How to Apply
Medical School Application
Steps To Completing Your Medical School Application
You’ve got the dream; we’ve got your roadmap
Learn what to expect and confidently proceed with your medical school application
Applying to medical school and the medical school application process can be daunting. We’re here to help you learn what to expect and proceed with confidence. Preview every step in the medical school application process, dig into costs, sort through the prerequisites, and get to know the people, the programs, and the pioneering culture that make UCLA the best place to launch your promising career in medicine.
Virtual Office Hours every Wednesday (11 a.m. - 12 pm PST)
Register HereMedical School Application Timeline & Process
There are many elements to the journey of applying for medical school and many medical schools do it differently. Here are some of the major steps that you can expect at UCLA.
- Submit your primary medical school application with AMCAS
- Select individuals are invited to submit a secondary application
- Select individuals are invited to interview, which will be specific to the track for which you are granted an interview
- Offers of admission are issued on a rolling basis for the Traditional MD Track and on a cohort basis for MSTP and Prime-LA
Follow These Steps To Complete Your Medical School Application
The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA participates in AMCAS and utilizes a rolling admissions schedule.
The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) is the AAMC's centralized medical school application processing service. Most U.S. medical schools use AMCAS as the primary application method for their first-year entering classes.
Application Codes
- Traditional: Select "University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine".
- PRIME: Select "University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine". On the Secondary Application, you may choose to select the "Dual Consideration Option" to also be considered for the Traditional MD Track.
- MSTP: Select "University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine". On the Secondary Application, you may choose to select the "Dual Consideration Option" to also be considered for the Traditional MD Track.
The MCAT is a required component of your medical school application. It is recommended that all candidates take the Medical College Admission Test in the spring, but it must be taken no later than September 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 submitting your application.
MCAT scores from January 2019 through September 15, 2024, will be accepted for consideration. For questions about registration and test administration contact: mcat@aamc.org.
First-time test-takers
Submit your application by the DGSOM deadline of October 1, 2024 (11:59 PM EST). MCAT test scores will be accepted until October 31, 2024.
For those re-taking the test
We recommend submitting your application around the time you are re-taking the exam to be considered in the DGSOM rolling admissions process. In the rolling admissions process, applications are reviewed on a monthly basis in the fall. Medical school applications receive the same consideration regardless of the month in which they are reviewed.
We require 3 to 5 letters of recommendation. Letters should be from individuals who know the applicant well and from individuals who have spent a significant time with them, e.g. PI or mentor.
If your pre-health advisory office provides a committee letter, this letter will fulfill one letter requirement. The “committee letter” is also known as a composite letter, which is comprised of an evaluative letter and overall recommendations from several individuals within a single letter upload.
Please note: A letter packet, comprised of individual letters may also be known to the applicant as a “committee letter”. If a letter packet is provided for your medical school application and contains at least 3 letters, then no additional letters should be submitted.
Letters are to be submitted with the completed AMCAS application. Please note that only those letters submitted through AMCAS will be accepted.
AAMC PREVIEW EXAM is a requirement for Traditional MD Program Track Applicants
Applicants to our other program tracks (PRIME-LA and MSTP) will not have this requirement. However, if you are applying to PRIME-LA or MSTP Tracks and opt-in for dual consideration (which includes Traditional MD consideration), you will need to complete the exam.
AAMC PREview Exam 2024-25 Cycle: The PREview score submission deadline date is November 15, 2024.
This exam will be used to further enhance our holistic review process for Traditional MD Program Track applicants. We will consider scores as one part of our admissions process to better understand and evaluate the whole applicant.
Your PREview exam score is required to complete your Traditional MD Track application and should be provided as early as possible in the application season. PREview exam scores do not expire.
Please pay careful attention to information about the exam, including preparation materials, test registration, requests for accommodations, and important dates and deadlines.
Please note:
- All application documents must be submitted through the AMCAS application portal.
- Updates to your medical school application will only be accepted when you submit your secondary application.
- The Admissions Committee makes an effort to seek out qualified applicants, and when a secondary application is requested, a processing fee of $95.00 will be required. Fee waivers, based solely on economic need, are granted only to applicants who have qualified for the AAMC Fee Assistance Program.
Medical School Application Timeline
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA participates in AMCAS and utilizes a rolling admissions schedule.
AMCAS medical school application deadline: October 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST
Applicant's response to acceptance offer: Maximum time, 15 days
Key Deadlines and Events | Dates and Timeframes |
---|---|
AMCAS Application Deadline | October 1, 2024 (11:59 p.m. EST) |
Secondary Application Deadline | 2 weeks from the date and time of invitation |
Screening of Completed Applications | July - November |
Interviews | August - March |
Offers of Admission | Starting October 15, 2024 |
*Applicant’s response to acceptance offer: Maximum time, 15 days
Information specific to additional tracks
Please review track-specific admissions instructions for UCLA-Caltech MSTP and PRIME-LA.