The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is one of the most highly regarded universities in health sciences in the world. Founded in 1873, it is the only one of the 10 University of California campuses dedicated to health and bio-medical sciences. The UCSF Medical Center consistently ranks among the top 10 hospitals by US News and World Report in a number of specialties.
Mission/Vision
The mission of UCSF is “Caring, Healing, Teaching and Discovering.” The university is driven by the belief that research and quality education and patient care can led to great breakthroughs in medicine and healthcare.
Campus Setting
Four major UCSF campus sites operate within San Francisco and an additional one is located in Fresno, California. There are several minor sites scattered throughout San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay Area. The main campus at Parnassus has numerous research labs and the UCSF Medical Center, Children’s Hospital and several other centers for the diagnosis, treatment and research in medical fields ranging from dentistry to fetal birth defects.
The Mission Bay Campus in San Francisco is the world’s largest ongoing bio-medical construction project. The Mount Zion campus is the site of USFC’s National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and outpatient resources and the Women’s Health Center. The San Francisco General Hospital campus has the city’s only Level I trauma center and serves the indigent. Although the hospital is owned and operated by the city, many of its doctors are UCSF-affiliated and manage research laboratories at the hospital campus.
The University of California San Francisco is also affiliated with the Veteran’s Administration hospital and the J. David Gladstone Institutes, a private bio-medical research unit.
Academics
The University of California San Francisco is renowned world-wide for innovation in medical research.The university has established excellence in patient care and public service. Only patient-centered and bio-medical research is performed in its Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Graduate Division and all UCSF-associated laboratories. The faculty includes 31 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 30 members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, 69 members of the Institute of Medicine and five Nobel Prize winners. Degrees conferred at UCSF include Master of Sciences, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Physical Therapy in various fields.
Athletics
The University of California San Francisco has not established any athletic
programs. The UCSF Sports Medicine Center is located at Mission Bay.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition and fees fluctuate and are subject to change by the state funding reductions and by the Regents of the University of California. Tuition also differs between the various Schools. In 2013-2014, the total costs for tuition and fees to attend the School of Medicine was listed as $35,696.00 for state residents and $47,941.00 for nonresident students. Tuition and fees for the Graduate Division was listed as $15,698.00 for residents and $30,800.00 for nonresidents.
The majority of students at UCSF rely on a combination of family contributions, personal contributions, loans and scholarships. In 2012, 88 percent of the university’s students received assistance from the UCSF Student Financial Aid Department.
Accreditation
The University of California San Francisco is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. This entity is responsible for the accreditation of schools and colleges in California, Hawaii and the Pacific Basin. The university as a whole, particularly the Graduate Division is accredited by the WASC.
Admissions
Admission is based on evaluation of intellectual and personal characteristics, high school background and scores from the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).Personal statements and interviews are considered. Applications are made through the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) where transcript request forms are created.
For more information contact admissions@medsch.ucsf.edu
UCSF School of Medicine
Office of Admissions
521 Parnassus Avenue, Room C-200
San Francisco, CA 94143-0408
(415) 476-4044
