UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

About UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD) is a very well renowned place where “discoveries are delivered”. It was established in 1968, and is the regions only medical school. The school focuses on providing improvement in health through innovative research, education and patient care.

The school is closely tied to Skaggs School of Pharmacy and UC San Diego Health which includes a number of centers, clinics and eye centers throughout Southern California. Alumni of UC San Diego have gone to achieve great things in private practice, academia and even the public and corporate sector. Side by side the continuing medical education programs help students even after they have passed on from their degree.

UC San Diego recently celebrated its 50 year anniversary. The anniversary showed how UC San Diego started from a single building in the 70’s to a renowned center of medicine in the present world.

Ranking and Stats of UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

According to U.S. News & World Report, it is the 17^th best Medical School for Primary care, and 22^nd best for Research.

2800+ Students, Postdocs, Residents and Fellows
1500+ physician and scientist faculty members
5 top-ranked residency programs
78 Residency and Fellowship Programs
10^th Highest NIH Funding
18 Departments

Their initiative is to cultivate a diverse community of scholars which is affordable and accessible to all. With the drive to improve economic development and social and cultural enrichment around the world. UC San Diego also promises to make discoveries that will help in transforming lives and shaping the future of knowledge.

Academics at UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

UC San Diego is proud of its interdisciplinary collaboration throughout the campus which helps in making it an environment vibrant with the excitement of exploration and invention. They focus on collaboration between their departments to bring the best out of their institution.

The opportunities provided to students lead to a supportive but a challenging environment which results in bringing the best out of the students. Students are encouraged to go beyond the curriculum and focus on independent study and pursue electives so they can take full advantage of all the facilities provided by school. This will help students to excel in their particular departments and be able to respond to community needs.

Opportunities are endless at San Diego as students are recommended to intern at the research labs, where they have the ability to get hands on training and the understanding of human disease, whilst they contribute to the development of new diagnostics in cardiology, cancer and more.

Most medical schools focus on only a certain type of degree, however UC San Diego promises to help students throughout, at any stage of their medical training. Therefore it provides various offices to help undergrads, prep for students to be Physician-Scientists, PhD and Masters Programs, and other essentials too.

Biomedical Sciences students from underrepresented groups also have an opportunity for an 8 week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

The specific objectives of the school is to provide an understanding of:

Normal anatomy, histology, physiology
Biological mechanisms governing homeostasis
Mechanisms of drug action and therapeutics
Clinical, laboratory, radiologic and pathologic manifestations of diseases
Psychological aspects of illness
And ethical principles of the medical profession

And provide with skills so students can:

Identify, access, interpret and apply scientific literature
Obtain medical history and perform physical examination
Construct and execute a therapeutic plan
Work effectively with team members
Correctly diagnose common illnesses based upon examinations
And reason deductively to solve clinical problems

Lastly, the school will help students in demonstrating:

Respect for patient autonomy
Compassion and sensitivity in the care of patients
Honesty and integrity
Responsibility and trustworthiness in the execution of duties
Adherence to all of the principles of the schools Professionalism Code
And ability to accept criticism and to understand the limitations of one’s own knowledge and skills

The school focuses on dedication of the well-being of patients, lifelong learning and continual enhancement of clinical skills. The practice medicine can lead to conflicts of interest and should be handled accordingly, keeping intact patient integrity and keeping patient as the priority. Lastly, the willingness to lead should be in each and every student and a commitment to promote the health and well-being of communities they serve.

Undergrad Programs at UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

The overall objective of the curriculum is to make students aware of the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will lead them to become future members of the medicine industry. The school provides with Academic Communities of which students will remain part of throughout their school career. Every faculty has a director and faculty members engage in mentoring and support for each and every student. Additional electives can be selected in the third year, and clerkships are allowed too.

Independent Study Project (ISP) are also completed by students under the direction of a faculty member. This involves original and independent scholarly activity by the student which will then be checked by the Electives Committee and presented to the relevant audience.

Departments of UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

Anesthesiology
Biomedical Informatics
Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Dermatology
Emergency Medicine
Family Medicine and Public Health
Medicine
Neurosciences
Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences
Ophthalmology
Orthopedic Surgery
Pathology
Pediatrics
Pharmacology
Psychiatry
Radiation Medicine
Radiology
Surgery
Urology

Masters & PHD Programs

Graduate students can take part in these particular programs where the thesis takes place in faculty labs which provides a base for translational and clinical advances. These include:

Biostatistics
Neurosciences
Biomedical Sciences
Biological Sciences
Cognitive Sciences
Drug Development and Project Management
Clinical Research
Leadership of Healthcare Organizations
Degree in Public Health

Integrated Curriculum of UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

UC San Diego focuses on an innovative curriculum where traditional teaching ways are further enhanced with many opportunities for students to contribute to global health initiatives and improvement in patient safety. The best example of this is the Student-Run Free Clinic. This helps students with hands-on learning while providing quality care to underserved communities.

Side by side, to improve student understanding, The Simulation Training Center provides with virtual physical exams and the ability to have difficult discussion with virtual patients. So students, when operating in practical life are at their utmost experience.

Dr Najeeb Lectures

To assist in your learning throughout your studies, external help can be taken from Dr. Najeeb. Those not familiar with Dr. Najeeb, should know that he provides over 800+ videos for students around the globe studying dentistry, medicine and so much more. His videos give a clear explanation of each and every concept, and this can be reinforced with reviews from his previous students. His work can be seen on his app too, which provides a portable solution for all your study material. The lectures are comprehensive and detailed enough to clear any misunderstanding of concepts.

Admissions in UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

Applications are open from June to November and working on the application can start from early May. The class size of 2017 was a mere 134. With a very diverse group of students from around the world with a 64 to 70 male to female ratio.

Any enquiries about admissions can be done by emailing at [email protected].

Any student can apply after completing four years of undergraduate study. MCAT is a must at least within three years prior to matriculation date.

Selection is done on the basis of maturity, integration, dedication and service to society. They desire students with diverse interests and backgrounds who are committed to broaden themselves to suit the needs of the world. Evaluation is also focused on the academic record, MCAT performance, recommendation letters and extra-curricular activities.

Fee Structure is explained in detail here.

To provide equal opportunities, the school provides many grants for every student.

A certain number of health requirements have to be fulfilled for prospective students. Accommodations are provided on first come first serve basis.

Affiliations of UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

UC San Diego is held in high respect in the society, therefore primary teaching is held at different medical centers and hospitals. The schools affiliation with UC San Diego Health includes seven of the major centers. The school also works with scientists from other entities.

Student Affairs

The office of student affairs holds the responsibility to create a positive learning environment for the school community. This includes the opportunities for students in medical education, training, and experience through a variety of leadership positions, student organizations and medical interests group. The school has 35 active student organizations which helps in the growth of the student community.

To feel you welcomed, a match day is held as an orientation for all the medical students.

The Human Condition Magazine is the annual art and literary magazine of UC San Diego School of Medicine. It is the forum for the creative work of medical students, residents, and faculty of the school.

Active Student Organizations

American Medical Association UC San Diego SOM Chapter
Anesthesiology Interest Group
Border Health Project (BHP)
Boxing, Kickboxing & Self Defense Interest Group
Cardiology Interest Group
Dermatology Interest Group
Global Health Interest Group
Indian Arts
Muslim Medical Student Association
Pathology Interest Group
Sports Medicine Interest Group (SMIG)
Volleyball Interest Group

And many many more!

The School is also very much interested in providing students with a pleasant experience at the campus. It sponsors 23 men’s and women’s sports at NCAA level and have won 29 national championships. Recreation activities include swimming pools, running, triathlon workouts, aquatic center, three gymnasiums, track and field complex, playing field and tennis courts.

Alumni of UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD)

UC San Diego promises to support the community in realizing its vision to advocate to the local and national medical communities. Once you’re done with the school, UC San Diego promotes lifelong commitment of support and participation for its alumni. All alumni’s are automatically part of the Alumni association, free of charge. It provides information on future events and news of medicine around the world.

The alumni have stated how extra ordinary the university is and that the opportunities are endless. It provides for “passion for wonder, wisdom and justice”, as said by the Director of the Student-Run Free Clinic.

To keep up to date with current events, follow UC San Diego at their twitter and facebook.