Allow me to start by saying that UCSF has always been a dream school. While Harvard and Hopkins both epitomize medicine (and I’ve blushed more times than I can count when I mumble that they’re my “#1 choice”), UCSF has always had an air of mysical UC magic. Exceptional research and clinical opportunities, in-state tuition, and glorious San Francisco. With pressure from both my childhood dreams and the parentals, I was worried that UCSF would fail to deliver. Thank goodness I was wrong!
San Francisco is, in short, a great place to be young. While Los Angeles likes to sprawl, San Francisco lacks the landspace and cannot afford to do so. Being surrounded by water on 3 sides means that the sky is (literally) the limit. Architecture is towering, and coupled with the city’s infamous hills, SF exudes an ambience that balances NYC crowding and the NorCal hipster vibe. With everything so clustered together, walking becomes convenient and a great way to integrate exercise into the daily routine; in fact, only half of the UCSF students have cars. For places that are a bit out of reach, the Bay Area boasts an impressively efficient bus/shuttle/train system (mind you, I lived in LA. Any resembling cohesive public transport is impressive).
UCSF, unlike the other medical school I’ve visited, really integrates itself with the local community. Situated pretty much in the middle of the peninsula, it is only about 15-20 minutes from…anything. With Parnassus Ave dividing the middle of campus and cars bustling in and out, there were moments when I felt like I was in the medical school area rather than the medical school, if that makes sense. It’s a very unique situation, and I don’t know how I feel about that yet.
The night before my interview, I hung out and got dinner with a friend as well as my host. As we ate, they both raved about their experiences as UCSF. (My friend very explicitly told me to go there, haha!) Moreover, they were very candid about the cost of living (a nightmare), the social opportunities available in the city, and the climate. My host lives in a 3 bed/2bath spacious apartment about 20 minutes away from campus by foot, and she and her roommates pay $1100-$1300/month (each person’s rent varies). UCSF does offer a few subsidized options, but those are snatched up quick; they mentioned a view $900/month (with roommates, of course) options in Mission Bay, which is 25 minutes away by shuttle. Landowners in San Francisco favor med students, as they are known to be “quiet and responsible;” even so, accepted students should start the hunt in March! Food, like rent, is pricy. I balked at seeing $11 pho, but I guess that’s one of the things that come with living in the city…
On actual interview day, we were given a light breakfast of coffee, yogurt, and bagels. After a short introduction, Dr. Wofsy, the Associate Dean of Admissions, gave a very inspiring speech that left all of us glassy-eyed. He spoke of UCSF’s admissions philosophy, their exceptional research and clinical opportunities opportunities, financial aid, and improved curriculum. Dr. Wofsy was very transparent about what happens after the interview, and I think all us of were very appreciative of it.
Unlike most of the schools I visited, UCSF places very little weight on the interview itself. “That lets us know what you were like today. Your application speaks to years of work and effort,” he assures us. There are 2 blind interviews, which may span from 30 minutes to an hour depending on the interviewer. After the interview, the interviewers log in onto a portal and write about their experiences and impressions of the applicant; such descriptions are usually about 3/4 of a page long. Only after the interviewer submits the report does s/he get access to the applicant’s file. Upon seeing the file, the interview has an opportunity to add an addendum to the report; most do not. Then, the interviewer is done; they do not attend the adcom meetings, and they have no further sway in the decision making process. A team of about 20 individuals look at all the files and make a decision: accept, waitlist, reject. Each applicant is considered independently: would you want this person in your class, and do you think this person has the potential to make an influence? Decisions are released around mid-December to January. Financial aid is need-based, and is not awarded until March.
As for the curriculum, it is…interesting. After hearing aspects from the Dean and the students, I did get the feeling the administration was hiding something (or perhaps just working on it?) Called Bridges, the improved curriculum hopes to intregrate more clinical experiences in the first two years, and to integrate more basic sciences in the later two years. Additionally, there is an Inquiry aspect of the curriculum in which students do a project for 30 weeks (as stated in the pamphlet we were given) in an area of interest. Furthermore, there will be a greater mix of flipped classroom modules, PBL, and traditional lectures. One thing that Dr. Wofsy didn’t mention at all were the boards, and the students agreed that this was their biggest critic of the curriculum. There is about 6 weeks allocated for students to study for Step 1, but UCSF as a whole likes to pretend the boards don’t exist. “It’s a bit frustrating because this means they don’t teach to the test, and their averages, while certainly above average, aren’t as high as they could me.” My student interviewer, who is an MS2 and has particularly strong concerns, feels a bit frustrated because she knows that UCSF can get away with their philosophy because they enroll such high-scoring students to begin with. That said, she told me that starting with the Class of 2020, students will take Step 1 after year 3, which took me completely by surprised. I would’ve expected to hear more about this?!
From there, we sat in on an M2 problem-based patient case, had lunch with MS3 and MS4 students, and toured the Parnassus campus. I was quickly reminded that UCSF, despite its prestige, location, and opportunities, is still a public school. The buildings for a mix of new and told, blocky and modern, and the hallways eerily remind me of high school. That said, UCSF has been working hard on rennovations, including the gorgeous new anatomy lab (look at that view). It’s definitely not a deal breaker for me, but it is something to note, especially when these restricted budgets may affect medical education. My first interview, an assistant professor, actually lamented how he and his collegues work in cubicles rather than actual offices, since there is not enough funding for them. One thing that I was a bit concerned about was the patient population in San Francisco; with it being such an expensive place, I was worried that the patients are largely upper middle class patrons who wouldn’t be receptive to medical students. In actuality, San Francisco has one of the greatest rates of healthcare disparities, with growing gentrification and a rising population of underserved individuals. As someone who is really interested in working with underserved populations, I was really happy to hear this!
Unfortunately, I had to leave halfway through the tour in order to catch a shuttle that will take me to Mission Bay, where my first interview was. Applicants will be interviewing at 4 possible locations: Mission Bay, SF General Hospital (where the bulk of them went), Mt Zion, and the Pernassus campus. I would say that as a whole, both of my interviews were very conversational, and I really enjoyed talking to both of them. We spoke a lot about my application (or what I listed in my introduction), my thoughts on medicine, and my interests. It really felt like we were just getting to know each other, and didn’t feel like an evaluation at all. I have high hopes!
Overall, UCSF met my expectations, and is definitely by top in-state pick. Its location can’t be beat, I do think that the opportunities make the standard of living worth it. Would I pick it over a top private school out of state? I honestly don’t know. I’m well aware that my parents are placing of all their bets on this one, but if I miraculously receive better aid elsewhere, it will be a touch decision. I guess I’ll have to wait till January 2016 to find out!
