Planning to pursue premed at UC Irvine? Learn about UCI premed requirements, advising, research, clinical opportunities, MCAT timing, and strategies for getting into medical school.
Learn everything it takes to succeed as a UC Irvine premed
What You'll Learn
UC Irvine Premed Environment
How UCI’s position among top public universities and its sizeable pre-health student population create a supportive yet competitive landscape for aspiring medical students.
Quarter System Prerequisites
How to translate standard medical school prerequisites into UCI’s ten-week quarter system across biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, math, and writing courses.
Course Planning & Postbaccalaureate
Strategies for mapping out prerequisite classes and leveraging UCI's Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program if coursework needs to be extended.
GPA & Study Strategies
Practical tips for protecting your GPA, including time management techniques, attending office hours, utilizing TA support, and joining or creating study groups.
Choosing the Best Major
Guidelines for evaluating undergraduate majors based on personal interest, GPA maintenance potential, and overlap with required premed coursework.
Clinical & Regional Opportunities
How to pursue meaningful clinical experience, shadowing, and research across local medical facilities and regional healthcare systems near Irvine.
MCAT Timing & Applications
Optimal timelines for taking the MCAT, key foundational science courses to complete beforehand, and strategies for navigating medical school application decisions.
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Is UC Irvine good for premed?
UC Irvine is a strong option for premed students because it combines dedicated pre-health advising, extensive undergraduate research, and direct access to clinical and shadowing opportunities through UCI Health.
Premeds of any major can use UCI’s pre-health advising resources, while approximately 1,000 undergraduates participate in BIO SCI 199 research across more than 250 laboratories in the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences and UCI School of Medicine. UCI’s research infrastructure includes more than 250 Biological Sciences and School of Medicine laboratories participating in BIO SCI 199.
The university’s quarter system and large pre-health population require careful academic planning, but students who plan early can build a rigorous science foundation while pursuing research, clinical experience, service, and shadowing.
Over 90% of our students get into med school—the first time.
Get our free 102-page guide to help you with every step: Get Into Medical School: 6 Practical Lessons to Stand Out and Earn Your White Coat
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UC Irvine premed quick facts
| UC Irvine Premed Quick Facts | |
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| UC Irvine applicants to med school 2025-2026 | |
| National medical school acceptance rate | |
| Most popular premed major | |
| Prehealth advising available? | |
| Committee letter offered? | |
| Academic system |
UC Irvine premed requirements
While it’s important to look into the academic requirements of each medical school you apply to, this list of required courses should satisfy the requirements for the majority of them. As you’ll see, there are certain classes that all premed students have to take. For some requirements, though, you are free to choose from a wide variety of courses. UCI uses a quarter term system (as opposed to the traditional semester system) that is broken up into fall, winter and spring terms that each last ten weeks. This schedule will offer the opportunity to fulfill your requirements with nontraditional premed courses, if that’s something you would like to explore.
Here is a table detailing premed requirements at UCI:
| Biology: Three quarters and one lab | BIO SCI 93, BIO SCI 93L BIO SCI 94, BIO SCI 94L BIO SCI 97 (Genetics) |
BIO SCI 99 (Molecular Biology) BIO SCI 100 (Scientific Writing) |
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| General chemistry: Two quarters and one lab | CHEM 1A, CHEM 1AL CHEM 1B CHEM 1C, CHEM 1CL (prerequisite for Organic Chemistry) |
CHEM 100 (Special Topics in Chemistry) CHEM 101 (Writing in the Chemical Sciences) |
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| Organic chemistry: Three quarters and one lab | CHEM 51A CHEM 51B, CHEM 51LB CHEM 51C |
CHEM 51LC CHEM 125 (Advanced Topics in Organic Chemistry) |
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| Biochemistry: One course | BIO SCI 98 | BIO SCI M114 (Advanced Biochemistry) | ||||
| Math: Three quarters (must include calculus and statistics) | MATH 2A or 5A or 7A One statistics course One of the following: MATH 2B or 5B or 7B or any other math course |
MATH 2D (Multiple-Variable Calculus I) MATH 2E (Multiple-Variable Calculus II) |
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| Physics: Three quarters and one lab | PHYSICS 3A PHYSICS 3B PHYSICS 3C Plus: PHYSICS 3LB or PHYSICS 3LC |
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| College-level English/writing: One year (must include writing) | 3 English, Comparative Literature, or Writing courses | |||||
| Courses helpful for MCAT prep: Psychology and Sociology | PSYCH 7A SOCIOL 1 |
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When it comes to juggling these requirements, in addition to those of your major which may or may not overlap, it is a good idea to plan ahead. This way you won’t find yourself playing catch-up and subjecting yourself to an unmanageable course load.
(Suggested Reading: Medical School Requirements: The Definitive Guide)
Sample three-year plan
Here is a sample three-year plan that demonstrates how you might complete all of your premed requirements by the end of your junior year which is essential if you are planning to go straight through from undergrad directly to medical school. If you are planning to apply to medical schools after your senior year, you may want to spread out these requirements over your full four-year course of study.
| Freshman Fall |
BIO SCI 93
BIO SCI 93L MATH 5A |
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| Freshman Winter |
BIO SCI 94
BIO SCI 94L MATH 5B |
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| Freshman Spring |
BIO SCI 97
STATS 8 English/Writing Course |
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| Sophomore Fall |
CHEM 1A CHEM 1AL PHYSICS 3A |
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| Sophomore Winter | CHEM 1B
PHYSICS 3B PHYSICS 3LB BIO SCI 98 |
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| Sophomore Spring |
CHEM 1C
CHEM 1CL PHYSICS 3C |
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| Junior Fall |
CHEM 51A
English/Writing Course |
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| Junior Winter | CHEM 51B
CHEM 51LB |
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| Junior Spring | CHEM 51C
English/Writing Course |
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While this plan means taking at least two required courses each quarter of your first three years at UC Irvine, it is still manageable. It can also be a great relief to get through your premed requirements with a year to spare. That said, if you don’t find yourself moving at this pace don’t despair. Taking a gap year can be valuable not only as life experience but also as a way to bolster your medical school application.
What’s the best premed major at UC Irvine?
There is no single best premed major at UC Irvine. Medical schools generally do not require a particular undergraduate major, so your best choice is a field that genuinely interests you, allows you to maintain a strong GPA, and leaves room for required premed coursework. UCI does, however, offer an unusually explicit option: the B.S. in Biomedical Engineering: Premedical. Its curriculum is designed to prepare students for medical school by combining an engineering foundation with additional biological sciences and chemistry coursework. That can be attractive for students interested in both medicine and biomedical technology, but it is only one of many viable paths. Biology, public health, chemistry, humanities, social sciences, and other majors can all support a successful medical school application.
When Should You Take the MCAT?
Determining when you should take the MCAT depends on a number of factors such as the premed classes you’ve completed and when you are planning to apply to medical school. If you are planning to apply to medical school straight through—without taking a gap year—we generally recommend taking the MCAT for the first time in the fall of your junior year. This will allow you to study in the summer after your sophomore year. It will also provide adequate time in case you need to retake the test.
It is important, however, to have completed most of your premed requirements before taking the MCAT, as they will be invaluable when it comes to prep. If you have not completed most of these requirements before the fall of your junior year, it would be smart to hold off on taking the test until later in the school year. You should also hold off if you are scoring poorly on the AAMC practice tests and need more time to study.
The biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biochemistry required courses are particularly important to take before the MCAT. Even though the biochemistry premed requirements are less than those of the other sciences, it is, in fact, one of the most important subjects to master for the MCAT. If you are planning to take one or more gap years before medical school we generally recommend waiting until your senior year or later to take the MCAT. This will allow you to complete all of your premed requirements and then prepare for the test to your greatest ability.
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How do you maintain a high GPA as a UC Irvine premed?
Maintaining a high GPA as a UC Irvine premed requires deliberate course sequencing, consistent study habits, and early use of academic support. Because UCI operates on ten-week quarters, difficult science courses can move quickly, so avoid stacking too many demanding prerequisites in the same term.Here are some additional guidelines to keep your GPA where you’d like it:
Time management is essential. While we’ve covered this on a broader scale (planning over the course of multiple years), we also need to think about time management on the monthly, weekly, and day-to-day scales. One of the best ways to manage your time is by creating work schedules and priority lists. If you can block out periods for coursework it will also help you enjoy your well-earned free time. Developing a consistent scheduling practice will also be hugely beneficial when it comes to balancing extracurriculars with your schoolwork.
Expect the premed track to be a challenge. If you cruised through high school, this will certainly not be the case as a UCI premed. Expect to put in more academic effort than you ever have before, studying hard and often. Adjusting your mindset will be essential to sustaining focus.
Take advantage of office hours and TA sessions. It’s important to ask questions when you don’t understand the course material. Everyone misses something here and there, and it won’t do any good to act as if you’re above needing assistance. The longer you wait to ask for help, the more likely it is that you will fall behind.
Join a study group. This is another place where you can ask questions, while also supporting one another’s commitment to the track that you’re on. If you can’t find a supportive study group consider organizing one of your own.
Finally, as touched upon above, remember to not overburden yourself with a heavy course load to the point that it adversely affects your GPA. Even a well-thought-out plan should always leave space for alterations. If you’re having trouble fitting all of your requirements into the fall, winter, and spring quarters, consider supplementing them with summer classes.
If you begin the premed track later or need additional academic preparation after graduation, UCI offers multiple postbaccalaureate pathways. The Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences Postbaccalaureate Pre-Health Program now offers separate Career Changer and Academic Enhancer tracks. The Career Changer pathway is designed for students who need to complete prerequisite coursework, while the Academic Enhancer pathway is designed for students who have completed core prerequisites and want to strengthen their academic record. UCI School of Medicine also operates a separate California Postbaccalaureate Consortium program for eligible California residents from disadvantaged backgrounds who are seeking academic enhancement before medical school..
(Suggested Reading: Postbaccalaureate Programs: How to Get In (Essay Examples Included))
What extracurriculars should you do as a UC Irvine premed?
When it comes to picking your extracurriculars, medical school admissions committees value meaningful, sustained engagement as opposed to merely checking off all of the boxes. So, your extracurriculars do not need to be explicitly medicine-related as much as they should engage your passions.
Regarding medicine more specifically, UCI administers the UCI Medical Center, a major research hospital and the teaching hospital for the UCI School of Medicine. Since 1965 the medical center has been home to the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated center for cancer treatment and research and since 2000 the medical center has been publishing the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. Further, UCI Health programs in urology, gynecology, geriatrics, cancer, digestive disorders, nephrology, orthopedics, and ear, nose & throat rank among the top 50 nationwide. So, it’s evident that a great deal of cutting-edge medical care and research takes place right nearby.
(Suggested Reading: How to Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities for Medical School)
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UC Irvine clinical and community service opportunities
When it comes to volunteering and clinical experience, UC Irvine and the surrounding area offers a plethora of options. Here are some programs managed by UCI Health
Patient Experience Internship Program – this program revolves around enhancing patient-related care and students must commit to a minimum of 5 hours per week.
Music to Heal Program – this program invites volunteers to play music for or alongside patients in order to improve their well-being for a minimum of 2 hours per week.
Pet Therapy Program – this program involves working with therapy animals in order to improve patient well-being.
Cuddler Volunteer Program – in this program volunteers provide developmentally appropriate support to newborns whose families cannot visit the hospital each day to spend time with them.
Child Life Volunteer Program – in this program volunteers provide a therapeutic play program to help pediatric patients and their families cope with their medical experience for a minimum of 3 hours per week.
College Volunteers Program – in this program volunteers take part in a wide variety of tasks related to the medical field, committing to a minimum of 100 service hours.
UC Irvine also has a great number of student groups in which you will find a range of both volunteer and leadership opportunities. A number of these groups are related to medicine, such as the Sports Medicine Club, the Pre-Health Alliance, and the American Medical Students Association Chapter at UCI, to name just a few. Additionally, here is a list of volunteer opportunities for pre-health students compiled by UCI. It will be worthwhile to sort through these lists on your own and, again, to find the groups that you are passionate about.
UC Irvine premed shadowing
Finding shadowing opportunities as a premed can be a daunting task. It requires forming relationships with people you hope to learn from, and this often begins with cold-calling.
UC Irvine premeds can pursue structured physician shadowing through the Irvine Clinical Experience (I.C.E.) program. The program is designed for current full-time UCI undergraduates and pairs accepted students with healthcare professionals, with students rotating to a new physician each quarter. I.C.E. is a three-quarter, 100-hour commitment. Applicants must have completed at least two quarters at UCI and hold at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Participating departments currently include Emergency Medicine, General Surgery, Hematology Oncology, Nephrology, Neuro-Oncology, Radiology, Trauma Surgery, Urologic Surgery, and others.
The UCI Medical Center is, of course, a great place to start looking. The UCI Health Irvine Clinical Experience program is explicitly designed to provide UCI premeds with a wide variety of shadowing experiences. This program offers shadowing in departments ranging from emergency medicine to neuro-oncology to psychiatry and beyond.
You may also want to look into other hospitals and private practices in the area in order to gain a fuller understanding of the options available to you as a physician. A few other medical facilities to look into are:
Hoag Hospital – with locations in both Irvine, CA and Newport Beach, CA
Providence Mission Hospital – located in Mission Viejo, CA
Corona Regional Medical Center – located in Corona, CA
If you’re having trouble finding shadowing opportunities, you can also reach out to alumni. Remember that UC Irvine alumni who are now working in the medical field have been through the same things you’re currently going through. They will likely be sympathetic to your plight.
UC Irvine premed research
UC Irvine offers extensive undergraduate research opportunities for premeds, particularly through BIO SCI 199. Approximately 1,000 students participate in experimental laboratory, field, or clinical research across more than 250 laboratories in the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences and UCI School of Medicine. Students who remain in the same BIO SCI 199 laboratory for the required period may also pursue the Undergraduate Excellence in Research Program, present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and, upon successful completion, have their work published in the Journal of Undergraduate Research in the Biological Sciences. UCI also points students toward campus-wide opportunities such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP).
In a similar vein, the School of Biological Sciences hosts an Undergraduate Excellence in Research Program. This program will provide you with the opportunity to present your work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Students who successfully complete this program will also have their research published in the Journal of Undergraduate Research in the Biological Sciences. Finally, the Minority Science Program at UCI seeks to increase the number of underrepresented groups in biomedical research careers.
The Office of Research at UCI provides a central hub bringing together the wide variety of work being conducted at the university. On their website, you will find information on the various research centers and institutes at UCI, as well as funding and research development opportunities. Finally, other departments offer similar opportunities to those of the School of Biological Sciences listed above, and it will be a good idea to explore any research opportunities (including getting involved with your professors’ research) that are relevant to your major.
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Getting into medical school as a UC Irvine premed
As mentioned earlier, 461 UC Irvine students and alumni applied to U.S. MD-granting medical schools during the 2025–2026 application cycle. Although UCI does not publish an acceptance rate specific to its undergraduate premed applicants, national AAMC data show that medical school applications increased by 5.3% in 2025–2026, reversing three consecutive years of declining applicant numbers. With competition for medical school admission remaining strong, UCI premeds should focus on building competitive academic records, gaining meaningful clinical and research experience, and developing compelling applications.
If you're considering staying in Irvine for medical school, admission to UC Irvine School of Medicine is particularly competitive, with a currently reported acceptance rate of 3.34%, down from the previously reported 3.9%. According to the school's most recent admissions figures, UCI received 7,874 applications and enrolled 125 students, with a median cumulative GPA of 3.87 and a median MCAT score of 516. While these numbers may seem daunting, UCI School of Medicine evaluates applicants holistically, considering research, clinical exposure, community service, leadership, and personal qualities alongside academic achievement. As a UCI undergraduate, you can use the university's academic and extracurricular opportunities to develop these qualities and strengthen your candidacy.
How do I obtain letters of recommendation for medical school?
You’ll need to start requesting these individual recommendation letters at least several months before your med school applications are due. This way, your recommenders will have plenty of time to write a letter that reflects all you have to offer the medical schools to which you’re applying.
If you’re unsure of whom to ask, stick to this basic list of recommenders:
A science professor whose classes you took for a letter grade (the HPP recommends obtaining 2 of these)
A non-science professor whose classes you took for a letter grade,
A physician who observed you caring for patients,
The principal investigator (PI) of a research project you worked on,
A supervisor, volunteer coordinator, postdoc, hospital staff member, etc. with whom you worked closely in an extracurricular
The HPP provides a letter template and list of guidelines for recommenders, which can be especially helpful for those less familiar with the world of medicine or the med school admissions process. Keep in mind that the most important factor when choosing your recommenders is that they know you very well, and they can speak in depth on at least one of the following topics, based on their own personal interactions with you:
Your work ethic
Your care and compassion for others
Your research experience
Your clinical and/or community service experience
Your personality
In order to streamline and centralize the recommendation letter request process, CMU premeds can request letters through the veCollect portal.
UC Irvine premed acceptance rate and admissions statistics
UC Irvine does not publicly report a current medical school acceptance rate for its undergraduate premed applicants, so it would be misleading to assign UCI premeds a school-specific acceptance percentage without institutional data. What we can verify is applicant volume: 461 UC Irvine students and alumni applied to U.S. MD-granting medical schools in the 2025–2026 cycle, making UCI one of the country’s larger sources of medical school applicants. Nationally, 54,699 people applied to U.S. MD-granting medical schools in 2025–2026 and 23,440 matriculated.
Students interested in remaining at UCI for medical school should distinguish these undergraduate applicant statistics from UCI School of Medicine admissions data. For its current entering class, UCI School of Medicine reports a median BCPM GPA of 3.85 and median MCAT of 516. These figures describe students entering the medical school, not the outcomes of UCI undergraduate premeds.
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Frequently asked questions
Is UC Irvine good for premed?
Yes, UC Irvine provides strong preparation for medical school through its rigorous science curriculum, extensive university resources, and dedicated pre-health advising. As a large public research university with its own academic health system, UCI gives premeds access to a broad community of faculty, healthcare professionals, and other students pursuing health careers. Its Orange County location also places students within a large and diverse healthcare environment, providing opportunities to explore medicine both within the university and throughout the surrounding community.
Does UC Irvine have a medical school?
Yes, UC Irvine has its own School of Medicine, which is part of the broader UCI Health academic health system. The medical school offers an MD program as well as dual-degree and specialized medical education programs. However, attending UC Irvine as an undergraduate does not guarantee admission to UCI School of Medicine. UCI undergraduates who want to remain at the university for medical school must apply through the regular admissions process and meet the medical school’s admissions requirements.
Does UC Irvine have a premed major or program?
UC Irvine does not offer a traditional standalone “premed major.” Instead, students can choose from UCI’s undergraduate degree programs while completing the prerequisite coursework required by the medical schools where they intend to apply. This allows students to pursue medicine from a wide variety of academic disciplines rather than following one prescribed premed curriculum. UCI students interested in medicine can supplement their major-specific academic advising with the university’s pre-health resources as they plan for professional school.
What is UC Irvine’s premed acceptance rate?
UC Irvine does not currently publish an official medical school acceptance rate for its undergraduate premed students. Current AAMC applicant and matriculant data provide national medical school admissions statistics as well as information about the undergraduate institutions supplying applicants, but they do not provide a UCI-specific acceptance percentage. Therefore, figures for the acceptance rate of UCI School of Medicine should not be confused with the percentage of UCI undergraduates who are ultimately accepted to medical school.
What’s the best premed major at UC Irvine?
Choosing a premed major at UC Irvine comes down to personal fit rather than finding a single "best" option. Medical schools evaluate applicants based on completing prerequisite coursework rather than their specific field of study. Consequently, UCI premeds are encouraged to choose a degree program that aligns with their intellectual interests, supports strong academic performance, and allows enough time to complete pre-medical requirements. While science majors naturally cover many prerequisite requirements, non-science disciplines—including the humanities, social sciences, and engineering—are equally viable pathways to medical school.
Does UC Irvine offer prehealth advising?
Yes, UC Irvine offers dedicated pre-health advising and resources for students interested in medicine and other health professions. These resources are available to students across undergraduate majors and provide guidance related to preparing for professional school, exploring healthcare careers, and navigating the application process. Premeds should use these resources alongside major-specific academic advising so their medical school preparation stays coordinated with the requirements they must complete to graduate from UCI.
Does UC Irvine provide a committee letter?
UCI’s publicly available pre-health resources do not currently identify a traditional premedical committee-letter process comparable to those offered at some universities. Students should therefore review the individual recommendation requirements of the medical schools where they intend to apply and plan to develop relationships with faculty and other potential letter writers throughout college. Because recommendation policies can vary among medical schools, students should also confirm UCI’s current letter procedures with a pre-health advisor before beginning their application cycle.
How hard is it to keep a high GPA as a UC Irvine premed?
Keeping a high GPA as a UC Irvine premed can be challenging given the rigor of prerequisite science coursework and the pace of the university’s quarter system. However, students who need additional academic support can use UCI’s Learning and Academic Resource Center, which provides undergraduate academic support and learning resources. Premeds should seek help early when they struggle in a course rather than letting problems accumulate, especially because medical schools evaluate both an applicant’s overall academic performance and performance in science coursework.
Final thoughts
Getting through premed at UC Irvine will undoubtedly be a challenge; however, it’s one that offers many opportunities for growth. At a school with such a wide range of offerings and a large segment of premeds, it will be important to find the path that works for you. Taking advantage of the opportunities mentioned in this guide will help you stand out among the competition. Be prepared to dive deeper as a UC Irvine premed on your journey to become a doctor.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For over 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
Want to know exactly what it takes to get into America's top medical schools?
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