UC Irvine School of Medicine Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Entry cycle: Fall 2027; AMCAS is accepted through November 1. How to apply
• Degree: bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university by matriculation. Requirements
• MCAT: required within the three years before June 1 of the application year; the current requirements page gives September 30 as the latest test date. Requirements
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen, permanent resident with green card, or DACA recipient with Employment Authorization Document. Application criteria
• Residency: no California-resident preference; in-state and out-of-state applicants use the same criteria. FAQ
• Interview: asynchronous Kira Talent assessment before an online interview day with both faculty and a current student. Application criteria

Admission requirements

Applicants need at least 90 semester units, including one full-time year at an accredited U.S. college or university, and must receive a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited U.S. institution by matriculation. Prerequisites listed in progress must be completed by July 15 of the matriculation year. Requirements

Required lecture-based coursework with C or better is one and a half years of biology, including one upper-division course at a four-year institution; two years of chemistry spanning general or inorganic, organic and biochemistry; one year of physics; and one term of humanities. Labs, seminars and research courses do not satisfy these prerequisites. Requirements

Specific AP scores of 4 or higher may count toward one term of general chemistry, physics or humanities when documented, but AP does not satisfy biology and IB credit is not accepted for prerequisites. Accredited community-college coursework is accepted except that upper-division biology must be completed at a four-year institution. Requirements FAQ

The MCAT is required within the three years preceding June 1 of the application year. The requirements page and timeline identify September 30 as the latest current-cycle test date, while one accordion sentence on the How to Apply page says September 1. Applicants should use the more specific September 30 requirement and confirm the date in their portal. No minimum GPA or MCAT score is published. Requirements How to apply

Three to six current recommendations are suggested and submitted through AMCAS. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents with a green card, or DACA recipients with an Employment Authorization Document. California and out-of-state residents are evaluated under the same criteria. Application criteria FAQ

Important dates

For Fall 2027 entry, the current official process says AMCAS is available through November 1. Secondary invitations begin in July, the invited secondary is due within 30 days, transcripts for AMCAS verification are due November 15, and December 1 is the last date UCI accepts regular-cycle secondaries. How to apply

Interview invitations run August through March and online interviews are held August through April. Admissions decisions are communicated October through May, generally about two months after interview. Wait-listed applicants may receive offers from April through August. How to apply

Plan to Enroll opens February 19, applicants should narrow offers to three by April 15, Commit to Enroll opens April 30, and UCI's Commit to Enroll deadline is July 1. Orientation begins in the first week of August. The live page does not print the calendar year beside each recurring date, so applicants should confirm invitation and enrollment dates in their portal. How to apply

How selection works

UCI uses the AMCAS application for preliminary screening before inviting selected applicants to a $120 secondary due within 30 days. The school says academic record and MCAT must indicate readiness for the curriculum, then also considers research, health-setting exposure, community service, leadership, reliability, altruism, interpersonal communication, disadvantage and potential to work with medically underserved communities, particularly California's Latino population. Admissions Application criteria

Applicants selected for interview complete an asynchronous Kira Talent Video Assessment before interview day. UCI says Kira assesses six core competencies but does not name them on the current admissions page. Interview day is scheduled online and includes both a faculty interview and a current medical student interview. Application criteria

UCI describes no fixed admissions formula. It does not publish numerical weights for academics, experiences, Kira or live interviews, nor Kira rating anchors, interview scoring, committee voting or wait-list ranking. California residency is not preferred. Admissions FAQ

Interview details

Confirmed

Applicants selected for interviews first complete an asynchronous Kira Talent Video Assessment. UCI says this assessment evaluates six core competencies. The scheduled interview day is online between September and April and includes interviews with both a faculty member and a current medical student, plus orientation, a student panel, financial-aid information and tours. Application criteria How to apply

About 40 applicants are scheduled per session. Special programs including MSTP, PRIME-LC and PRIME-LEAD-ABC have additional interviews, so those applicants should follow program-specific invitations. Application criteria

Not published

The current pages do not name the six Kira competencies, number of Kira prompts, preparation or response time, Kira completion window, live-interview duration, whether faculty or student reviewers see the file, question categories, scoring anchors, numerical weights, committee-vote mechanics or wait-list ordering. Invitation materials control those logistics.

Who this program may suit

UCI's iTEACH curriculum is a systems-organized approach combining technology, coordinated activity and humanistic education. It includes simulation, ultrasound and clinical-skills modules that connect hands-on practice with basic sciences. The school is based in Irvine and situates the MD program within Orange County's clinical, research and health-technology environment. Curriculum Medical degree program

Applicants should connect one sustained research, clinical, service or leadership experience to the way they want to contribute to UCI's diverse student body and patients. If medically underserved or Latino communities are part of that account, use direct experience and concrete learning rather than treating a population label as sufficient fit.

Practice and next step

Start with an asynchronous video response because Kira occurs before interview day. Record one concise answer to a motivation, teamwork or service prompt. Use a clear opening, one specific example, your actions and a short reflection on what changed in your judgment or behavior.

Review whether the answer is organized, natural on camera and specific enough for someone who may not know your application. Choose one weakness, record it again and compare both attempts for clarity, reflection and communication. Then practise a conversational version of the same experience for a faculty or student interviewer, adjusting the depth without memorizing identical wording.

Frequently asked questions

Does UC Irvine prefer California residents?

No. UCI says in-state and out-of-state applicants are evaluated using the same criteria. FAQ

Who is eligible by citizenship status?

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents with a green card, or DACA recipients with an Employment Authorization Document. Application criteria

What is the interview format?

Selected applicants complete an asynchronous Kira video assessment, then an online interview day with a faculty member and current medical student. Timing and scoring are not published. Application criteria

When is the secondary due?

It is due within 30 days of invitation, and the current regular-cycle page lists December 1 as the last date a secondary can be accepted. How to apply

Sources

Verified August 11, 2026. Current official sources used:

• How to apply — application stages, deadlines, recommendations, interview day, decisions and enrollment milestones.
• Admission requirements — U.S. degree, MCAT window, prerequisites and credit rules.
• Application criteria — preliminary screening, citizenship, experience review, Kira and faculty/student interviews.
• Admissions FAQ — secondary, community-college credit, degree, California residency and application questions.
• Admissions overview, curriculum and MD program — holistic review, iTEACH and Irvine identity.