Eligibility Requirements

• How do I know if I would be considered in-state or out of state for tuition purposes?

  Please contact reshelp@ucr.edu for any questions on residency for tuition purposes.

  Information about residency for tuition and fee purposes can be found here. 

• Do you accept transfer students?

  We do not accept transfer students. All applicants must apply to enter as a first-year medical student.   

• Do you accept international students and/or international bachelor’s degrees?

  We do not accept international students or applicants who have obtained an international bachelor’s degree. 

  • All applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited US institution prior to matriculation.
  • Students must complete all premedical requirements before beginning the first year of medical study, although these requirements need not be completed at the time application for admission is filed. Verification of completion of program pre-requisites will be done after you have been admitted.

  Applicants to the UCR School of Medicine must be a US citizen, permanent resident, DACA recipient, or eligible to enroll under California AB540, prior to beginning the first year of medical study. Resources for candidates applying as an undocumented or DACA student can be found here.

• Do you accept out-of-state applicants?

  Out-of-state applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis. As a medical school with a mission to increase the number of physicians in our region, our students are generally either from California or have very strong ties to the community. Applicants from outside the state will be assessed on their contributions to the California community through their undergraduate program, community service, clinical experiences and/or leadership, etc. 

• Are you currently accepting online coursework?

  Because of instructional changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we will accept prerequisite courses and/or labs completed as part of online or hybrid programs from March 2020. 

  • Coursework completed prior to March 2020 must have been taken through in-person instruction. 
  • All students are encouraged to sign up for in-person instructional courses whenever possible. 
  • If your institution holds online classes for an upcoming term, we will accept the coursework. 
  • If your program reverts to in-person instruction, you should adhere to the standard policy.
• Do you accept online bachelor’s degree?

  We do not accept online bachelor's degrees.

Program Pre-Requisites

• How can I verify the coursework that I have taken has met the UCR SOM program pre-requisites?

  To verify the coursework that you have taken meets our program pre-requisites, please e-mail a copy of your course description found in your home institutions course catalog to medadmissions@medsch.ucr.edu . An admissions representative will evaluate the description and notify you of the decision.

• Do we accept AP or IB coursework?

  AP credit with a score of 3, 4, or 5 or International Baccalaureate score of 5, 6, or 7 may be used to fulfill program prerequisites in all subjects. To claim AP or IB credit, the credit hours must be listed on your transcript. Instructions on how to claim AP or IB credit on your AMCAS application can be found here.

• Are labs for the UCR SOM program pre-requisites required?

  Labs are optional however lab course hours will count toward total semester hours. More information about our program pre-requisites can be found here.

• Do your program pre-requisites expire?

  While prerequisites do not expire, we recommend that any coursework completed more than five years ago be retaken.

• Does the UCR SOM accept coursework that is completed at a community college? 

  We welcome and accept coursework that was completed at a community college to include the required science prerequisites found here. We acknowledge that applicants do not necessarily have equal access to resources, mentorship, and strong high school preparation prior to college.

• How do I convert my quarters units to semester hours? 

  Applicants should refer to the AMCAS Grade Conversion Guide to convert their quarter units to semester hours. Your grade conversions will be reflected on your primary application under the “Academic Record” section that you submit to AMCAS.

• Does the UCR SOM accept C- grades or below? 

  We do not have a minimum grade requirement to be considered for our program. We evaluate applicants holistically, considering all parts of applicants’ file outside of their academic metrics. This includes their experiences, extracurricular activities, and personal attributes. Information on our first year medical student class profile can be found here.

• How do I classify courses on my AMCAS (primary) application?

  Each course in the AMCAS application must be classified strictly on the primary content of the course. The Course Classification Guide can be found here and provides examples of how courses are often categorized.

  If you are unable to comfortably classify a course, please contact medadmissions@medsch.ucr.edu for assistance.

MCAT

• I have taken the MCAT one time and plan on re-taking the exam. Will my application be reviewed once my new score is received?

  An admissions file is marked as complete and forwarded it on to the admissions committee for review once the following application materials are received: AMCAS primary application, completed secondary application, a minimum of 3 letters of recommendation or a committee letter, post-secondary official transcripts, and one MCAT score official transcript.

  If an applicant wishes to postpone the evaluation of their admission file until an additional MCAT score has been received, please notify the SOM via email at medadmissions@medsch.ucr.edu .

  Please note that your application will not be reviewed until you have notified our admissions office to release the hold when your new MCAT scores has been received. 

  Applicants who plan to retake the MCAT exam should submit their new score by no later than November 1, 2024.

• Does my MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) score expire? 

  The MCAT should be taken no later than fall of the year preceding admission to the School of Medicine. If more than one MCAT was taken, all the test grades must be included when making an application.

  We will accept MCAT scores dating back three years from your application submission date. You will be required to retake the MCAT if your score expires before your secondary is submitted to us.

  Applicants who plan to retake the MCAT exam should submit your new score by no later than November 1, 2024. The latest MCAT administration date considered for first-time test takers is January 31, 2025.

Primary Application

• How many letters of recommendation (LORs) does the UCR SOM accept?

  We require a minimum of three letters of recommendation.  The admissions committee will accept no more than five letters total and we ask that applicants abide by the five letter limit. Applicants submitting committee letters or letter packets that include at least three original letters in their entirety will meet the minimum letter requirement. Files are considered complete when the minimum letter requirement is met.

• How can I add or delete letters of evaluation (recommendation) submitted to the UCR SOM?

  Before submitting your letters of evaluation, you should review your medical school designations to determine which institutions should receive each letter carefully and thoroughly. Once your letters of evaluation are made available to the UCR SOM, no changes will be allowed.

  Information about your letter writers as well as indicating which schools should receive your letters.

• How do I make changes to my AMCAS (primary) application?

  Before submitting your AMCAS application, you should review it carefully and thoroughly. Once your application is submitted, only certain changes will be allowable. Permitted changes can be found here.  

• What about Transcripts?

  We understand that some applicants are still completing their prerequisite coursework during this time. We do not require submission of official transcripts until an applicant has accepted an admissions offer and plans to matriculate into the program. Students must complete all premedical requirements before beginning the first year of medical study, although these requirements need not be completed at the time application for admission is filed.

• I completed pre-requisite coursework after submitting my secondary application. I am not able to upload an additional transcript to my AMCAS application. How can I submit this information to the UCR SOM?

  Applicants can upload unofficial transcripts directly to their secondary application portal under the "Documents" section as a PDF copy. If you are admitted to the UCR SOM, you will be required to provide official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended before matriculating into the program.

Secondary Application

• How much does your secondary application fee cost?

  To submit a secondary application, a non-refundable fee of $120 will be required. Applicants who have been granted an AMCAS Fee Assistance Program (FAP) award will receive a non-refundable reduced secondary application fee of $50.

• Am I required to input all coursework completed on the Course Inventory of my secondary application?

  No, applicants are only required to input the minimum number of classes that satisfy the semester hour requirements for each section of the course inventory.

• Does the UCR SOM accept update/interest letters?

  Applicants can submit one application update per cycle on their secondary application portal in the “Other Documents” section in PDF format. Letters should be no longer than one page in length. Update letters/letter of interest/letter of intent will not be accepted via email.

  If you complete an interview with our program, you may submit one additional update letter or letter of interest/letter of intent.

• I have completed and submitted my secondary application to the UCR SOM. How can I make changes to it?

  Before submitting your secondary application, you should review it carefully and thoroughly. Once your application is submitted, no changes will be allowed.

• How do I reset my log-in password for my secondary application?

  To reset your application password, please select the “Forgot Password” option on the log-in page of your secondary application portal. Applicants should receive instructions via e-mail with steps on how to reset their password immediately.

  If you do not receive the password instructions, please contact medadmissions@medsch.ucr.edu for further assistance.