I was is it harder or easier to...?

UCSF is one of the best hospital systems in the country. In general, the UC system is really strong. With regards to state vs. out of state, it depends on the school's admission policies. Also, you have to compete with more people in your state to get into a state school. Take University of Maryland for instance... ton's of Maryland residents want to go there, and the school accepts more people from MD than out of state, but that doesn't mean it is easier to get into if you live in MD. The same applies to other schools. The bottom line is that you need STRONG credentials to get into a good school, no matter where you live. The upside for out of staters is that they want you to apply to balance out the school, but there are fewer spots for out of staters, so it balances out...