Preparing for the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine interview

Excelling in your medical school interview at UCSF School of Medicine requires a strong grasp of California’s healthcare system, an awareness of state and national healthcare policies, and familiarity with major social and health-related developments in both California and across the country. 

The information in this guide equips you with valuable perspectives, enabling you to respond thoughtfully and illustrate your genuine passion for medicine and your dedication to serving diverse populations.

1. The UCSF Interview: Format, Structure, and Core Themes

UCSF uses a two-part interview format: a traditional open-file faculty/physician interview (~40–60 minutes), and a separate student or staff interview—both in conversational style but heavy on follow-up questions. While UCSF previously dabbled with MMI elements (Multiple Mini Interviews), the standard remains one-on-ones tailored to your application and experiences. Virtual interviews remain common post-pandemic.

Structure:

• Deep-dive into your AMCAS and secondary (expect them to probe every “why” and “how” behind your activities)

• Values and ethics-based questions that get at cultural humility and advocacy

• Scenario/situational prompts (you might get an urban San Francisco twist—think houseless patients, language barriers)

• Current events and local challenges, especially policies and health topics affecting the Bay, California, and the U.S.

• Why UCSF, why the Bay Area, and your vision as a changemaker in medicine

Key Themes:

• Commitment to health equity & social justice (UCSF’s “PRIME-US” and “Program in Medical Education for the Urban Underserved” are central)

• Teamwork, communication, and humility

• Adaptation to rapid advances in research and clinical care (AI, climate medicine, etc.)

• Advocacy: UCSF physicians shape statewide/national health policy

• Cultural and linguistic competency with diverse populations

2. California Health Care Policy: Innovation, Access, and Unfinished Business

1. Toward Universal Coverage: “CalAIM” and “Medi-Cal for All”

California is systematically expanding Medi-Cal to include all low-income residents, regardless of immigration status—unique among U.S. states. The 2024 “CalAIM” reforms focus on integrating health and social services, investing in housing for vulnerable populations, and bridging mental health care gaps. UCSF is a research and pilot site for much of this work, especially in homeless care and integrated behavioral health.

2. Reproductive Rights & Gender-Affirming Care Leadership

While states restrict abortion and LGBTQ+ care, California doubled-down in 2023–24: enacting abortion “shield laws” (protecting patients and providers from out-of-state prosecution) and mandating insurance coverage for abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming services. UCSF’s Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) group leads national research, and student-run clinics provide reproductive and inclusive care to Bay Area’s marginalized communities.

3. Climate Health / Environmental Justice

California’s climate-med-health movement is led by UCSF. In 2023, wildfires and heat waves spurred an “All Hazards” medical readiness initiative (including Asthma mitigation outreach in San Francisco’s low-income Mission and Tenderloin districts). UCSF’s Institute for Global Health Sciences and the Center for Climate, Health and Equity are central to policy advocacy and real-world pilots.

4. Public Health, Prevention, and Harm Reduction

California’s 2024 push on harm reduction is bold—fentanyl test strips, safe consumption sites (SF was prepped to pilot before state-level veto), Narcan/Naloxone in public spaces, and robust partnerships with community orgs. UCSF leads the “DOPE Project” and “Navigation Center” medical teams, addressing syndemics of addiction, mental health, and homelessness at the street level.

5. Cutting-Edge Data, Tech, and “AI & Equity”

Legislation in 2024 limits private health data sharing between insurers and tech companies (prompted by SF’s digital health boom)—a headline issue for anyone eyeing research, informatics, or EHR innovation at UCSF. Also: UCSF is pioneering AI/ML-driven diagnostic tools and running studies about algorithmic bias in health care.

3. San Francisco & the Bay: Local Issues You Must Know

1. Homeless Health and Social Determinants

With SF’s unsheltered homeless crisis making national news (8,000+ unhoused in 2023), UCSF faculty and students are first responders on mobile street medicine teams and Navigation Centers. Local hepatitis A, TB, HIV, and opioid overdose outbreaks are interconnected with this crisis.

2. Language, Immigration, and Cultural Competency

Over 40% of SF residents are immigrants, and more than 112 languages are spoken. UCSF cares for communities from Mexico, China, Vietnam, El Salvador, the Philippines, and more. Cross-language and cross-cultural care is a daily reality (and MANDATORY curriculum). Interpreter and “community health worker” programs are a regional priority.

3. Maternal & Child Equity

The Bay Area’s stark income and racial disparities affect maternal, infant, and child health. Black and Latina women face higher rates of preterm birth and postpartum complications. In 2023–24, UCSF’s Preterm Birth Initiative and the “California Black Health Network” expanded community doula outreach and local advocacy.

4. LGBTQ+ & Gender-Affirming Care

UCSF is a haven for LGBTQ+ patients—providing the Bay Area’s most comprehensive gender-affirming care, HIV prevention, and youth mental health outreach. This is core to their identity and should be referenced if relevant to your background/interests.

5. Urban Pollution, Housing, and “Climate Gentrification”

Air quality alerts due to wildfires and pollution, lead exposure in aging housing, and the “climate gentrification” of lower-income neighborhoods in the Bay are all public health flashpoints. UCSF researchers map and intervene on these evolving risks.

4. The 5 Questions University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine is most likely to ask during your medical school interview

1. Why UCSF, and how will you leverage its location and resources to advance health equity?

2. Tell us about a time you advocated for an individual or community facing health inequity.

3. How would you address care for the unsheltered population in San Francisco?

4. What is your perspective on safe consumption sites or recent California policies targeting the opioid epidemic?

5. Describe a challenging communication scenario with someone of a different background. How did you adapt or learn?