Undergraduate Admissions

Undergraduate Medical Education Program

The Charles Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program admits individuals who are committed to its mission of service to underrepresented and underserved communities. The Admissions Committee seeks intelligent, mature and highly motivated candidates who show promise of becoming leaders and innovators in the medical field. The committee carefully considerers personal qualities, including integrity, professionalism and potential to succeed. Other factors, including academic record, MCAT scores, record of activities and accomplishments, community service, recommendations from premedical committees and science instructors, as well as the ability to overcome personal obstacles are also reviewed by the Admissions Committee. The personal interview is an integral part of the process.

Each year approximately 2,000 highly qualified candidates apply for 24 openings in the Charles Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program. Our students represent the full range of gender, ethnic, and educational diversity of our society which contributes to the strength of our institution.

The Charles Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program admissions committee is committed to diversity by ensuring adequate representation of women and all minority groups with diverse interests and backgrounds. All applications are given careful consideration without regard to sex, race, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or financial status.

Pre-Medical Educational Requirements

Applicants are required to have successfully matriculated from an approved college of arts and sciences or engineering. The following courses are required:

ENGLISH One year of college English to include the study of English composition
PHYSICS One year of college Physics (with lab)
CHEMISTRY Two years of college chemistry to include the study of inorganic chemistry, quantitative analysis and organic chemistry (with lab)
BIOLOGY One year of general biology (with lab)
MATHEMATICS One year of college mathematics to include the study of introductory calculus and statistics

Courses recommended under the Biology requirement are: Cell biology, Genetics, Embryology, Physiology, Histology, and Anatomy.

Courses under the requirement for English may include Composition, Literature or other courses emphasizing reading comprehension. Remedial English courses will not be considered as meeting this requirement.

Courses in Statistics, Computer Programming, Psychology and Ethics are recommended, but not required. Preference shall not be given to undergraduate science majors over non-science majors.

Courses in Spanish are highly recommended.

Applicants are urged to acquire a broad experience in the humanities, behavioral sciences, and social sciences in their college years, but they should follow their own interests whether in the arts or in the sciences. Prior research experience and conversational Spanish is highly recommended but not required.

High school and advanced placement courses do not fulfill these requirements. If an applicant has been excused from a required college-level course, another course at the same or higher level must be substituted. Applicants currently enrolled in a professional or graduate school must be in the terminal year of the degree program to be considered for admission to the first-year class. Post-Baccalaureate students are encouraged to apply.

Application Process

• Completion of premedical requirements
  
• Application: The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) application and supporting documents must be completed and submitted to AMCAS no later than NOVEMBER 15 of the year preceding anticipated entry.
  
• MCAT: The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) should be taken in September of the year prior to entry. The MCAT examination should be completed no more than three years prior to matriculation. For more information concerning the examination and test dates, please consult the MCAT website at www.aamc.org/mcat
  
• After initial review by the Admissions Committee, ,a secondary application is sent to a select number of applicants. The secondary application allows prospective students to describe their activities related to the Charles Drew University’s mission. The secondary application fee is $50. Fee waivers are granted with approval of the Admissions Committee Chair and a copy of the AMCAS fee waiver documentation.
  
• Three letters of recommendation or a composite report from a professional advisory committee of the student’s college or university must be submitted in support of the secondary application. Two letters of recommendation must be from a professor and/or academic advisor and one recommendation from someone well acquainted with the student’s personal characteristics. The deadline for receipt of these letters is January 31 of the year in which entry is anticipated.
  
• Interview with the Admissions Committee

Students in Post-Baccalaureate or Graduate Programs

Students who have successfully completed post-graduate studies or premedical requirements in a post-baccalaureate program are encouraged to apply. Students who are enrolled in graduate programs may apply in the final year of the graduate program for which they were originally accepted. Students will be required to submit at least one letter from a thesis advisor or an equivalent. Students in post-baccalaureate programs are urged to request a letter of recommendation from the Premedical Advisory Committee of the undergraduate college or from the college or university where they are pursuing the post baccalaureate program. A final transcript or other evidence of completion of degree requirements must be sent with your application for it to be considered complete.

Admissions Process

The Admissions Committee chooses applicants who are best qualified as evidenced by the scholastic record, letters recommendations, interview, and involvement in college and community activities. Other tangible qualities such as personality, character, and maturity are equally important

During the course of the admissions process, selected applicants will be invited to the Charles Drew campus for personal interviews with members of the Admissions Committee. All students must possess the physical and emotional capabilities required to undertake the basic science curriculum at UCLA during the first two years of medical school and the demanding clinical rotations at Charles Drew University and affiliate hospitals and clinics during years three and four. All students are expected to act independently and achieve a high level of competence as required by the faculty. Successful completion will result in a four-year M.D. degree in conjunction with UCLA.

You can contact the Medical Education Program office of admissions at stuadm@cdrewu.edu or call the Admissions Office at 323-563-4952