Postbaccalaureate Program

To be eligible for the Postbaccalaureate Program, candidates must:

• Be a California resident
• Be considered disadvantaged*
• Possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university
• Have a minimum cumulative and science GPA of 2.8
• Have completed the following requirements for medical school:
  
  • Biology: 1 year (including a minimum of one upper-division course)
  • Chemistry: 1 year general chemistry & 1 year organic chemistry
  • Physics: 1 year
• If a re-applicant, must have a minimum composite MCAT score of 492
• Have a demonstrated record of service to the underserved
• Have not previously matriculated at a medical school
• Submit an application with all supporting documents by the final deadline

*A disadvantaged individual is one who, from an early age, resided in a low-income community or experienced enduring family, societal or other hardships that significantly compromised their educational opportunities.

The Postbaccalaureate program is a one-year premedical academic enhancement program that includes:

• Full-time enrollment in two upper-division biology courses (8 units) in summer session I and II
• Full-time enrollment (12 units) in fall and winter quarters
• Concurrent enrollment in a 10-week MCAT critical reasoning skills enrichment course along with full-time undergraduate coursework in the fall quarter
• Full-time enrollment in MCAT preparation course in the spring quarter

Over the course of the program, students will complete a total of 40 quarter units. Depending on the academic background of the student, course enrollments will vary. Students will receive one-on-one academic counseling to formulate the classes that will best meet their academic needs and discuss the areas they can further develop in their application to medical school.

During the academic year, students enroll in upper-division science courses. It is expected that students will maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher in these courses. This is an opportunity for students to:

• Implement new learning skills and study habits
• Receive one-on-one academic counseling and guidance throughout the program and application process
• Demonstrate the academic mastery that is required in medical school
• Use various campus resources, including the Writing Center, the Learning & Academic Resource Center (LARC), the Career Center and the Counseling Center 

Students are also enrolled in an MCAT critical reasoning preparation course throughout fall quarter. If needed, students may also participate in research exposure for academic credit. The program hosts seminars, workshops, motivational gatherings and discussions focusing on professional development. Some additional highlights are:

• Mentoring opportunities
• Medical student interaction
• Clinical Skills Workshops

MCAT preparation consists of two phases.

PHASE I (Fall): The first phase takes place during fall quarter and consists of concurrent enrollment in a 10-week MCAT critical reasoning skills enrichment course along with full-time undergraduate coursework in the fall quarter. The intention of this phase is to allow students the opportunity to gain an advance start in enhancing their verbal reasoning skills prior to the intensive MCAT preparation phase in the spring.

PHASE II (Spring): The second phase takes place during the spring quarter and after completion of all program coursework, therefore, students can focus solely on preparing for the MCAT exam. Students complete a diagnostic and several full-length practice MCAT exams while enrolled in a full-time, intensive preparation course. During the preparation period, students will have access to several online and hard-copy instructional resources. The objective is to provide students with the tools needed to perform to their full potential on the MCAT exam.

During this phase, students meet regularly with the program advisor to determine their readiness for application/re-application to medical school. The MCAT exam date and subsequent application to medical school will be determined based on each individual student’s progress in the program and in their MCAT preparation.

Students are responsible for all costs, including living expenses, undergraduate tuition/registration fees and any additional educational costs over the course of the program. Since only a portion of the costs can be defrayed by student loans, participants are encouraged to apply early for financial aid. Depending on institutional funding in a given year, some of the costs may be covered by the program.

Applicants should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for both the current academic year and the previous academic year. Submitting the FAFSA is the first step to applying for financial aid. It does not cost anything to apply for financial aid. Please visit www.fafsa.gov to complete the form. UC Irvine's school code is 001314.

If you have any questions about the FAFSA or the financial aid process, representatives from the School of Medicine Financial Aid Office are available to help you. For specific questions, you may contact the Financial Aid Office at cmfao@uci.edu or 949-824-6476.

How to Apply:

The UC Irvine Postbaccalaureate Program, along with other CA medical school programs, are part of a consortium. The consortium uses a joint online application and a centralized service for all application materials. This allows applicants to apply to various programs on different campuses. Applications are considered separately and deadlines for completed applications vary for each program.

Application instructions are available on the CA Postbaccalaureate Consortium’s website: https://health.ucdavis.edu/postbacc-consortium/ 

In addition to submitting a complete online CA Postbaccalaureate Consortium application, you must submit all supporting materials, which include letters of recommendation, college transcripts and, if you are reapplying, a copy of your processed AMCAS application.

Official transcripts for all college level work, including summer course work, are required for your application to be considered complete. Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution to the CA Postbaccalaureate Consortium via email at pbcentraladmin@ucdavis.edu , via Interfolio, or mail to:

CA Postbaccalaureate Consortium
UC Davis School of Medicine
4610 X Street, Suite 4101
Sacramento, CA 95817

Application instructions are available on the CA Postbaccalaureate Consortium’s website and will go live starting December 2, 2024.

The 2025–26 application deadline is March 10, 2025, for both first-time applicants and re-applicants. 

There is no cost to apply and you can apply to all of the CA programs using the same online application found at the https://health.ucdavis.edu/postbacc-consortium/

The online application must be submitted along with all supporting materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation) by 11:59 pm Pacific Time on the deadline date. Applications are considered “complete status” only when all supplemental documents have been received and uploaded by the central administrative office at UC Davis. Kindly note that if your application is not in “complete status” by the deadline, it will NOT be reviewed and deemed ineligible.

Contact the CA Postbaccalaureate Program's central administrative office at UC Davis: pbcentraladmin@ucdavis.edu.

The CA Postbaccalaureate Program's central administrative office at UC Davis: pbcentraladmin@ucdavis.edu.

Send official E-transcripts directly to the CA Postbaccalaureate Program central administrative office at UC Davis at pbcentraladmin@ucdavis.edu or through Interfolio. Please note that we will not accept transcripts directly from applicants; they must be sent through a third party or the official institution.

Applicants may also send official transcripts (hard-copy) via mail directly to:

CA Postbaccalaureate Consortium
UC Davis School of Medicine
4610 X Street, Suite 4101
Sacramento, CA 95817

*Please note that the central office may take up to 10 business days to process your transcripts regardless of electronic or mail delivery

Re-applicants are defined as those who applied to a US medical school but were not granted admission. First-time applicants are students who have not applied to medical school.

Applications are considered “complete” status only when all of their supplemental documents have been received and uploaded by the central administrative office at UC Davis.

*Re-applicants will also need to submit a VERIFIED copy of their AMCAS or AACOMAS medical school application.

Log-in to your online application. Applicants can check the status of their supporting documents by going to the left navigation bar, under “Postbaccalaureate Application – Status – Status Checklist."

Applicants must acquire three letters of recommendation; additional letters will not be added to your file. One letter must be from a science professor, the second letter must be from a community service experience, and the third letter can be your choice from the following list:

• Faculty member (science or non-science professor)
• Research Director or Principal Investigator (if you have research experience)
• Representative from medical-related volunteer program Medical/Research Pathway
• Program Director (if you are a current participant or have completed a pathway program)
• Current employee (if you have paid work experience)

*Please note that "science professor" is defined as the faculty member who assigned your grade; a teaching assistant or graduate student will not qualify as a science instructor.

Re-applicants may use two of the letters of recommendations that were submitted for medical school, but the third must specifically address the applicant's suitability for the Postbaccalaureate program.

Letter writers must submit their letters electronically using the application portal. Please note that letters must be in PDF format, under institutional letterhead, and include a signature.

Yes. Our Postbaccalaureate program is designed to assist students in gaining admission to medical school.

Yes. All applicants must be California residents. Undocumented students who reside in California are eligible to apply.

Our CA Postbaccalaureate Consortium programs are academic record-enhancer programs, focused on improving GPA and MCAT scores in order for our students to be more competitive for medical school. You can search for career changer programs and other types of programs via the AAMC website.

To be eligible for the Postbaccalaureate Program, candidates must meet all of the following criteria below:

• Be a California resident
• Be considered disadvantaged*
• Possess an undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university
• Have a minimum cumulative and science GPA of 2.8
• Have completed the following requirements for medical school:
  • Biology: 1 year (including a minimum of one upper-division course)
  • Chemistry: 1 year general chemistry & 1 year organic chemistry
  • Physics: 1 year
• If a re-applicant, must have a minimum composite MCAT score of 492
• Have a demonstrated record of service to the underserved
• Have not previously matriculated at a medical school
• Submit an application with all supporting documents by the final deadline

*A disadvantaged individual is one who, from an early age, resided in a low-income community or experienced enduring family, societal or other hardships that significantly compromised their educational opportunities.

No. You must have completed the following coursework prior to starting the program, if accepted:

• Biology: 1 year (including labs and a minimum of one upper-division biology course)
• Chemistry: 1 year general chemistry & 1 year organic chemistry (including labs)
• Physics: 1 year