ARC-MD Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Prospective Students page has information regarding the application process as well as program information. There is more information in the drop-down menu on the left of the page as well. If you have specific questions, I would be happy to answer them or forward them to the program director.

Yes, there is a separate process that parallels the regular M.D. program.  All students who check the ARC-MD box on the secondary application will have their application reviewed by one of the ARC-MD faculty.  ARC-MD faculty participate in the School of Medicine admissions process and provide input that informs a final decision about admission to UC Davis School of Medicine. Those students offered admission to UC Davis School of Medicine and retain interest in ARC-MD will be interviewed by ARC-MD faculty and students. A final decision regarding admissions to the ARC-MD honors pathway will be made soon thereafter. 

As noted above, admission to the regular program is a prerequisite for admission to ARC-MD.

We ask that students make a timely decision as we usually have more students interested than positions available. The final decision must be made by the same date as the final decision for the selection of a medical school. Students may elect to discontinue participation in ARC-MD during medical school.  However, since we have more candidates than positions, we ask that candidates who have any ambiguity about ARC-MD decline to participate.

No, there are no courses online for interested students.

We expect our students to be fine clinicians who can relate patient and population level health challenges to research. We expect students to graduate with publication(s) and either a certificate or Master’s degree in Clinical Research. We expect students to be highly competitive for residency programs.

ARC-MD and M.D.-Ph.D. programs complement and collaborate with each other. The ARC-MD program is a 5-year medical school program with a strong possibility of continued participation during residency. The ARC-MD program is fundamentally designed to train the diverse, team-based physician scientist faculty of the future. There is no preconceived idea about what research the students might pursue, ranging from basic-translational to clinical trials to community engaged research to advocacy and policy. The M.D.-Ph.D. program is approximately 8 years long and, because a Ph.D. is awarded by one of the UC Davis graduate groups, the research themes are much more likely to be basic translational in nature, although that is not always the case. Faculty from both programs coordinate efforts.

On the AMCAS application there is a box to check with a short paragraph to complete if you’re interested in the ARC-MD Program. 

The requirements for Letters of Recommendation are the same as the M.D. only program (3-6 letters of recommendations allowed; at least one from a physician or clinician recommended.)

The average applicant GPA is 3.62 and MCAT is 510.

The review is holistic. "Significant" research experience is critical and publication(s) and time spent performing research is evaluated carefully. Clinical shadowing can contribute to the overall admissions process but has less impact on selection to the ARC-MD program.

There is no preference as to the type of research - it's the quality of the research and the commitment to a career in research that counts. Diversity, team work, focus, and a long view are valued.

We currently aim to matriculate five per class. This allows us to provide significant mentoring for each student.

Students are provided a minimum of $15,000 support per year of fee remission. Students have the opportunity for more support based on their financial statements and other scholarships available to UC Davis students.