PRIME Academy

Our virtual PRIME-LC Academy is a one-week (Mon-Fri) half-day experience from approximately 9 AM-1 PM. While we are continuing to develop our virtual curriculum, we anticipate our PRIME-LC Academy Scholars will take part in a variety of activities, including:

• Leadership Training – PRIME-LC Academy pre-health scholars will receive instruction on being a successful physician-leader from experienced faculty and volunteers.
• PRIME Medical Student Forum – Current UCI Medical Students will give fascinating insight into the life of a medical student.
• Community Experience – Scholars will hear from community-based partners in Central Orange County and Long Beach, California.
• Medical Lectures – Scholars will learn about a wide range of clinical topics, including clinical reasoning, anatomy, CPR, etc. 
• Advocacy Training – Scholars will learn the key ways that physicians can advocate for the health of their communities. 
• Standardized Patient Experience – Students will interview standardized patient actors to gather medical information and work in teams to come to a diagnosis. 
• Games and Team Building- Build strong relationships with your scholar cohort as you play games and solve competitive puzzles with your team.

Our in-person program will be a one-week (Mon-Fri) day experience running from approximately 9:00 AM-4:00 PM daily. Students will experience all curricula of the above and, in addition participate in:

• Medical Resuscitation – In the renowned UCI Medical Education Simulation Center, learners will learn and practice the basics of medical resuscitation.
• Procedure Workshops – Scholars will learn the basics in suturing, ultrasound and other common medical procedures. 

Prior to starting your application, please have the following items ready for submission: 

• Name and email of your letter of recommendation writer.

We recommend you identify and contact your writer prior to submitting your application, asking permission to be listed as a letter writer.

• Answers to the following essay questions (750 characters each):
  1. What personal accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
  2. Please describe a challenge or disappointment you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience.
  3. Please describe your connection to the Latino or ABC community. What have you learned in working with these communities?

Letters of Recommendation: One letter of recommendation is required from a person who can speak to your strength as an applicant for this program (no family or relatives). This should be someone who has worked with you in an academic, extra-curricular, or community service capacity. This recommendation will be submitted through an online evaluation portal sent directly to the letter writer. This letter should include the following information:

Transcripts: Transcripts are NOT required for acceptance into the PRIME-LC Academy.  We may ask you to provide a copy of your transcript during the PRIME-LC Academy to facilitate individual counseling in preparing for medical school applications.

• Length of time the recommender has known the student.
• Capacity in which the recommender has known the student.
• How/why the student will benefit from participating in the PRIME-LC Academy and what attributes the student will bring to the PRIME-LC Academy.
• Optional: Comments on coursework, fieldwork, outreach, or other relevant extracurricular activities.

UCI Medical Education, Building 836

3rd Floor: Colloquium

836 Health Sciences Rd

Irvine CA 92617

You can park in either lot 82 or 84 (Zone 2 Commuter Areas). Those being dropped off can be dropped off at the front of lot 83, the School of Medicine entrance.

Breakfast will be served daily at 8:30 AM and programming will start promptly at 9:00 AM.

Programming ends at 4:00PM daily. 

Breakfast and lunch are served daily.

• Laptop or tablet (not required) 
• Water bottle Sunscreen 
• Walking shoes 
• All required prescriptions in a clear plastic bag.

Our programs will deliver a mix of dynamic lectures, small groups, panels, games, procedure workshops and simulation experiences to give you a wide view of the field of medicine.

Due to restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, our academies will not allow for any patient observation or interaction. We do provide simulated experiences to give learners an authentic clinical experience.

Guest internet access instructions: https://www.oit.uci.edu/visitor/

The UCI MedAcademy follows the UCI Campus Policy requiring full vaccination status for scholars to participate in in-person activities. There approved exceptions to COVID-19 vaccination based on a Medical Exemption, Disability, or Religious Objection. Scholars may apply for exemption by emailing medacademy@hs.uci.edu. 

Full University of California Policy is linked here. 

We do not provide housing as part of our program.

Please apply through the application link listed above. Prior to starting your application, please have the following items ready for submission: 

• Name and email of your letter of recommendation writer.

We recommend you identify and contact your writer prior to submitting your application, asking permission to be listed as a letter writer.

• Answers to the following essay questions (750 characters each):
  • What personal accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
  • Please describe a challenge or disappointment you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience.
  • Please describe your connection to the Latino or ABC community. What have you learned in working with these communities?

Reference writers should submit recommendation letters by emailing medacademy@hs.uci.edu. Please title subject lines as "Reference for (applicant name)."

After your reference completes their application, you will receive an email notifying you that your application is complete.