UCSB vs UCI vs UCD for Premed/Prepharm

College Search & Selection
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I got in UCSB for biochem, UCI for pharm sciences, and UCD for pharm chem. I also got regents for UCD.
I’m conflicted because UCSB ranks high and biochem is a more flexible major for med/pharm, UCI is also prestigious and good for pharm, and UCD I got regents for.

Any insights on which I should choose? Any ideas on which would be the best academically for premed/prepharm?

(Bumped on 4/9)

2

You might want to contact @aunt_bea since her Daughter went to UCD and is currently in Pharmacy school at UCSF for that perspective.

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My daughter got a really good, strong Pharm. education at Davis. The advisors are phenomenal! The MCAT and PCAT study sessions occur often and are free.
Basing your decision on “ranks” wont help your personal path to Pharm or med school. UCSB doesn’t have a hospital if you needed that experience. UCI, does.

Here is what the rankings don’t tell you:

COLLABORATIVE STUDIES: UCD is unique in the way that they support their students via collaborative means. The students actually help each other and work in teams. This is not just specific to pharm and med students, it’s in all of the majors.

  • They provide PrePharm coaching: re steps to apply to the professional programs.
  • They provide PCAT tutoring.
  • They have access for volunteer opportunities to regional Health Clinics.
  • There are paid lab positions.
  • They have great Support for tutors:
    UCD has free tutoring every night, in the social halls of the dorms. The lab tutors are GA’s in the major.
    UC Davis Hospital
    Because Davis actually has a hospital in Sacramento, and several Low Income clinics, you have access to those clinics and labs. The location of Davis, in rural farmland, lends to low-SES clinics staffed by Davis students. The med schools like these experiences.
    They have on-going research in how pesticides are affecting some of their medically indigent farm working patients. They also are looking at Malnutrition affecting retention of information.

My daughter volunteered at a no-cost Diabetes and General health clinic in Sacramento, staffed by physicians from the Davis hospital.
She already was trained in universal precautions, autoclaving, sterilization of instruments, centrifuge use and general lab procedures so she gained more experience dealing with patients. Most of the patients were Spanish speakers. Not only did her Spanish improve in the area of medical terminology, but her clinic buddies also picked up Spanish skills, phrases, and terminology.
Davis holds an annual PreHealth conference staffed by student health volunteers who act as chauffeurs, escorts, and guides for invited physicians, researchers, and professionals in health fields.
https://prehealthconference.ucdavis.edu

The students look HAPPY on campus. They are helpful and will go out of their way to stop and help a new biker. (There are 40K bikes on campus.)

My daughter is just finishing up her program at UCSF. It’s considered one of the best Hospitals in the nation. Their pediatrics and cancer centers are phenomenal! She was able to work with pediatric cancer physicians and staff gaining valuable knowledge of their onsite medications. She had med school roommates. She took the same courses as the med students.

It is a very tough program to gain admittance, yet she got as well as 4 of her Davis classmates in the same year.

Don’t just take my word for it. My view is narrow and how well-prepared my daughter presented herself to the pharm schools. She got into every program that she applied to including: USC, UW, UT, and U of Colorado Skaggs School of Medicine. I don’t remember the rest.
You need to research how those other schools are going to help you on your path to a pharmacy or med school.

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Forgot to add, The rents are less expensive in Davis. You’re going to need to save your money to save for the med school expenses.

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Saving $30K on undergrad will help with grad school.

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Out of curiosity, what school did you end up going to?

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You might want to PM OP since it has been 2 years since posting on CC. Based on their posts, they SIR’d to UC Davis but ended up getting into UC Berkeley off the waitlist. They never posted their decision between UCB and UCD.