UC Riverside School of Medicine, founded in 2013, is the newest UC medical school and was specifically designed to address the severe physician shortage in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. UCR Med has an explicit social mission centered on primary care, health equity, and serving the diverse, predominantly Latino and underserved communities of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The school is closely integrated with UCR's broader research enterprise and runs the Thomas Haider Program — an Early Assurance Program that reserves medical-school seats for qualified UCR undergraduates (not a high-school direct-entry program).
What makes it different
UCR Med was purpose-built to serve the Inland Empire, a region of ~4.6 million people with one of California's lowest physician-to-population ratios. The BA/MD program recruits directly from California high schools and targets students from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds who are committed to remaining in the region. Most UCR graduates practice in primary care or in the Inland Empire — the school's retention rate in the region is among the highest in California.
Course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Integrated basic science and clinical curriculum with early community health placements. Clinical rotations at Riverside University Health System (RUHS) and affiliated community hospitals and clinics across the Inland Empire. The Thomas Haider Program is an Early Assurance Program for current UCR undergraduates (who have completed six consecutive quarters at UCR), reserving at least 24 SOM seats each year.
Research strengths
UC Riverside School of Medicine (MD) has notable research strength in Health disparities, Diabetes and metabolic disease, Environmental health, Primary care research, Community health.
Interview
UC Riverside School of Medicine (MD) interviews via MMI (multiple stations, in person at Riverside). UC Riverside conducts an MMI format interview on the Riverside campus, with stations running approximately 6–8 minutes each. The MMI emphasizes communication, ethical reasoning, and commitment to serving the Inland Empire — one of the most medically underserved regions of California. At least one station typically explores community health challenges in inland Southern California. The interview day includes a campus tour, informational session, and an opportunity to meet current students, including those admitted through the Thomas Haider Early Assurance Program.
Intake
Approximately 75 students per year.
At a glance
Founded in 2013, based in Riverside, CA. Programmes offered: Primary Care, Health Equity, Underserved Community Medicine, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine.
