY be the number of spots in the first year class but I do not think that is exactly accurate.

https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/86042/table2.html
If you look at total applicants from UCLA, it was 846 this year (it was about 844 last year). Admittedly, U of Michigan is also a powerhouse, just edging them out this year with 854.

When you consider that only 888 CA residents were able to stay IS last year, you can see why I'm fond of saying that UCLA alone could fill every first year spot in CA.

 

[Hipocrates]

https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/86042/table2.html
If you look at total applicants from UCLA, it was 846 this year (it was about 844 last year). Admittedly, U of Michigan is also a powerhouse, just edging them out this year with 854.

When you consider that only 888 CA residents were able to stay IS last year, you can see why I'm fond of saying that UCLA alone could fill every first year spot in CA.

The 846 refers to the total number of UCLA graduates (from all graduating years) applying to ALL medical schools in 2013. Not all of those 846 UCLA graduates applied to Geffen; there were only 135 UCLA graduates who graduated in 2013 and who applied to Geffen for the 2013 entering class. See the UCLA Career Center Chart at: http://career.ucla.edu/Students/gra...rnia-medical-schools-acceptance-matriculation. The UCLA Career Center chart also indicates, for example, that UCLA graduates in 2013 had a high acceptance at USC Keck: 10%.

 

[gyngyn]

The 846 refers to the total number of UCLA graduates (from all graduating years) applying to ALL medical schools in 2013. Not all of those 846 UCLA graduates applied to Geffen; there were only 135 UCLA graduates who graduated in 2013 and who applied to Geffen for the 2013 entering class. See the UCLA Career Center Chart at: http://career.ucla.edu/Students/gra...rnia-medical-schools-acceptance-matriculation. The UCLA Career Center chart also indicates, for example, that UCLA graduates in 2013 had a high acceptance at USC Keck: 10%.

Yes, that's right. Interesting how few applied to their own medical school, though.

 

[el_duderino]

Yes, that's right. Interesting how few applied to their own medical school, though.

I would guess their premed committee is good at steering less competitive candidates away.

 

[gyngyn]

I would guess their premed committee is good at steering less competitive candidates away.

It would be interesting to hear from them to see if this is the case. Since there are 846 of them, one would expect a few of them to be on SDN.
What surprises me is that every CA applicant seems compelled to apply to every CA school however low their statistical odds. I'm wondering if the Career Center excluded significant groups of UCLA grads...

 

[Abstractions]

I would guess their premed committee is good at steering less competitive candidates away.

There is no premed committee at UCLA.

 

[Abstractions]

It would be interesting to hear from them to see if this is the case. Since there are 846 of them, one would expect a few of them to be on SDN.
What surprises me is that every CA applicant seems compelled to apply to every CA school however low their statistical odds. I'm wondering if the Career Center excluded significant groups of UCLA grads...

I agree, and thats why I was confused at the charts earlier. I just noticed this footnote on the table: * This includes Fall 2012, Winter 2013, Spring 2013, and Summer 2013 degree recipients WHO RELEASED THEIR AMCAS INFORMATION TO UCLA.

I'm assuming the reported numbers are significantly smaller than the ~846 applicants because a significant number of people didn't release their AMCAS information.

 

[hoihaie]

It would be interesting to hear from them to see if this is the case. Since there are 846 of them, one would expect a few of them to be on SDN.
What surprises me is that every CA applicant seems compelled to apply to every CA school however low their statistical odds. I'm wondering if the Career Center excluded significant groups of UCLA grads...

however low doesn't mean 0, so we all apply in hopes of our fortune cookies coming true ... 😀

 

[Gabreezy]

UCLA doesn't have a pre-med committee. (I graduated in June)

Also, just in my major there were ~250 graduates with AT LEAST 75 being pre med. With how competitive the major is, and the aforementioned inclination for Cali residents to apply to all CA schools (guilty myself), I can't imagine anyone not splurging the money for the primary. Tuition is just so much cheaper for us to stay in the UC system.

 

[el_duderino]

I thought I had a pretty good theory there.

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks, OP. This has been a very illuminating thread. I hope your question has also been answered!

 

[MinervaMcGonagall]

UCSD screens by numbers only. The admin director hosted a presentation for UCSD ppl to detail how ucsd som applicatin goes.

Could you please elaborate on this point? Does UCSD have GPA/ MCAT cutoffs that they use for screening? Their website is pretty vague. It only states the average GPA/ average MCAT for accepted applicants, but does not say if they have established minimum cutoff values, below which they automatically reject you. I appreciate your help with this question.

 

[hoihaie]

Could you please elaborate on this point? Does UCSD have GPA/ MCAT cutoffs that they use for screening? Their website is pretty vague. It only states the average GPA/ average MCAT for accepted applicants, but does not say if they have established minimum cutoff values, below which they automatically reject you. I appreciate your help with this question.

It was never specified exactly what the cutoff is, but it is not sky high.

 

[godawg300]

I know someone that got an interview at UCSD with a 28. The cutoff is probably around there if I had to guess