UC Irvine

University of California, Irvine School of Medicine Irvine, CA · Public · MD

Median MCAT: 516
Median GPA: 3.87
Class size: 125 (7,874 applicants)
Tuition: $65,422 (per year, nonresident)
Out-of-state applicants: Welcome

Deadlines

AMCAS deadline: Nov. 1, 2026
Secondary deadline: 30 days from invitation; last secondaries accepted December 1

Essays

Under-resourced communities (No set limit)

Have demonstrated the potential to work with under-resourced communities. (Yes/No. Please describe.)

Essay 1: Proudest accomplishment (1,500 characters)

What personal accomplishment are you most proud of and why?

Essay 2: Challenge or disappointment (1,500 characters)

Please describe to the Admissions Committee a challenge or disappointment you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience.

Essay 3: Access to education or healthcare (1,500 characters)

Have you ever had difficulty accessing quality education or healthcare? If so, please describe how this impacted you and others in your community.

Essay 4: Since graduation (1,500 characters)

Please clarify for the Admissions Committee your activities (school, work, and/or volunteer, travel, etc.) since receiving your undergraduate degree. You may list them in chronological order or you may incorporate them into an essay, stating why you chose particular activities. If you have just received or will receive your undergraduate degree this year, please discuss your plans for current year.

PRIME-LC 1: Community service (1,500 characters)

Please describe how you have served your community (school, neighborhood, city, etc.) and how these experiences have prepared you for PRIME-LC.

PRIME-LC 2: Physician leader for the Latino community (1,500 characters)

Please describe the reason for your interest to be trained as a physician leader for the Latino community. In addition, explain how you intend to utilize the PRIME-LC specialized training to impact community health and health services for the Latino community.

PRIME LEAD-ABC 1: Community service (1,500 characters)

Please describe how you have served your community (school, neighborhood, church, etc.) and how these experiences have prepared you for PRIME LEAD-ABC.

PRIME LEAD-ABC 2: Most important issue (1,500 characters)

What is the most important healthcare issue confronting medically under-resourced communities, in particular the ABC communities, and what would be your first steps to address this issue?

PRIME LEAD-ABC 3 and 4: Interest and use of training (1,500 characters each)

Please describe the reason(s) for your interest to be trained as a physician leader for the ABC community. / Explain how you intend to utilize the PRIME LEAD-ABC specialized training to impact community health services for the ABC community.

Editor's notes

UC Irvine's Nov. 1 AMCAS deadline is later than most, but don't read it as permission to wait. Review is rolling, the first acceptances go out by Nov. 1, and only about 3,500 of 7,874 applicants got a secondary. A July or August file competes for more interview slots.
The admissions page names who gets careful consideration: applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who've shown the potential to work with the medically underserved, especially California's Latino population. The secondary asks about the same thing in its first item. If that describes your record, make it plain there and in Essay 3.
The FAQ says there's no preference for California residents, but 114 of 125 students in the 2026 class were in-state. Out-of-state applicants should apply with a clear reason for UC Irvine, not as a numbers play.
Plan for two assessments besides the interview itself. The Kira Talent video assessment is done on your own before interview day, and the day includes a filmed structured session along with the faculty and student interviews. Practice answering on camera with a timer.