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Sat, September 5, 2026 | 7:00 PM
A public, health-sciences university and one of the top medical schools in the world, based in San Francisco since 1864.
5000+ Students trust us
United States
Country
San Francisco
City
Top 5 in the US
Ranking
English
Medium of instruction
Introduction
The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Baker Beach in San Francisco
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Recognition & Prestige
UCSF School of Medicine is one of the most respected medical schools in the world and a leader in US medical research and primary care. Its recognition rests on independent rankings, its founding role as the oldest medical school in the western United States, and a research record that includes multiple Nobel Prizes.
#4
US News research medical schools (US)
Top 5
worldwide for medicine and health sciences
The medical degree is recognised internationally. UCSF School of Medicine's MD programme is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), UCSF is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and the school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS). An LCME-accredited MD makes eligible graduates able to sit the Indian screening examination (FMGE/NExT) for licensing.
Complete Information About UCSF School of Medicine
Get complete information about UCSF School of Medicine, including how the US MD pathway works and honest guidance for Indian students.
Success stories
Hear directly from students who are studying medicine in Europe with futureMBBS.
Academic Excellence
UCSF is one of the world's leading medical schools, combining a top research record with strong primary-care training in San Francisco. These are the reasons it is so respected, useful context even though it does not admit international students.
Read all about studying medicine abroad in our free guide
Learn which countries genuinely admit Indian students to medicine, and how the US MD route really works.
How to Apply
Admission to the MD at UCSF is through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), based on a completed bachelor's degree, the MCAT and a holistic review. Crucially, UCSF does not admit international students to the MD: applicants are normally required to be US citizens or permanent residents. There is no NEET requirement and no direct entry after Class 12.
The AMCAS application for the entering MD class opens for submission.
Final date to submit the AMCAS application to UCSF for the cycle.
Eligible applicants complete the UCSF supplemental application and essays.
Invited candidates complete UCSF interviews.
Offers of admission are released on a rolling basis.
The new MD class matriculates and orientation begins.
Applicants must hold a baccalaureate (bachelor's) degree from an accredited US institution before matriculation, together with the required pre-medical coursework and strong performance in the sciences.
Subjects:
This is the decisive eligibility point for Indian students: UCSF does not admit international students to the MD. Applicants are normally required to be US citizens or permanent residents (green-card holders). Being graduate-entry, most matriculants are also 21 or older.
Eligible applicants must submit the AMCAS application with MCAT scores, then complete the UCSF secondary application and interview. Selection is holistic, with strong weight on academics, research and service.
Entrance Exam
The MCAT is required for all applicants. The average matriculant score is about 517; there is no published minimum cutoff and no separate university entrance exam.
Citizenship
Applicants normally must be US citizens or permanent residents; international students are not admitted to the MD programme.
Admission is based on the MCAT and a holistic review of the whole application, not on category-wise minimum marks.
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) | Required for all applicants. Average matriculant score about 517 out of 528. No fixed minimum — reviewed holistically. |
| Undergraduate GPA | Average matriculant GPA is about 3.89 out of 4.00, with strong performance expected in the pre-medical sciences. |
Eligible (US citizen or permanent resident) applicants submit essential academic, testing and identification documents:
Understand the Real US Pathway
Get honest guidance on the US MD route and on countries that genuinely admit Indian students to medicine.
Program Structure
Students follow the Bridges Curriculum, a three-phase, fully integrated MD structure delivered over four years, taught entirely in English and centred on UCSF's teaching hospitals in San Francisco.
Total Duration:
4 Years
Degree:
MD (Doctor of Medicine, equivalent to MBBS)
Foundations 1 (~first 18 months)
Basic and clinical sciences are taught together from the start, alongside a longitudinal Clinical Microsystems Clerkship that places students in real clinical settings early:
Foundations 2 (~12 months)
Core clinical clerkships across the specialties at UCSF's teaching hospitals, giving hands-on patient care experience across the major fields of medicine:
Career Launch (final phase)
An advanced, individualised phase with sub-internships, advanced electives and a scholarly project, preparing students for residency and their chosen field:
Clinical training takes place across UCSF's network of teaching hospitals in San Francisco, beginning with the early Clinical Microsystems Clerkship and building to full core clerkships and advanced electives:
| Phase | Focus |
|---|---|
| Foundations 1 | Integrated science plus early patient contact through the Clinical Microsystems Clerkship. |
| Foundations 2 | Core clerkships in internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics-gynaecology, psychiatry and neurology at UCSF hospitals. |
| Career Launch | Sub-internships, advanced electives and a scholarly project in the final phase. |
Get the full curriculum
Download a free guide to see how the US MD curriculum works and how it compares with other routes.
Clinical Network
UCSF is a US school and does not run the EU Erasmus+ exchange programme. Instead, it teaches through UCSF Health and its affiliated hospitals and research institutes in San Francisco, where students complete their clinical training. The institutions below are among the principal members of that network.
| Institution | Focus / Role |
|---|---|
| UCSF Medical Center | Flagship adult teaching hospital; broad clinical training and research |
| UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals | Paediatrics and paediatric subspecialties |
| Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital | Trauma, emergency and safety-net clinical training |
| San Francisco VA Medical Center | Veterans' care and clinical training |
| UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center | Oncology teaching and research |
| UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences | Neuroscience and neurology research and care |
| Gladstone Institutes (affiliate) | Independent biomedical research partner |
| UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland | Paediatric care in the East Bay |
| Institute for Human Genetics | Genetics and genomics research |
| UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute | Cardiovascular science and training |
Explore the UCSF Health Network
The list above highlights selected hospitals and institutes where UCSF medical students train. Get the full picture from our experts.
Legacy
UCSF has been home to some of the most influential figures in modern biomedical science, including Nobel-winning researchers and the scientist whose work launched the biotechnology industry.
A UCSF professor and later chancellor, he shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes — showing that cancer can arise from normal genes gone wrong.
A UCSF professor who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize with Bishop for the discovery of oncogenes. He later led the US National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.
A UCSF neurologist who won the 1997 Nobel Prize for discovering prions — infectious proteins that cause diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease — introducing an entirely new principle of infection.
A UCSF biologist who shared the 2009 Nobel Prize for discovering how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase — work central to understanding ageing and cancer.
Affiliated with UCSF and the Gladstone Institutes, he shared the 2012 Nobel Prize for showing that mature cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells, opening new frontiers in regenerative medicine.
A UCSF physiologist who shared the 2021 Nobel Prize for discovering the receptors that let the body sense temperature and touch, explaining how we feel heat, cold and pain.
A UCSF biochemist and co-inventor of recombinant DNA technology who co-founded Genentech, effectively launching the biotechnology industry and enabling medicines such as human insulin.
UCSF medicine is taught by a large faculty spread across its teaching hospitals and research institutes, including practising physicians and surgeons, basic scientists and Nobel-laureate researchers. This blend of world-class research and hospital-based clinical teaching is central to the UCSF MD.
Nobel-laureate researchers
Physicians and surgeons at top US hospitals
Faculty with major international publications
Leaders in biotechnology and biomedical research
Integrated, early clinical learning
Faculty advising and mentorship
Clinical supervision during clerkships
Research mentorship across UCSF institutes
About University
The colourful waterfront houses of Sausalito across San Francisco Bay
An aerial view of a San Francisco neighbourhood and the bay
Get all information about the US MD pathway in our free guide
Read on to understand the US medical-education system and honest options for Indian students.
Role in medicine
Get all information about the US MD pathway in our free guide
Read on to understand how the US system works and what it means for Indian students.
Cost of studying
San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the United States, so living costs are high, well above typical MBBS destinations in Europe or Asia. Here is an approximate monthly breakdown for an MD student, quoted in Indian rupees.
| Cost Component | Approximate Amount (per month) |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (rent, San Francisco) | ₹1,70,000 – ₹3,20,000 |
| Food | ₹50,000 – ₹80,000 |
| Transportation (Muni / UCSF shuttle) | ₹6,000 – ₹14,000 |
| Health Insurance & Other (utilities, internet, personal) | ₹50,000 – ₹90,000 |
Average monthly living cost
₹2,90,000 – ₹5,00,000
Housing
UCSF offers university housing for students near its San Francisco campuses, alongside off-campus rentals in the city. Because San Francisco rents are among the highest in the US, campus and university-managed housing is highly valued by students.
UCSF Housing Services offers university-managed apartments and residences near the Parnassus Heights and Mission Bay campuses, prioritised for students.
Living in UCSF housing keeps commutes short and gives easy access to libraries, labs and the teaching hospitals, which matters in a spread-out, high-cost city.
Students can choose from a range of studio and shared apartment layouts, furnished or unfurnished, depending on budget and preference.
Most apartments include kitchens and shared common areas, making it easy and economical for students to cook their own meals, including Indian food.
Housing costs in San Francisco are high. University housing rates are set by UCSF; confirm current charges with UCSF Housing Services when planning a budget.
University housing is requested through UCSF after admission. Demand is high, so students apply as early as possible once they receive an offer.
UCSF shuttles link the Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses, and San Francisco's Muni Metro connects the campuses with the wider city.
Many students rent in San Francisco neighbourhoods such as the Inner Sunset, Cole Valley and Mission Bay. Rents are among the highest in the US, so use university listings and reputable platforms and begin the search early.
Need accommodation details?
Get a full overview of housing options with our guide, or reach out to an expert.
Food & Dining
Indian and vegetarian food is very easy to find in San Francisco and the wider Bay Area, which has one of the largest Indian communities in the United States.
UCSF campuses and the surrounding neighbourhoods have cafes and dining options serving affordable daily meals near classes and the hospitals, with vegetarian and vegan choices widely available.
Location
513 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
Nearest Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Local Transport
San Francisco's Muni Metro (including the N-Judah line to the Parnassus campus) and free UCSF shuttles connect the campuses across the city
Your Roadmap to Success
Graduates earn the MD (Doctor of Medicine) from one of the world's leading medical schools, a degree recognised internationally and equivalent to the MBBS.
Understand the Medical Licensing Pathway
A clear overview of the exams and requirements after graduation.
Practising in India
An MD from an LCME-accredited US school such as UCSF is accepted for the Indian licensing route, provided the graduate meets the NMC's foreign medical graduate criteria. In practice this applies to Indian-origin graduates who studied at UCSF as US citizens or permanent residents, since UCSF does not admit international students.
Step 1
Graduates must clear the qualifying examination that licenses foreign medical graduates to practise in India. This is currently the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), which is transitioning to the National Exit Test (NExT).
Step 2
After qualifying, students complete a one-year Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) in India, gaining supervised clinical experience across the major departments.
Step 3
The final step is registration with the National Medical Commission (NMC) or the relevant State Medical Council, after which the graduate can practise as a doctor in India.
Student Life Style
Studying for the MD is a mix of intensive academics, early clinical exposure and personal growth, set in one of the world's most iconic cities. UCSF's focus purely on the health sciences gives it a close-knit, mission-driven student community.
A historic waterfront building with people in San Francisco
Scholarship & Financial
UCSF offers need-based and merit financial aid to eligible MD students. As a public University of California school, most of this aid is aimed at California residents and US students, which is another reason the MD is not a practical route for international applicants.
UCSF School of Medicine provides need-based grants and scholarships to eligible students to help meet the cost of the MD and reduce borrowing.
Ratings
Hear from students and alumni about their experience at UCSF School of Medicine.
4.9
110 reviews
Compare
Compare UCSF School of Medicine with a leading Indian medical college.
Quick Comparison:
UCSF School of Medicine vs AIIMS Delhi
| University | UCSF School of MedicineSan Francisco, USA | AIIMS DelhiNew Delhi, India |
|---|---|---|
| University Type | Public (University of California), health-sciences only | Public (Institute of National Importance) |
| Medium | English | English |
| Course Duration | 4 years (MD, graduate-entry) | 5.5 years (MBBS, incl. internship) |
| Tuition (per year) | ~₹63.1 lakh ($65,686 non-resident) | ~₹1,600 (nominal government fees) |
| Admission | Bachelor's + MCAT + AMCAS; US citizens / residents only | NEET-UG |
| Recognition | LCME / WDOMS; NMC-eligible via screening | NMC-recognised |
| International students | Not admitted to the MD | Admitted via NEET / dedicated seats |
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Our blog
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FAQ
Short answers to the questions students and parents ask most often about UCSF School of Medicine.
