<p>How difficult is it for someone from the east coast to get into UCSD med? One of my chemistry pre-med buds recommended UCSD med as a viable option, and after more research I'm strongly leaning towards coming here (change of scenery and weather might be nice too) for medical school.</p>
<p>I say if you're not fluent in Spanish, don't even bother.</p>
<p>piccolo:</p>
<p>UCSD has a pretty well respected med school and the university is well-known for its bio sciences. Check out this site -
Medical</a> School Rankings
According to it, UCSD is number 10 when ranked by MCAT which would make it appear to be pretty selective and not so easy for anyone to get into. I'm not sure your undergrad location matters.</p>
<p>And, you don't need to be fluent in Spanish or even speak a word of it so ignore the previous poster. The weather in San Diego and especially La Jolla is hard to beat. If you're interested in it - go for it.</p>
<p>I am way spanish challenged (give me japanese anyday) and I go to ucsd/live in la jolla, and it has never even phased me..so I have No clue what afruff is even talking about</p>
<p>Good luck getting in. Isn't the admission rate like 6%? Ouch.</p>
<p>I don't know about in-state, but OOS is even tougher and Spanish is like an unwritten requirement.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Good luck getting in. Isn't the admission rate like 6%? Ouch.
[/quote]
But someone going to Hahvahd is already used to getting into schools with very low admission rates.</p>
<p>^^ afruff - Where are you getting that 'Spanish' idea from? Do you even go to UCSD? Actually, are you in college yet?</p>
<p>I remember reading it in the premed forums.</p>
<p>Premed students aren't in med school yet so what do they know and why would you post discouraging remarks when you have no idea what you're talking about?</p>
<p>UCLA's medical school has a Spanish language requirement. Given that UCSD is harder to get into and in an area with a greater Hispanic population, it's not hard to see how Spanish is practically a prerequisite to UCSD medical school.</p>
<p>Oh, and this info was from someone already in medical school who has been through the process already.</p>
<p>EDIT: Admissions</a> ~ Overview</p>
<p>
[quote]
Proficiency in a foreign language such as Spanish is considered highly desirable.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm not saying you can't get into UCSD without Spanish, but you'd have to have amazing credentials when there's a 6% acceptance rate.</p>
<p>Admissions</a> ~ Faq's</p>
<p>
[quote]
Typically, about 90% of each incoming class will be California residents.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So you're vying for 10% of the available spots at a school with a 6% acceptance rate.</p>
<p>afruff:</p>
<p>Again, there's no requirement of "fluent in Spanish". Also, it seems that the OP goes to Harvard which I'd say already distinguishes the OP from the masses. That doesn't mean it'll be easy to get accepted but I see no reason to discourage the OP at this point.</p>
<p>I never said Spanish is a requirement like UCLA med school, but it is highly desirable.</p>
<p>I'm not trying to discourage anybody, just keeping them realistic. The med school application process is way more chaotic than the undergrad application process. But in any case, you should still make sure the premed classes you take will allow you to apply to any school you might consider in the future.</p>
<p>Actually, according to UCLA's website they also don't state Spanish as a requirement - but as 'highly desirable' like they do with 'computer skills' and 'humanities'. However, even that doesn't necessarily mean one needs to be fluent in it. </p>
<p>Are you implying that one year of college spanish qualifies you to speak to patients about medical procedures, treatment, etc? I think it's helpful but it's not going to make or break your application. Being fluent is probably what they mean by "highly desirable," not a year of saying Como estas and Soy bien.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm not trying to discourage anybody, just keeping them realistic.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think youre skewing the picture more than anything</p>
<p>To the OP:</p>
<p>There is more to choosing a prospective med school than just picking one with sunny weather and whatnot. For example, some med schools grade on Pass/No pass scales and lower the stress level of their med students. There are many more things to consider. As such, you should go on studentdoctor.net and do some more research.</p>
<p>OP,</p>
<p>Your school carries the prestige factor. I would focus on making sure your GPA and MCAT are within their range of acceptance. California medical schools are trending to accepting people with more and more research done. Being a legacy helps but more so in the ivies. Good luck with what ever you decide.</p>
<p>I'm fluent in spanish so that's fine...but 6%? Haha, nice...although I'd like to see where I said weather would be anything more than just a bonus.</p>