Academic Programs

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Student Comment:

1. “I loved this major. I'm super interested in technology, so this was a perfect introduction. The major has a strong theoretical emphasis, but the Biomedical Engineering Society and Maker Space have been working to incorporate more practical applications. Fair warning though: The engineering classes are typically more difficult and less forgiving then a usual 'pre-med' class. This is because GPA isn't a priority for engineers so faculty tend to go quite hard on exams/classes. It is doable though! There's a big pre-med Bioengineering population, others have done it before (including yours truly).”

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Student Comment:

1. “Science GPA 3.4, total GPA 3.75. No lie, these upper divs were HARD! I scored probably straight B's throughout my upper divs; my GPA was held up by my English minor (straight A's). Why did I "risk" my GPA? Well, as a non-gunner premed, I wasn't as concerned about my grades and instead had cultivated a mindset since freshman year to try my best in whatever interested ME, and for me that was microbiology. I don't regret at all doing this major, for I thoroughly enjoyed the courses I took, whether that was the Plant-Microbe Ecology lab or Parasitology or Virology. I also ended up at a UC med school, so in the end getting a string of Bs should NOT stress you out coming from UCLA -- you are much more than a GPA.”

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Student Comment:

1. “MCDB represents! Faculty is amazing. Connie (the advisor) is SO helpful; she really helps you figure out your courses and plan to graduate when you want to, with no judgment - she knows what she is doing! MCDB is also very flexible as a schedule. Many of the courses are offered multiple times across the year, and often, if you do research, that will count for your course credit! I have found my MCDB peers to also be so sweet and chill and helpful! Go MCDB! The mitochondria is indeed the powerhouse of the cell.”

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Student Comments:

1. “This program helps make the effort of getting into a research lab so much easier.. since they pair you with a PI based on your interests. There is an interview involved, but no prior research experience is necessary! You just need to express an interest in research and take a course prior to applying. There aren't that many intensive required classes for the minor, most were satisfied through my major, and the rest were pretty lowkey journal club courses. Also got a LOR from a professor from a journal club course, since these classes are typically only 15ish students and you get to interact with the professor much more and show your inquisitive side :) ”
2. “If you're interested in research seriously, then this is a powerful pipeline that covers many different aspects of research (e.g. finding a lab, reading journals, communicating and understanding research, etc.). If not, I HIGHLY encourage you not to join -- there are many students that do it for the resume and find their time in the minor a chore.”
3. “I agree with both of the other students - the minor was a great way for me to get paired with a PI whose research I was interested in and to get deeply involved with an independent research project; however, the time commitment is significant (at least 15+ hours/week), so be sure you can meet this expectation before applying”
4. “I already found my lab before joining the minor, but Dr. Clark is super awesome. He is a tremendous mentor to have and really supportive. Also, I really like the classes, such as 5HB, etc., because they are super chill classes for me to learn about other people's research. If there is any class I am not as big of a fan of, it's the Journal Club, but I am not from Life Sciences so I couldn't really participate during the discussion haha.”
5. “Highly encourage the minor if you are interested in getting involved in research! There is an application process for the minor, but once you are accepted, they help to pair you with a lab based on your interests. Through the minor, I was able to join an incredible lab that really strengthened my interest in research and helped me become deeply involved in research during my undergrad years. Additionally, based on your major, you can also take 199 or 198 classes (basically getting class credit for your research), and this can count towards both your major (depending on your major) and also your minor, so this helped ease my class load as well, since I was already doing research anyway, and was now getting credit for it too. There are some other courses required for the minor (like journal club, etc), but these are pretty light and doable courses so nothing to stress over I think.”
6. “The faculty are amazing! Dr. Clark and Dr. Romero for the win!”

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Student Comment:

1. “UCLA has an incredibly renowned English department. So many interesting classes to balance out my hardcore STEM courses, including Screenplay Adaptation, Shakespeare, creative writing workshops... if there is a minor that interests you or speaks to you, take the leap. It will look great on med school applications too, yada yada yada, but lifewise this will probably be your last chance to study a subject passionately in an academic setting.”

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Student Comment:

1. “The faculty in gerontology are so open and kind. The courses are interdisciplinary, which means it is one of those rare opportunities to dip your feet into both North and South campus courses! Our older adult population is GROWING, so gerontology/geriatrics is definitely going to impact your career - medicine or not - and it applies to every medical speciality, even pediatrics! Don't believe me? Then, take this minor to find out for yourself!”

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Student Comment:

1. “Great Minor honestly as it required only 5 extra classes if you got a 5 on AP Spanish Exam.Teachers were great and this minor and my ability to be conversationally proficient in Spanish was talked about a lot on med school interviews”

Brief Description:
Peer advising employment, 8-10 hours/wk Recruits spring quarter for following year (entire academic year commitment)

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Student Comment:

1. “Was a great student part-time job that taught me how to talk to individuals one-on-one and counsel them on academic challenges. Used in my AMCAS to parallel It to help patients navigate health questions. Not medical in any way, but very enjoyable and learned valuable communication skills. When you're not being asked questions, you can study or do whatever else, and that's nice too.”