University of California, Davis, School of Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips and Timeline [2025–2026], Class Profile
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis), School of Medicine, which is located in Northern California, is a mission-driven institution committed to training California’s physician leaders and fostering community partnerships. The school has been consistently recognized for its excellence in primary care training.
Students have the opportunity to learn at the UC Davis Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center and teaching hospital recognized for outstanding patient care. In addition, the Community Health Scholars Program offers several different tracks for students interested in working with specific clinical populations: REACH (California’s Central Valley), Rural PRIME (California’s rural communities), Teach-MS (California’s urban communities), and Tribal Health PRIME (California’s urban, rural, and tribal communities).
At UC Davis, medical students can participate in student-run clinics that provide free healthcare to individuals in the Sacramento area, as well as student interest groups covering a range of topics such as the Emergency Medicine Student Interest Group and the Family Medicine Interest Group. In addition, students have access to specialty advisors as well as the Office of Student Wellness. This diverse, collaborative learning environment could be a great fit for your medical school aspirations!
UC Davis School of Medicine Secondary Essay Tips
Essay #1
Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee. (This could include explanation of metric trends, institutional actions, legal violations, etc.) Please enter N/A if no concerns to report. (500 characters)
Answer this prompt if there is anything potentially concerning in your application. The prompt provides examples of declining grades or scores, legal violations, and disciplinary actions. Be honest and professional while sharing any additional context. You should not make excuses but take responsibility and provide the admissions committee with a better understanding of why you faced such circumstances. Include a description of what you have learned from this experience. What will you do differently next time? How have you grown as a person? Focus on a resolution or positive outcome, if applicable.
Essay #2
Do you have a connection to Northern or Central California? (500 characters)
Consider your connection to Northern/Central California and your reasoning for wanting to attend school there. Have you lived, worked, or studied in the region? Do you have family there or identify with a particular community? Describe how this connection is important to you and why it makes you want to attend medical school at UC Davis. You may also wish to include how being in Northern/Central California will help you to pursue your future career goals.
Even if you don’t have a direct connection to the region, you may describe your reasoning for wanting to attend school in the area. Are you drawn to the patient population, climate, or community?
Essay #3
Please list the activities you would like to be considered in your application to UC Davis. The secondary activities may be used to highlight your experiences specifically relevant for UC Davis. You may use your most meaningful experiences listed in your initial AMCAS application or select/add others that may be relevant to UC Davis. Please only list three. The admissions committee will review all AMCAS application activities as well; this is an opportunity to highlight your most meaningful and/or relevant to UC Davis School of Medicine. Please list your actual hours completed at the time of your secondary submission, not projected commitment. Therefore, enter your secondary application submission date as your end date for activities still in progress. (500 characters)
According to the UC Davis School of Medicine website, the school’s mission is as follows:
To provide excellent learner-centered education to a diverse body of medical students and graduate students; cultivating in them the passion to improve lives and transform the health of the communities they will serve as physicians, scientists and health care leaders.
The school also emphasizes its strong primary care program and dedication to impactful research. Reflect on how your activities align with the school’s mission or values or its surrounding community. Select three of your activities that are most relevant to UC Davis. Note that these may or may not overlap with your most meaningful experiences on your AMCAS application. Follow the prompt’s instructions, and provide the name, the number of hours completed, and a brief description of each activity.
UC Davis School of Medicine Application Timeline
| Dates | Admission Stage |
| Late June-December 31 | AMCAS application available |
| July 1-January 31 | Secondary applications offered; interview invitations sent |
| August-April | Interviews conducted |
| October 1 | School of Medicine application deadline |
| October 15-April | Acceptance offers made |
| April-July | Waitlist offers made |
Source: UC Davis School of Medicine Admissions Handbook
***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with the UC Davis School of Medicine directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***
UC Davis School of Medicine Class Profile
Here is a look at the UC Davis School of Medicine Class of 2027 (data taken from the UC Davis School of Medicine website):
Class size: 137
Demographics
Female: 57.7%
Male: 32.1%
Genderqueer/gender non-conforming/another gender identity: 3.6%
Gender unknown/decline to state: 6.6%
Average age: 26
Age range: 21-40
First generation: 39.4%
Disadvantaged: 70.1%
Metric Averages
Overall GPA: 3.73
Undergraduate GPA: 3.58
Science GPA: 3.50
MCAT: 509
Percentile: 73%
Undergraduate Institutions
- University of California: 66.4%
- Private/out of state: 24.1%
- California State University: 9.5%
Race/Ethnicity Represented
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 5.1%
- Asian: 34.3%
- Black/African American: 13.1%
- Hispanic/Latinx: 24.1%
- MENA: 2.2%
- White: 18.2%
- Unknown: 2.2%
Activity Averages
- Research hours: 1,467
- Medical employment hours: 2,844
- Medical volunteer hours: 547
- Non-medical volunteer hours: 681
As the former assistant dean of student affairs at the William Beaumont School of Medicine and former director of pre-health advisement and the Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program at Sacred Heart University, Dr. Valerie Wherley brings more than 20 years of success working with pre-health candidates in medicine, dental, vet, PA, PT, OT, exercise science, and nursing. Her clients appreciate her expertise in the holistic admissions process and her patient, thoughtful, strategic, and data-driven working style. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!
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