University of California - San Francisco (UCSF)

Address

School of Medicine, Admissions / University of California, San Francisco / 521 Parnassus Avenue, C200 / San Francisco, California USA 94143-0408

Overview

Savvy Rank
The Savvy Rank is a combination of admissions selectivity (MCAT, GPA, acceptance rate), research ranking, and primary care ranking.
3
School Type
Whether the school confers an MD or DO degree, is an international (Intl) school for Americans or is a Canadian (CA) school
MD
Public/Private
Public
Year Founded
1864
US News Rank - Research
6
US News Rank - Primary Care
2
Cost
Out-of-state tuition, from cheap ($) to obscenely expensive ($$$$$)
$$
Weather Rating
How nice is the weather, from crappy () to excellent ()

City Size
< 9M

Getting In

Median GPA
3.85
Median MCAT
518
Research Rating
A combination of factors to show the school's research ranking and research opportunities, from very little research () to lots ()

Out-of-State Rating
Whether the school is very out-of-state friendly (), somewhat friendly (), not friendly (), or in-state only ()

International Friendly
How friendly the school is toward international applicants
No
Med School Class Size
Class sizes range from 40 students to 400




Application
AMCAS
Letters of Rec Required
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Secondary Essays

Secondary Essay Difficulty
How many essays, how long, and how unusual the prompts, from easy () to brutal ()

Screen Before Secondaries
Does the school read your primary before sending a secondary?
Yes
Typical Secondary Release Date
When does a school usually release its secondary relative to other med schools (though it may vary from year to year)?
Medium
Secondary Fee
$80
Other Tests

Interviews

Interview Type
Interview Invites Begin
Interview Format
MMI - Multiple Mini Interview; Traditional - two-way conversation
Traditional
Accepts Updates?
Does the school accept update letters?
Yes

Secondary Essay Prompts

Essay Topics ('23 – '24)

1. Provide additional info below (dates, best way to contact) if you will be out of the country during interview season (Late Sept to February, interviews conducted remotely). (300 characters)

2. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)

3. If you are 2023 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)

4. Do you identify as being part of a marginalized group socioeconomically or in terms of access to quality education or healthcare? Please describe how this inequity has impacted you and your community. (350 words)

Essay Topics ('22 – '23)

1. Provide additional info below (dates, best way to contact) if you will be out of the country during interview season (Late Sept to February, interviews conducted remotely). (300 characters)

2. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)

3. If you are 2021 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)

4. Do you identify as being part of a marginalized group socioeconomically or in terms of access to quality education or healthcare? Please describe how this inequity has impacted you and your community. (350 words)

Essay Topics ('21 – '22)

1. This should be a true autobiographical statement. Topics to be included are family, childhood, primary and secondary school years, undergraduate years, and, if applicable, what you’ve done since completing your bachelor’s degree. You should also discuss the motivational factors which led you to a career in medicine, including any disadvantages or obstacles which might put your accomplishments into context. A repeat of your AMCAS statement will not be acceptable.

2. Please select from one of the career pathways listed below. In addition to this selection, please provide a brief description of your future career goals. (400 char)

3. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below.

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS:

1. Please describe your interest in the PRIME-HEq program. Topics to include are longitudinal experiences that you’ve had with underserved communities, including the type of community that you’ve worked with and your level of involvement. Additionally, you should discuss the length of time that you’ve spent working in these communities.

2. Please describe your interest in Global Health. The term Global Health can have many meanings; for our purposes, we find the definition provided by Koplan et. al. in their 2009 Lancet publication useful: “the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide”. In your essay, be sure to describe any personal or professional experiences that have shaped your interests, and how Global Health issues have influenced your decision to pursue a career in medicine. (4800 char)

3. Please describe your interest in the MAS-Clinical Research program. Topics to include are your previous experience with clinical and/or translational research, your role within the research group, and what you envision for a career that includes clinical and/or translational research. A letter of recommendation from the individual supervising your previous experience is helpful but not required.

Essay Topics (’20 – ’21)

1. Applicants are interviewed by invitation only. Please note that we do not conduct regional interviews. Interviews are scheduled from September to February (days vary). Please let us know if you will be out of the country during the interview season. (300 words)

2. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)

3. If you are 2019 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)

Essay Topics ('19 – '20)

1. Applicants are interviewed by invitation only. Please note that we do not conduct regional interviews. Interviews are scheduled from September to February (days vary). Please let us know if you will be out of the country during the interview season. (300 words)

2. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)

3. If you are 2019 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)

Essay Topics ('18 – '19)

1. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. Word Count 500

2. If you are 2018 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. Word Count 400

Essay Topics ('17 – '18)

1. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)

2. If you are 2017 or earlier college graduate, please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. (350 words)

Essay Topics ('16 – '17)

1. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words).

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS:

1. Please describe your commitment to working with the urban underserved, highlighting experiences with underserved communities and community-based work. Be sure to mention any leadership and/or team-member roles you've played. (500 words)

2. PRIME-US requires a commitment above and beyond the regular medical school curriculum. You will be expected to spend time participating in small group activities and engaging with underserved communities in the Bay Area. Please answer the following questions: How will you balance PRIME-US with your academic responsibilities and personal life? (250 words)

3. What will you bring to PRIME-US? (250 words)

4. What do you hope to get out of PRIME-US? (250 words)

Essay Topics ('15 – '16)

1. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 words)

Essay Topics ('14 – '15)

1. If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. 500 words

OPTIONAL QUESTIONS:

1. MD+JMP: UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program (MS/MD) combines the resources of two major campuses to allow more extended, individualized pre-clerkship studies with the completion of the Master's thesis involving an in-depth research project, in addition to the medical degree. The JMP core medical curriculum makes full use of case-based problem oriented learning in small groups. Please prepare a two-part essay describing the following:

a. Please describe the basis for your interest in and your preparations for the MS with research thesis. Given the opportunity to pursue such a degree, what topics, questions or areas of research might you be interested in addressing? 500 words

b. Please describe the basis of your interest and experience with small group, case based problem oriented learning. 500 words

2. MD+PRIME:

a. Please describe your experiences with underserved communities, community-based work, leadership roles, and commitment to working with the urban underserved. 500 words

b. PRIME-US requires a commitment above and beyond the regular medical school curriculum. You will be expected to spend time participating in small group activities and engaging with underserved communities in the Bay Area. Please answer the following questions: How will you balance PRIME-US with your academic responsibilities and personal life? 250 words

3. MSTP:

a. Please describe in detail your most recent research project. 500 words

b. Please list publications, honors, and presentations resulting from your research experience. 500 words

c. Please describe briefly your reasons for applying to MSTP. 250 words

Essay Topics ('13 – '14)

1. Applicants are interviewed by invitation only. Interviews are scheduled Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, September to February. Due to the academic calendar, student contact during the month of December may be limited. Please note we do not conduct regional interviews. If you are selected for interviews, please let us know if you will be out of the country. (100 character)If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. (500 Words)

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