Medical School Preparation at UC Davis

Preparation for medical school involves, first and foremost, completion of certain required courses and taking the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).  After meeting these basic requirements, students with diverse records and backgrounds apply to medical school and are accepted.  Although there is no "formula" or direct path that leads to acceptance, the most competitive applicants are well prepared in several areas.

Major

You can major in any undergraduate degree area provided that you include required pre-medical prerequisites in your course of study and do well in them. In the past, successful applicants have majored in many non-science subjects such as economics, philosophy, and international relations, as well as the more common science majors such as physiology, biochemistry, and biological sciences. You should major in what interests you. Most students, however, do major in science since this ensures that there will be a great deal of overlap between courses required for their major and those required for medical school; it makes course planning easier. Those choosing non-science majors often make their choice for breadth and do very well in the applicant pool. Your major does not matter unless you have weak science grades or are a transfer student (see advisor for more information if this is your situation).

Course Requirements

Specific course prerequisites vary somewhat for each medical school but the following courses will fulfill all that are generally required. The course numbers in parentheses indicate the usual courses taken at UC Davis but other courses may fulfill the requirements.  Please see individual catalogs or an advisor in Health Sciences Advising (HSA) for more specific information.  For community college and transfer students, refer to assist.org, an online information system for articulation of courses between California schools..

• Inorganic Chemistry

1 year with laboratory (Chem 2ABC)

• Organic Chemistry 
  1 year with laboratory (Chem 118ABC)
  Chem 128ABC plus 129ABC are acceptable, but the Chem 8 series is not; if you have taken Chem 8AB, please see an HSA advisor.
• Mathematics
  1 year of calculus/college math for only ~25% of schools; please check individual schools..
• Physics
  1 year with laboratory (Physics 7ABC recommended; 9ABC also acceptable)
• Biology
  1 year with laboratory (BIS 1ABC + one additional lab)

Since BIS1A does not include a lab but is a prerequisite for upper division courses and covered on the MCAT, students who take BIS1ABC will need to complete an additional bio lecture + lab (e.g. CHA 101+101L, MCB 150+150L, NPB 101+101L, BIS 101+MCB 160L). BIS 1C (Botany) is not specifically required by med schools nor is it on the MCAT, but it is required for many majors. If your major does not require BIS 1C, you may choose to take another bio course +lab instead.

• English
  1 year (any college level courses in Comp Lit, English or the University Writing Program are acceptable, but courses in Communication, ESL or English 57/SCC100 are not acceptable).

Additional Requirements for California Schools

• UC Davis requires an additional half year (2 quarters) of upper division courses in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, and/or genetics (e.g. BIS 101 + BIS 102).
• UCI requires BIS 101+ BIS 102 or BIS102 + BIS103 plus 2 quarters of upper division biology/zoology (no botany) which can be used as part of the one year of biology requirement; labs are not required.
• UCLA requires one course in statistics (STA 13 or higher).
• UCSD does not accept BIS 104, biochemistry, or botany courses (other than BIS 1C) to fulfill the one year of biology requirement.
• USC requires one course in molecular biology (BIS101 preferred), plus one course in biochemistry (BIS 102 or BIS 103 preferred)

All required courses must be taken for a grade, NOT on a Passed/Not Passed basis, and have a grade of C or better.  If courses are repeated, BOTH grades go into your AMCAS* GPA (i.e. different than UC Davis policy) but AACOMAS* only includes the higher grades (like UC Davis)

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) 

The MCAT examination includes four sections: Physical Sciences, Verbal Reasoning, Biological Sciences, and a Writing Sample. Currently, the actual test time is 5 hours and 45 minutes. In 2006, it will be given in April and August.  Beginning in 2007, it is expected that the exam will be entirely computer-administered and be offered 20-22 times a year.

Chemistry is included in both the Biological and Physical Sciences sections. You should take the MCAT at least one year before you plan to enter medical school--but earlier is better. At the earliest this will be in your third (junior) year but many take it in their 4th year or later. As a general guideline, you should take the MCAT when you are ready rather than at a pre-conceived time. You should have completed all general prerequisites (except calculus and Bio Sci 1C, as these topics do not appear on the MCAT) and you may also want to complete courses in Genetics (BIS 101), Biochemistry (BIS 102) and Physiology (NPB 101) prior to taking the MCAT. Although no specific English courses will prepare you for the English half of the MCAT, we recommend that you complete your English courses prior to the MCAT and be sure that you have well-developed reading (speedy) and writing skills. Most science majors find the Verbal Reasoning section the most challenging on the MCAT and it is difficult to develop the skill you will need in a short period of time. Start now by reading a lot outside of science! 

Never take the MCAT for practice! Most applicants prepare for the MCAT using commercial test preparation materials and practice exams, and we encourage you to take the MCAT when you are scoring at or above the scores you hope to get on the MCAT because scores rarely go up on test day.. You should then plan to apply based on when you have competitive scores rather than when you graduate, although you will need to complete your bachelor's degree prior to matriculation into medical school.  Please see an HSA advisor to discuss the timing of this important examination as well as specific course preparation. Complete the online application to register for the MCAT. Applications are usually available the first week in February, but check the website for updates.

Extracurricular Activities

There is a wide range of experience possible in this area but it is very important for a competitive applicant to have extracurricular activities. Often, students must support themselves and work becomes their primary (but not only) extracurricular activity. Clinical experience (i.e. where you observe physicians treating patients) is expected and is considered critical because medical schools want to be certain that you have knowledge of the field and the job of a physician. Most applicants have research experience as well. Research or clinical experiences that you initiate or develop yourself are particularly rewarding and are viewed very positively by admission committees. Community and campus service, participation in organized sports or arts, leadership, and well-developed personal interests are all important in the admission process.

Application Process

Most allopathic medical schools belong to a centralized application service (AMCAS*) that allows you to apply through one initial application online.  You can apply to all but one of the osteopathic medical schools through a separate online application service (AACOMAS*). All medical schools in Texas (MD and DO) are a part of a third application service (TMDSAS*) found on the web. HSA offers a workshop each year in late April or early May to explain the application process in detail. Applications are submitted approximately 12-15 months before enrolling in medical school.

The PHPAC (Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee) Letter Service is a system for producing a Committee Letter (including appended letters of recommendation) as part of the application process. It is administered through HSA and can be initiated at any time, but ideally your file should be opened no later than the Fall Quarter before you apply. You can find out more about this service through an informational handout (“About the PHPAC File Service” available on this website. You should arrange for your PHPAC interview as soon as your application is complete, starting May 1st of each application year. 

PHPAC ALERT(posted 10/05/07): For students applying for admission to health profession schools for 2009 entry and beyond please see the new Professional Letter Service  Web site. The PHPAC information stated above is for Fall 2008 entry only. For further information contact Health Sciences Advising Office at (530)752-4100, Room 160 South Silo.

"Secondaries" (or supplementary applications) are requests by AMCAS and AACOMAS schools for additional information and fees. Non-AMCAS schools (e.g. foreign medical schools) usually have a single application.  The final stage of the application process is the personal interview.  If a school offers you an interview it means they are seriously considering you.

At each stage of the application process, HSA advisors are available to assist you through the use of printed material, workshops and individual advising.  You can make an appointment to see an advisor by calling HSA at (530) 752-3000. If you would like your personal statement, resume and/or application reviewed by a staff advisor, please call the HSA office to ask about the available services.  Personal statements (PS) will not be read during appointments or by e-mail, so please do not e-mail them or bring them to an appointment!  Due to time constraints, only one advisor will be able to work with you on your personal statement and you must be a current UC Davis student or UC Davis alumnus to utilize the personal statement/application review service.

*AMCAS - American Medical College Application Service (allopathic)

*AACOMAS - American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (osteopathic)

*TMDSAS – Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (allopathic and osteopathic in TX)