Pre-med students should select the right Northern California university and coursework to prepare them to apply to medical school.
For the student who plans to go to medical school, any undergraduate major at a reputable Northern California university with the appropriate preparatory coursework can be considered "pre-med." Selecting the right university and right coursework, however, will distinguish the pre-med undergrad from the others and will adequately prepare him to score well on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) that all medical schools require.
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley offers many resources for undergraduates wanting a pre-med course of study. Its reputation as a preeminent university alone will help any student applying to medical school. The Department of Bioengineering has developed a four-year pre-med concentration with course options and advice for preparing for medical school. The department recommends that students take all science prerequisites at Berkeley instead of at a community college. If students have placed out of any science prerequisites because they have earned AP credit, the department recommends they take more advanced science courses. University students govern Berkeley's pre-med chapter of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), which has supported medical student activism for half a century and coordinates short and long-term volunteering projects for Berkeley students. Berkeley's self-declared pre-med students also edit and publish "The Premed Perspective," a newsletter that reports on related campus events and explores pre-med student issues.
University of California, Berkeley
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
110 Sproul Hall #5800
Berkeley, CA 94720
510-642-1846
berkeley.edu
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis has its own School of Medicine that hosts an annual medical education symposium, gathering admissions representatives, doctors, and current medical students for pre-med undergraduates to ask about scholarships and career preparation. The medical school offers outreach programs to Davis undergrads, as well, and advises students that high grades and a high MCAT score alone will not guarantee admittance to medical school. Because people want compassionate physicians they can relate to as well as ones well-versed in medicine, Davis offers opportunities for undergrads to get involved with community projects and urges coursework in arts and culture as well as membership in its pre-med chapter of the AMSA which meets three times a quarter.
University of California, Davis
Undergraduate Admissions
One Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
530-752-2971
admissions.ucdavis.edu
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is a graduate-level medical school that offers a comprehensive post baccalaureate program for pre-med undergraduates who completed the required undergraduate coursework but have not been admitted into the medical schools they applied to or feel they need more preparation before applying to medical schools. The year-long program includes a summer component that includes intensive MCAT instruction with structure practice tests and workshops on critical thinking, time management and test taking techniques. During the academic year, students take seminars on health care issues in which they must earn a minimum 3.5 GPA and take part in mock interviews and medical school application preparation for evaluation and feedback.
University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
Admissions Office
521 Parnassus Ave., Room C-200
San Francisco, CA 94143
415-476-4044
ucsf.edu
Tags: University California, medical school, California Berkeley, California Davis, California Francisco, medical schools, Northern California