Cracking the Code: A Comprehensive Guide to UCLA Medical School Requirements

The David Geffen School of Medicine (DGSOM) at UCLA stands as one of the nation's most esteemed and competitive medical schools. With an acceptance rate hovering around 2.2 percent, securing a spot at UCLA Medical School presents a formidable challenge, even for the most accomplished applicants. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the requirements and strategies for gaining admission to UCLA Medical School.

Navigating UCLA's MD Program Landscape

UCLA offers several distinct pathways to earning an MD, each catering to different interests and career goals:

The Four-Year Traditional MD Program: This program admits approximately 118 students annually, providing a comprehensive medical education.
The Medical Science Training Program (MSTP): This joint MD-PhD program with Caltech typically accepts 15 students each year. It is an intensive eight-year program.
UCLA PRIME: This five-year program, admitting around 18 students per year, caters to individuals passionate about leadership and advocacy in healthcare for underserved communities. Students earn an MD and a master's degree in a related field, such as an MBA, MPH, or MPP.
The UCLA/Charles R. Drew Medical Education Program: This four-year joint MD program admits 24 students annually, emphasizing community engagement and physician leadership in diverse and disadvantaged populations. Students spend their first two years at UCLA before transitioning to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

UCLA MD vs. UCLA/Charles R. Drew MD Program: Key Differences

While both programs confer an MD degree, a significant distinction lies in their focus. Charles Drew University, a minority-serving institution and Historically Black Graduate Institution, prioritizes "social justice and health equity for underserved populations." Consequently, the UCLA/Charles R. Drew joint program seeks applicants with a demonstrated commitment to serving disadvantaged communities. Selection criteria emphasize both academic excellence and a genuine dedication to service. While all of UCLA’s MD programs are worth considering if you are interested in their parameters, in the remainder of this post, we’ll focus on how to get into the standalone MD program.

Understanding the Financial Landscape: Tuition and Scholarships

For the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition and fees at UCLA Medical School amount to $51,480 for in-state students and $63,725 for out-of-state students. Including expenses like room and board, books, and transportation, the estimated first-year cost of attendance is $93,510 for in-state students and $105,755 for out-of-state students.

UCLA offers need- and merit-based scholarships, including the David Geffen Medical Scholarships, which cover the full cost of attendance for up to 20 percent of each entering class.

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Decoding UCLA Medical School Admissions

The Competitiveness Factor

With an acceptance rate of approximately 2.2 percent, gaining admission to UCLA Medical School is exceptionally competitive. UCLA receives over 14,000 applications for around 175 spots in each class. While UCLA has not published an average GPA or MCAT score for its most recent incoming class, given its low acceptance rate, most successful applicants will likely be academically impressive. In 2019, UCLA announced plans to raise their GPA and MCAT cutoff scores to 3.4 and 512.

Essential Competencies and Recommendations

While UCLA doesn’t require applicants to complete specific coursework, they do recommend being able to demonstrate mastery of the following competencies:

Biological sciences and physiology: Cellular and molecular biology, genetics
Chemistry, biochemistry, and physical sciences: Inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry of intermediary metabolism, and associated labs
Humanities courses: Literature or art, history, philosophy, religion, ethics, economics, social behavior, and psychology
Math and statistics courses: Biomathematics, computer science, and matrix algebra

UCLA Med School applicants also demonstrate:

Good writing and interpersonal skills
Clinical experience
Some experience or familiarity with research
Knowledge of the challenges of health care delivery (i.e. the political, ethical, legal, scientific, or public health sides of medicine)
Awareness of the importance of diversity

Navigating the Application Timeline

To apply to UCLA’s MD program, you’ll submit your application via AMCAS. Here’s a timeline you can use to plan your application:

May 1, 2025: AMCAS application opens
May 27, 2025: AMCAS application can be submitted
July 2025-November 2025: Applications reviewed
August 2025-March 2026: Interviews conducted
October 2, 2025: AMCAS application deadline
October 15, 2025: Offers of admission begin to be made

UCLA employs rolling admissions, so submitting your complete AMCAS application as early as possible is crucial. UCLA screens applicants before sending out secondary applications, which must be completed within two weeks of receipt. Admissions offers begin as early as October 15th and continue until the class is full.

The Significance of the MCAT

You must have taken the MCAT no later than September of the year before your admission into UCLA. In the 2024-2025 application cycle (to start fall 2025), you must submit an MCAT score earned between January 2019 through September 1, 2024.

Mastering the UCLA Secondary Application

UCLA’s secondary application requires answering several short questions. These prompts aim to assess your motivations, experiences, and fit with UCLA's mission.

Sample Secondary Application Questions and Strategies

What missions do you want to embrace? What have you done toward your missions? (800 characters)
This prompt explores your values and aspirations as a future physician. Choose a specialty, medical condition, or public health issue that resonates with you and describe how your experiences have prepared you to contribute to that field. Connect your response to UCLA and explain how the school will help you achieve your goals.
Example: "My goal is to become an OB/GYN. I’m interested in working to decrease the maternal mortality rate among American women. Experiences that have led me down this path include shadowing an OB/GYN, volunteering in a clinic at a women’s prison, and my current job as a services coordinator at a women’s shelter in San Francisco. A UCLA education will help me towards this goal, especially with resources like the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Program."

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Respond to the following and indicate how these areas of experience have impacted your progress toward your future career goals in relation to becoming an "Outstanding Physician, AND…"
- A. Describe your most unique leadership, entrepreneurial, or creative activity. (800 characters)
- B. Describe your most important volunteer work and why it was meaningful. (800 characters)
- C. Describe your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities) and provide the total number of hours, dates and advisor. (800 characters)
Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as other relevant information. (800 characters)
Did you experience or are you anticipating time between graduating from college and matriculating into medical school? If yes, describe the activities in which you participated or are planning to participate. Examples include additional schooling, employment, or caring for a loved one. (800 characters)
Do you identify as being part of a group that has been marginalized (examples include, but are not limited to, LGBTQIA, disabilities, federally recognized tribe) in terms of access to education or healthcare? If you answered “Yes” to the above, answer the following prompt: Describe how this inequity has impacted you or your community and how educational disparity, health disparity and/or marginalization has impacted you and your community.

Secondary Application Screening

UCLA sends out secondary applications immediately after receiving your primary application materials. Completing the secondary application within two weeks of receipt is mandatory.

Acing the UCLA Medical School Interview

Students who successfully navigate the secondary application process receive an invitation to interview. In the 2025-2026 application cycle, all interviews will be conducted virtually.

Interview Format and Preparation

While UCLA has historically used the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI Interview) format, interviews in this application cycle will be one-on-one, traditional interviews. Familiarize yourself with UCLA Medical School's program, facilities, and mission statement. Practice articulating why DGSOM is the right medical school for you.

Common Interview Questions

What motivates you?
Tell me about your research projects
Why are you interested in medicine? Why UCLA?
I see you did X in your application. Tell me about it.
How do you feel about American healthcare? How would you fix it?
Have you read anything interesting lately?
What did you learn through your volunteering and shadowing experiences?
Why did you select your undergraduate institution?
Where do you see yourself 15 years from now?
Tell me about the most meaningful community service work that you have done.
What is something that you failed at and what did you learn?
What do you like to do for fun?
Do you have any questions for me?

Craft thoughtful responses that demonstrate your knowledge of UCLA's program and your genuine interest in attending. Speak naturally and be personable.

Post-Interview Protocol

After your interview, be patient. UCLA's admissions committee may take weeks or months to respond due to their rolling admissions process.

Communication Preferences

UCLA explicitly states that they do not consider letters of interest or intent. "Any follow-up letters or messages to admissions will not be considered."

The Premed Path at UCLA

UCLA doesn’t offer a dedicated “premed major.” Students may major in any field while completing required prerequisites for medical school.

Key Considerations for UCLA Premeds

Medical schools place heavy weight on GPA, particularly in science courses.
The average GPA for successful medical school applicants is around 3.7-3.8 overall, with science GPAs slightly lower.
UCLA offers over 125 majors, and there’s no single “best” premed choice. Others succeed in majors like Philosophy, English, or Economics.
UCLA premeds generally take the MCAT between junior spring and senior summer.
Premeds are admitted into UCLA’s general applicant pool, not a special track.

Additional Information

Eligibility to Apply

Successful applicants will have obtained a Bachelor’s degree from a US or Canadian institution by completing at minimum 3 years of undergraduate coursework or have obtained a graduate degree from a US or Canadian institution. citizens, permanent residents, DACA recipients, or California residents. Applicants who do not satisfy one of these requirements will not be considered.

Application Updates

Updates to your application will only be accepted when you submit your Secondary Application.

Letters of Recommendation

We require 3 to 5 letters of recommendation. Letters should be from individuals who know the applicant well and from individuals who have spent a significant time with them, e.g. PI or mentor, have observed the applicant's work or capabilities, and are in a position to provide an impartial assessment of the applicant.

If your pre-health advisory office provides a committee letter, this letter will fulfill one letter requirement. The “committee letter” is also known as a composite letter, which is comprised of an evaluative letter and overall recommendations from several individuals within a single letter upload.

AAMC PREview Exam

AAMC PREVIEW EXAM is a requirement for Traditional MD Program Track Applicants. Applicants to our other program tracks (PRIME-LA and MSTP) will not have this requirement. However, if you are applying to PRIME-LA or MSTP Tracks and opt-in for dual consideration (which includes Traditional MD consideration), you will need to complete the exam.

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