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US Medicine · 2027 Entry

UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

Location La Jolla, CA, United StatesEstablished 1968Interviews October–FebruaryDecisions March 30
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Full guide

How to get into UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) medicine

Step-by-step: entry requirements, MCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.

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Interview guide

Prepare for the UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) interview

Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.

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Overview

About UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD)

UC San Diego School of Medicine, founded in 1968, is a leading public research medical school located on the UCSD campus in La Jolla, California. The school benefits from proximity to world-class biotech and pharmaceutical companies clustered in the Torrey Pines Mesa corridor. UCSD is among the top NIH-funded medical schools nationally and has particular strengths in neuroscience, global health, and clinical research.

What makes it different

UCSD's proximity to the Sorrento Valley and Torrey Pines biotech cluster provides unparalleled access to biotech and pharma career pathways. The school's neuroscience program is world-class, benefiting from the adjacent Salk Institute and Scripps Research. San Diego's location on the US-Mexico border creates distinctive global and cross-border health training opportunities.

Course & teaching

Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. UCSD has tracks in biomedical sciences, clinical research, community medicine, and global health. All students complete a scholarly project. Clinical rotations at UCSD Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center, VA San Diego, and affiliated community sites. Early exposure to global health opportunities through UCSD's international partnerships.

Research strengths

UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) has notable research strength in Neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease, Cancer biology, Infectious disease, Global health, Computational medicine.

Interview

UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) interviews via MMI (multiple stations).

Intake

Approximately 134 students per year.

At a glance

Founded in 1968, based in La Jolla, CA. Programmes offered: Neuroscience, Global Health, Oncology, Biotech Research, Primary Care.

Entry requirements

What you need to apply to UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD)

Admission overview
Bachelor's degree and MCAT required. California residents receive moderate preference as a UC public school. Research background, community service, and clinical exposure expected. Secondary application required.
MCAT median
514 (range 513–523)
GPA median
3.84 overall / 3.82 science (BCPM)
Acceptance rate
3.8%
Class size
134
In-state preference
Moderate — some OOS consideration
In-state matriculants
74%
CASPer
Not required
AAMC PREview
Not required
Holistic review emphasis
Research, diversity, global health, and public service in a UC public mission.
Notes
MCAT/GPA approximate from UCSD Med class profile. In-state preference reflects UC public mandate.
Specialities offered
Neuroscience, Global Health, Oncology, Biotech Research, Primary Care
Interview

How UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) interviews applicants

Format
MMI (multiple stations)
Interview window
October–February
Decision date
March 30
Tutor insight
UCSD's MMI reflects the school's interest in collaborative, community-oriented physicians — prepare scenarios involving team communication, ethical healthcare access issues, and global health themes. As a public UC school, California residents have a meaningful statistical advantage; however, out-of-state applicants with strong research credentials in neuroscience, global health, or biomedical science are regularly admitted. UCSD's connection to the San Diego biotech ecosystem is a genuine career differentiator — express enthusiasm for this if relevant to your career plans.
Practice

Practise for your UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank620 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD)

Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

MediumPanel · MMIQ1

Holistic Review: First-Generation College Student

You are the first person in your family to attend college and are now applying to medical school. Your parents worked hourly-wage jobs and could not provide the financial support, networking advantages, or pre-medical advising that many peers received. You navigated the application process largely on your own and sought out opportunities -- research, clinical exposure, volunteering -- without guidance. What strengths has this background given you, and what challenges has it imposed that you believe medical school should understand?

Likely follow-up · How has your socioeconomic background shaped your understanding of the patients you want to serve?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
HardMMIQ2

US Healthcare Ethics: The Coverage Gap and Uncompensated Care

A 42-year-old uninsured construction worker presents to a community health clinic with poorly controlled hypertension and early-stage chronic kidney disease. He lives in a state that has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, earns too little to qualify for marketplace subsidies, and too much to qualify for his state's existing Medicaid programme — placing him squarely in the coverage gap. He cannot afford the follow-up nephrology referral or the blood-pressure medications you have recommended. As the future physician in this scenario, how do you approach his immediate care, and how do you think about the systemic forces that created his situation?

Likely follow-up · What resources — local, state, or federal — might exist to help a patient in the coverage gap access medications and specialist care?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
Open Prometheus for UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD)Browse 1,105 free questions →
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MCAT Strategy

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FAQ

UC San Diego School of Medicine (MD) — frequently asked questions

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Other MMI medical schools

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