How to Get into UC Davis Medical School: The Ultimate Guide for 2024-2025

One of the leading centers of medical education in the nation, UC Davis Medical School (UC Davis) is a dream destination for many aspiring doctors. In this post, we'll explore everything you need to know to craft a compelling application.

We’ll share:

• An overview of UC Davis Medical School’s curriculum for MD students
• Tuition fees 
• Required premed courses, GPA, and MCAT
• Current admission rates
• How to write your UC Davis Med admission essay
• Letter of recommendation guidelines
• UC Davis Med eligibility restrictions
• Application timeline

Without further ado, let’s get started.

An Overview of UC Davis Medical School’s Curriculum for MD Students

UC Davis presents you with a modern curriculum aimed at turning you into a consummate medical professional. It’s based on 3 pillars: Innovativeness, integration, and flexibility. And will leave you prepared for any medical specialty you choose to follow.

It’s separated into four distinct years:

• The first two years are closely related, aiming to give you a base of content from which to build up your career. You’ll have both basic and foundational science and clinical medicine. The contents will be organized in blocks and intertwined with a longitudinal doctoring curriculum emphasizing clinical skills and social-behavioral medicine.
• The third year will be focused on clerkships in different specialties, like surgery, pediatrics, clinical medicine, and more. This year gives you a taste of what is to come and helps you pick a specialty. The longitudinal doctoring curriculum continues, focusing on skills like clinical reasoning.
• The fourth year offers diverse opportunities for in-depth exploration and preparation for residency, with a focus on advanced competencies and the option to pursue a scholarly project. You’ll find your schedule becoming much more flexible, giving you the space needed to pursue your medical interests.

UC Davis Medical School Tuition Fees and Scholarships

For the academic year 2023-2024, the tuition fees at UC Davis Medical School are as follows:

• Tuition - $45,363
• Health Insurance Fee - $5,005
• Loan Fees - $22,400
• Living Expenses - $20,569

With all the mentioned fees included, the total cost of attendance comes to $93,337. For out-of-state students, an additional fee of $12,245 will be levied, bringing the total up to $105,582.

Financial Aid

Scholarships played a significant role in student support for the class of 2027. A substantial 67% of students benefited from financial aid, with the average annual scholarship totaling $7,050. The scholarship awards ranged widely, extending from $100 to as much as $14,000.

How Hard Is It To Get Into UC Davis Medical School?

UC Davis Medical School admissions are highly competitive. This university seeks to enroll students who can demonstrate academic excellence, a solid scientific background, and a strong commitment to medicine.

UC Davis Eligibility Requirements

Applying to UC Davis Medicine comes with certain prerequisites, you’ll need to:

• Complete an admission test within 36 months of your application.
• Have studied for three years in an accredited college or university
• Pass four prerequisite courses in biological science, chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics (we’ll provide more details on this in our next section)
• Take the AAMC PREview Exam

As for non-essential requirements, the only one listed in the pre-application process is having a bachelor’s degree. Remember that, while not essential, a bachelor’s degree is heartily encouraged.

Required Premed Courses at UC Davis Med

There are only four courses required for entry to the UC Davis School of Medicine:

• 1 year of biological sciences
• 1 year of general chemistry
• 1 year of organic chemistry (this can be swapped with other types of chemistry, like biochemistry)
• 1 year of physics

While not mandatory, always remember that having more courses will boost your admissions case.

UC Davis Medical School GPA, MCAT, GPA, and Admission Rate

The admissions process for the class of 2027 at UC Davis Medical School was highly competitive. The school received a total of 8,215 applications, out of which 571 candidates were interviewed. Ultimately, only 137 applicants were admitted. For the class of 2027, UC Davis’s acceptance rate was approximately 1.66%. 

In terms of academic performance, admitted students had an MCAT average of 511 and an average GPA of 3.6.

How to Write Your UC Davis Med Essay

After completing your AMCAS application, you’ll need to write several secondary essays specifically for UC Davis Medical School.

The secondary application at UC Davis must be accompanied by an essay. These essays are crucial as they allow you to demonstrate how your background aligns with UC Davis Med beyond what is conveyed in your general medical school personal statement and the AMCAS Work and Activities section.

You will have to answer the following questions with the allotted word count:

• Optional Explanation of Concerns. Applicants can discuss any aspect of their application that might be a concern to the Admissions Committee, such as academic trends or legal issues (500 characters).
• Connection to Northern/Central California. Applicants have the option to mention any ties they have to Northern or Central California (500 characters).
• Activities. Candidates should list three activities to be considered in their application, highlighting experiences particularly relevant to the UC Davis School of Medicine. They must describe each activity, its significance, and how it prepared them for a medical career, including contributions, accomplishments, or publications (500 characters each).

The requirements for your secondary essay are straightforward, and they even allow you to address topics you may not have covered in enough detail in your first essay. 

Consider that UC Davis has a special link to its community. Hence, committing to practice medicine in the California/Northern California area is crucial. Elaborate on your ties to the region, you may answer questions like: Were you born in California? Are you part of the greater community? Awareness of the challenges faced by people in this region will be well received.

Finally, you must highlight a minimum of three activities closely related to the field of medicine. This is your chance to underscore the dedication you've shown beyond your academic pursuits. Ideally, connect these activities with UC Davis.

UC Davis Medical School Letter of Recommendation Requirements and Guidelines

Applicants can submit up to six letters of recommendation to enter UC Davis Medical School. There are no official guidelines for recommendation letters. But the institution will accept:

• Committee letters
• Packet letters
• Individual ones

There’s a marked preference for packet and committee letters. Overall, applicants should choose letters they believe will best support their application.  

UC Davis Med Eligibility Restrictions

Here are the main eligibility restrictions for UC Davis:

• Applicants with connections to California are preferred.
• There is no minimum GPA or MCAT scores needed. 
• Your MCAT results should come from an exam taken at least three years before the admission deadline
• UC Davis won't accept advanced standing/transfer students, except for exceptional cases.

Are International Students Eligible to Apply to UC Davis Med?

If you are an international student on a visa, you will be asked to complete a statement certifying you have the resources needed to attend college.

UC Davis Med Application Timeline 

While the application timeline for the 2024-2025 academic year isn’t available yet, we can use the 2023-2024 timeline as a reference.

The UC Davis Medical School submission period runs from late May to early October. No further submissions will be received after the final deadline, without exception.

The process takes almost a year and involves four main steps:

• From late May to early October: You will have to present your AMCAS application and take the PREview Exam.
• From July through February: Invitations will be sent for applicants to submit a secondary application. 
• Mid-August to March/April: For those whose second application is selected, interviews will be conducted from mid-August to March/April.
• From mid-October to mid-July: The Admissions Committee will make decisions.

Let’s Put You on the Path to UC Davis Medical School

Beginning your path to UCSF Medical School, known for valuing patient care, scientific inquiry, and service to diverse communities, requires early and strategic preparation.

At Premed Catalyst, we're committed to guiding you from your freshman year of college, focusing on developing a strong, standout narrative for your application.

We provide personalized mentorship and tailored advice to enhance your unique journey to medical school. To start your path towards donning the white coat, simply fill out our brief form in under two minutes and join us in shaping your future in medicine.