UC Riverside School of Medicine Admissions Guide (2027)

Quick facts

• Entry cycle: Fall 2027; AMCAS is due October 15, 2026. Application process
• Eligibility: U.S. citizen, permanent resident, DACA recipient or California AB540-eligible, with a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. Prerequisites
• MCAT: highest total score within three years is considered; first or repeat 2026 scores are due November 1. No minimum is published. Prerequisites
• Mission and geography: most students are from California or have strong California and Inland Southern California ties; out-of-state applicants are assessed on California contributions. Application process
• Interview: MMI from September 2026 through March 2027; two minutes to read and six minutes with the interviewer at each station. Interview process
• Modality: the current official interview page does not say whether Fall 2027 MMIs are virtual or in person. Interview process

Admission requirements

Applicants must earn a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution before matriculation. Online bachelor's degrees are not accepted. UCR accepts online or hybrid prerequisite work taken since March 2020 under its current exception, while encouraging in-person study whenever available. Prerequisites

The science core is eight semester hours of mathematics in calculus and/or statistics, eight of physics, 16 across general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry, and eight of biology; labs are optional. Recommended study includes eight hours of writing or critical thinking, eight of humanities or social sciences, and three of Spanish. Prerequisites

Transcripted AP scores of 3–5 and IB scores of 5–7 may satisfy prerequisites. UCR does not publish a minimum prerequisite grade and may review unit shortfalls contextually through the secondary. Prerequisites

The MCAT must be taken no later than September before admission. The committee uses the highest total score from the last three years while requiring all scores to be reported. First-time and repeat 2026 scores are due November 1. No minimum GPA or MCAT is stated on the current requirements pages. Prerequisites

Applicants submit at least three and no more than five individual letters, or a committee letter containing at least three original evaluations, through AMCAS by November 1, 2026. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA recipients or California AB540-eligible. International students are not accepted. Application process

Important dates

For Fall 2027 entry, applicants may submit AMCAS from May 28 through October 15, 2026. Primary review begins in mid-July, and secondary invitations are sent from July through November. Application process

Recommendations and AMCAS transcripts are due November 1, 2026. First or repeat 2026 MCAT scores are also due November 1. The current page does not publish a separate secondary deadline or an applicant-specific turnaround period. Application process Prerequisites

MMIs run from September 2026 through March 2027. Decisions are rolling until the class is full. The current official pages do not publish Fall 2027 decision-release dates, Plan to Enroll or Commit to Enroll deadlines, orientation or class-start dates. Application process

How selection works

UCR reviews AMCAS and the secondary to select MMI candidates. Eligible verified applicants receive a secondary; the fee is $120, reduced to $50 for AAMC Fee Assistance recipients. Only interviewed candidates are considered for admission. Application process

The Admissions Committee holistically reviews academic records and non-academic credentials, including volunteer and community experience, personal experience, academic preparation and the applicant's distance traveled given differences in resources and mentorship. The school seeks candidates aligned with increasing the physician workforce in its underserved region. Application process

Out-of-state applicants are assessed on contributions to California through education, service, clinical experience or leadership. The current pages publish no fixed California-resident quota, scoring formula, MMI weight, committee-vote method or wait-list order. Admission decisions are final and applicants are limited to three total attempts. Application process

Interview details

Confirmed

UCR uses an MMI scheduled on selected Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from September through March. After orientation, candidates rotate through a series of stations. Each station gives two minutes to read a question or scenario and six minutes with an interviewer; the overall MMI lasts about three hours. Interview process

UCR says the MMI assesses verbal and non-verbal communication and readiness for medical school through interactions with several interviewers. Only interviewed candidates can be considered for admission. Interview process

Not published

The current official page does not publish Fall 2027 modality or location, station count, break structure, scenario categories, whether interviewers see the application, rating dimensions or anchors, numerical interview weight, committee-vote mechanics or wait-list ranking. Invitation instructions control candidate-specific logistics.

Who this program may suit

UC Riverside School of Medicine is an independent UC medical school in Riverside. Its admissions mission is to increase physicians serving Inland Southern California and medically underserved communities. The current class profile says 90% of the Class of 2029 had ties to Inland Southern California, which describes that class rather than creating a formal eligibility threshold. Admissions overview

Applicants should connect a sustained service, clinical, leadership or lived experience to a specific community need and explain how it shaped their goals. An out-of-state applicant should make California contributions concrete rather than relying on a general desire to relocate.

Practice and next step

Record one MMI response with two minutes to prepare and six minutes to speak. Identify the central issue, the people and community affected, reasonable options and the action you would take. Make the reasoning understandable to an interviewer who may not know your application.

Review whether the response communicates clearly, considers underserved-community impact and reaches a defensible decision. Choose one weakness, record it again and compare both attempts for structure, empathy and judgment. Repeat with a new scenario so you practise resetting between stations.

Frequently asked questions

Does UC Riverside accept out-of-state applicants?

Yes, but UCR says its students are generally from California or have strong community ties. Out-of-state applicants are assessed on contributions to California through education, service, clinical work or leadership. Application process

Are international applicants eligible?

No. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA recipients or California AB540-eligible. Application process

What is the MMI timing?

Each station gives two minutes to read and six minutes with the interviewer; the overall MMI takes about three hours. Interview process

Is the Fall 2027 MMI virtual?

The current official page does not publish the modality or location, so applicants should follow their invitation. Interview process

Sources

Verified August 11, 2026. Current official sources used:

• Application process — Fall 2027 deadlines, citizenship, out-of-state review, recommendations, stages, holistic review and decisions.
• Program prerequisites — degree, coursework, AP/IB, grades and MCAT rules.
• Interview process — MMI schedule and station timing.
• Admissions overview — program identity, Riverside address, mission and current class profile.