Helpful Resources for Applicants!

Do you have application questions? We can help!

The California Postbaccalaureate Consortium values the role of exposure in preparing our applicants and students for medical school. Our application mirrors the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) medical school application. Please allow for ample time to complete this application. 

Application Deadlines

  • First-time Applicant Deadline: March 27, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PST)
    • Huwighurruk - Cal Poly Humboldt: May 3, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PST)
  • Re-applicant Deadlines:
    • UC Irvine: March 27, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PST)
    • UC Davis and UC San Francisco: May 3, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PST)
    • Huwighurruk: May 3, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PST)
    • Charles Drew University: April 7, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PST)
    • UC Los Angeles (RAP): May 20, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PST)

To meet application deadlines, all supporting materials and online application need to be submitted by Midnight, PST. 

Please visit the following link to access our application portal when it opens in January 2024: https://postbac.meded.uci.edu/.

Applications are considered complete only when all supporting documents are submitted and received by the specified deadline.

First-time applicants are defined as those who have never applied to medical school but have completed the requirements for entrance into the postbaccalaureate programs.

Re-applicants are those who have applied to a US medical school in the past but were not granted admission.

  1. Have demonstrated commitment to practice in the underserved communities of California
  2. Have completed an undergraduate degree in an accredited US college or university
  3. Be a resident of California, as defined by the University of California Office of the President
  4. Come from an educationally and/or economically disadvantaged background
    • The California Postbaccalaureate Consortium programs are committed to serving students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Typically, applicants are considered disadvantaged if "from an early age, you resided in a low-income community or experienced enduring family and/or societal hardship that significantly compromised your educational opportunities." More information regarding disadvantaged definitions can be found within the application under the disadvantaged status section.
    • If you are uncertain of your status, we encourage you to apply!
    • If you are not from a disadvantaged background, please be advised there are other postbaccalaureate programs in California and throughout the country that do not focus on students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Please visit the AAMC website for a list of those programs.

Each program has their own criteria required for matriculation:

Program

UC Davis

UC Irvine

UCLA
(re-applicant only program)

UCSF

Charles R. Drew 

Required Overall and Science GPA Requires undergraduate and science GPA average of at least 2.7 Must have minimum cumulative and science GPA of  2.8 Have a minimum science GPA of 2.7 or higher Must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.94 and a minimum science GPA of 2.8 Must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.94 and a minimum science GPA of 2.8
Required Prerequisites

Have completed these prerequisites: 

  • 1 Year- Biology with lab
  • 1 Year- General Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Organic Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Physics with lab
  • Biochemistry is encouraged, but not required.

Have completed these prerequisites:

  • 1 Year- Biology with lab including a minimum of one upper-division course
  • 1 Year- General Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year-Organic Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Physics with lab

This program is designed specifically for re-applicants. Re-applicant is defined as those who have applied to a US medical school in the past but were not granted admission.

It is assumed that all medical school prerequisites have been met for re-applicants who have previously submitted an AMCAS or AACOMAS application.

Have completed the following prerequisites:

  • 1 Year- Biology with lab
  • 1 Year- Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Organic Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Physics with lab
  • 1 Semester- Biochemistry

Have completed these prerequisites: 

  • 1 Year- Biology with lab
  • 1 Year- General Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Organic Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Physics with lab
  • Biochemistry is encouraged, but not required.
MCAT Requirement No MCAT requirement

ONLY if you are a re-applicant, you must have a minimum composite MCAT score of 492

re-applicant: those who have applied to a US medical school in the past but were not granted admission.

For students who took the MCAT 2012-2014 or later, have a minimum combined score of 20


For those who took the MCAT 2015, have a minimum combined score of 491

ONLY if you are a re-applicant, you must have a minimum combined 2015 MCAT score of 496 ONLY if you are a re-applicant, you must have a minimum combined 2015 MCAT score of 496

if you are a re-applicant you must include a copy of your verified AMCAS or AACOMAS with your application.

Resources for Applicants: 

  • Determine your cumulative and science GPA by clicking here
  • Reference what coursework is considered for your science GPA by clicking here

The Tribal Health Postbaccalaureate Program is intended for individuals who:

Category 1

Are seeking academic enhancement to prepare for medical school. 
Category 2 Previously applied to medical school but were not accepted or do not possess a qualifying MCAT score for medical school. 
Category 3

Non-science majors or "career changers" now seeking a career as a physician. 

* MCAT is not required

For Category 1 & 2 applicants, student must have completed the majority of basic prerequisite coursework for medical school. 
  • 1 Year- Biology with lab
  • 1 Year- General Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Organic Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Physics with lab
  • Biochemistry is encouraged, but not required.
  • Have an undergraduate and science GPA average of at least 2.9 and a BCPM GPA average of 2.5

For Category 3 applicants 

  • 1 Year- General Chemistry with lab
  • 1 Year- Biology with lab
  • Have an undergraduate cumulative GPA average of at least 3.2

Please prepare an answer to the essay prompts below. All essays must be entered into the online application portal.

  • Personal Comments: Explain why you want to go to medical school. The available space for your response is 2,500 characters including spaces.
  • Postbaccalaureate EssayExplain why you would like to participate in a postbaccalaureate program. Discuss your expectations of the program and what you will contribute to it. Explain any weakness in your academic record and what areas you would like assistance in improving. The available space is 2,500 characters including spaces.
  • Community Service EssayDescribe your experience volunteering with or living in an underserved community. The available space is 2,500 characters including spaces.

Information collected on this site is secure and will only be shared within the California Postbaccalaureate Consortium. Please note that admission into a postbaccalaureate program at a California Postbaccalaureate Consortium School of Medicine in no way guarantees admission to the UC Schools of Medicine. On an annual basis, the Consortium recommends to the UC medical schools students who have successfully completed the requirements of the postbaccalaureate programs. Acceptance decisions are made solely by the Schools of Medicine.

Your application is considered complete only when all of your supplemental documents have been received by the central office and marked as received in your application. Please send only one copy of your documents to the central office. Supplemental documents sent to the central office will be uploaded to your application. All UCs you choose to apply to will be able to access these documents.

Three Letters of Recommendation:

All applicants are required to submit three letters of recommendation.

First letter of recommendation 

Letter from a science faculty member 

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

Please note that letters must be in PDF format, under institutional letterhead, and include a signature.

Second letter of recommendation 

Letter from a community service experience

Please note that letters must be in PDF format, under institutional letterhead, and include a signature.

Third letter of recommendation

Letter from this 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 employer (if you have paid work experience)

Please note that letters must be in PDF format, under institutional letterhead, and include a signature.

  •  If you have an interest in applying to UC San Francisco we highly recommend utilizing the faculty member letter ( specified above) as your third letter. 
  • Please take note: applicants can ONLY have three letters of recommendation submitted to the application. All three submitted letters will be provided to all programs that you have selected in your application. You cannot have a fourth letter used for a specific program.
  • 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. We do not have access to letters submitted through AMCAS or AACOMAS. Your letter writers must upload the letter via our application portal or you may utilize Interfolio. 
  • Letter writers must submit their letters electronically using the application portal.

If wanting to use Interfolio, find instructions on our FAQ page here.

Official Transcripts:

  • Applicants must submit transcripts for ALL college-level work.
  • You must submit transcripts for all institutions attended including summer course work.
    • Even if grades at one school are reported on the transcript of another school (as is sometimes done for summer courses), you must submit an official transcript from the school at which the courses were actually taken.
  • You may not send us your transcripts yourself. Transcripts must be sent directly from your institution to the California Postbaccalaureate Consortium via email at pbcentraladmin@ucdavis.edu,  or to the mailing address listed below. Please note that the central office requires up to 10 business days to process and upload your transcripts to your application regardless of email or mail delivery. We do not accept walk-ins to drop off your transcripts.

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

AMCAS or AACOMAS Application: If you are a re-applicant, you must include a copy of your verified AMCAS or AACOMAS application.


Resources and Reminders:

  • Checking your stauts: Applicants can check the status of their application and supporting documents by logging into their Application Portal. Once logged in, visit the “Status” tab on the left navigation bar. 
  • Questions: Visit our FAQ section for any specific application questions or concerns regarding supplemental document submission or processing 
  • Processing Time: We require 10 business days to process and upload your transcripts to your application regardless of email or mail delivery.
  • When sending your transcript: Please send your transcripts to the specified locations (we are not UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions).