How would you rank the Florida schools?

[Gladiator89]

I haven't see a thread ranking the Florida schools so I thought I'd maybe start one and hear everyone's opinion. My rankings are:

UM/UF
UCF
USF
FAU
FSU
FIU

I would prefer to live in a large city so my rankings might be a little biased towards that.

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[FindMeOnTheLinks]

I would rank them as

UM
UF
USF
UCF
FAU
FSU
FIU

But obviously they are all good medical schools with different strengths that will be attractive to different people.

 

[Dr. Retractor]

UF
UM
USF/UCF
FSU
FAU
FIU
LECOM
NSU

But as @FindMeOnTheLinks said, it's really a matter of opinion what the exact order is.

 

[fingers-crossed]

@Gladiator89 Thank you for starting this thread. I would love to hear some of the reasoning behind the rankings you guys have come up with. As someone who is making decisions about some of these schools soon I would love to hear some feedback just to make as informed a decision as I can, and though I've been reading the websites and I took careful notes during interview dates I'd hate to miss something.

Cool thing is that my line up seems like it matches the general trend of this thread! Thanks to everyone who weighs in!

 

[alpinism]

Its basically UF/UM > USF then everybody else.

For UF and UM it all comes down to personal preference.

 

[miamiheatfan]

I would agree more or less with the other posters in this thread. But it seems like all of the Florida schools are impossible to get accepted to these days haha, so Kudos to you if you get into any of them!

 

[ortnakas]

I don't know anything about Florida schools, but if you're set on staying in-state, also consider the two DO programs (NSUCOM in Fort Lauderdale and LECOM-Bradenton).

 

[Gladiator89]

@Gladiator89 Thank you for starting this thread. I would love to hear some of the reasoning behind the rankings you guys have come up with. As someone who is making decisions about some of these schools soon I would love to hear some feedback just to make as informed a decision as I can, and though I've been reading the websites and I took careful notes during interview dates I'd hate to miss something.

Cool thing is that my line up seems like it matches the general trend of this thread! Thanks to everyone who weighs in!

Thanks! I just wanted to hear everyone's opinion and reasoning and compare them with my own. I ranked these schools based on my personal preferences, which is a combination of being able to work with a diverse patient population, having research opportunities, and, if possible, being close to a big city. Although I haven't interviewed at each school on the list, after interviewing at most of them, my opinion of the school has changed (which is the school's aim).

 

[Gladiator89]

I don't know anything about Florida schools, but if you're set on staying in-state, also consider the two DO programs (NSUCOM in Fort Lauderdale and LECOM-Bradenton).

I'm not that familiar with LECOM so in fairness I decided to exclude the two DO schools. However, feel free to include them in your rankings if you are familiar with them.

 

[Gladiator89]

I would agree more or less with the other posters in this thread. But it seems like all of the Florida schools are impossible to get accepted to these days haha, so Kudos to you if you get into any of them!

Agreed! We should get some of that "in-state love."

 

[625233]

Op

 

[sat0ri]

Thanks! I just wanted to hear everyone's opinion and reasoning and compare them with my own. I ranked these schools based on my personal preferences, which is a combination of being able to work with a diverse patient population, having research opportunities, and, if possible, being close to a big city. Although I haven't interviewed at each school on the list, after interviewing at most of them, my opinion of the school has changed (which is the school's aim).

Would you care to elaborate on why your view has changed? What did you learn about the schools that changed your mind?

 

[miamiheatfan]

Agreed! We should get some of that "in-state love."

After applying to all 7 FL MD and 2 FL DO schools, I was only accepted to 1 school in state total , One of the MD schools. I applied broadly out of state and had a lot more luck out of state! Other than UF and FSU, all of the FL schools take about 50/50 in-state to out-of-state which makes it even harder than it already is with so many applicants in Florida! I would tell future FL applicants to apply out of state well to give themselves the best chance!

 

[RedPhys]

I'd much rather go to FIU than any other FL school except UM.

 

[WingedOx]

I'd much rather go to FIU than any other FL school except UM.

I'm going to assume this is more about geography and not the rep of the schools.

UF/UM (whichever comes out cheaper)
USF
UCF/FSU (though I see UCF gradually climbing up higher, it's still a new school)
FIU/FAU (maybe slight edge to FIU, and that's personal bias because I know a FIU graduate who is solid)
Nova
LECOM

PSA: No one under the age of 60 should live in Boca or Lakewood Ranch.

 

[RedPhys]

I'm going to assume this is more about geography and not the rep of the schools.

Indeed. My family lives in Miami, so no way I'd trade an awesome Spanish/English world for Tampa, Orlando, or *shudders* backwoods Tallahassee.

I do understand FIU is pretty new, though, so not really a reputation to go with it.

 

[Gladiator89]

Would you care to elaborate on why your view has changed? What did you learn about the schools that changed your mind?

There is very limited information that you can find about the schools online. Once I visited the different schools I interviewed at, I was able to get a better feel for their philosophy, affiliations with hospitals, student life, and facilities present there. I don't mean to generalize but the content taught in the first two years in all of the medical schools is more or less the same with minor variations. However, there are differences in the methods in which it is taught (implementation of technology, problem-based learning, etc) so it was nice to get the current students' opinion on those. It was nice to visit the cities and get a vibe of them as well, since I'll be spending a couple of years there.

 

[Gladiator89]

I'm going to assume this is more about geography and not the rep of the schools.

UF/UM (whichever comes out cheaper)
USF
UCF/FSU (though I see UCF gradually climbing up higher, it's still a new school)
FIU/FAU (maybe slight edge to FIU, and that's personal bias because I know a FIU graduate who is solid)
Nova
LECOM

PSA: No one under the age of 60 should live in Boca or Lakewood Ranch.

Can't say much about Lakewood Ranch, but I really liked Boca Raton. It's fairly close to Miami (1.5 hours away) and the life there seemed pretty calm and relax. It wasn't too small of a city so it had a lot of facilities available. Also, FAU's campus is 5 minutes away from the beach so I can't complain about that!

 

[sat0ri]

There is very limited information that you can find about the schools online. Once I visited the different schools I interviewed at, I was able to get a better feel for their philosophy, affiliations with hospitals, student life, and facilities present there. I don't mean to generalize but the content taught in the first two years in all of the medical schools is more or less the same with minor variations. However, there are differences in the methods in which it is taught (implementation of technology, problem-based learning, etc) so it was nice to get the current students' opinion on those. It was nice to visit the cities and get a vibe of them as well, since I'll be spending a couple of years there.

That's why I'm asking, because there is so little available online. Like, can you give me your take on UF vs UM's methods and the opinions and vibes you got from each? Like how did you evaulate them on diversity of patient, research possibilities, and all the other criterion you used? I know it is n=1 and subjective, but some examples would help

 

[FutureOncologist]

Whichever one lets you in
The rest

 

[Flintwire]

Whichever one lets you in
The rest

I'm not sure that particular "ranking system" is limited to the Florida schools .

 

[yeshuamo]

Got a friend at FIU, he's shoulder-deep in work.
Got a friend at LECOM, she finds a bunch of time for music and family, even got engaged.

I guess that sheds light on lifetyle

 

[Gladiator89]

That's why I'm asking, because there is so little available online. Like, can you give me your take on UF vs UM's methods and the opinions and vibes you got from each? Like how did you evaulate them on diversity of patient, research possibilities, and all the other criterion you used? I know it is n=1 and subjective, but some examples would help

UM and UF are very close to each other in most aspects, such as teaching, curriculum, and research opportunities (although UF has a slight edge in my opinion in research). However, one main difference between the two is the patient population and patient care experiences. For UF, you're mainly in Gainesville (a very small town) or Jacksonville for clerkships and rotations. The reason UF sends its students to Jacksonville is because of the bigger population, hence a greater variety of illnesses and procedures students can see and learn about.

UM's hospitals are located in the heart of Miami. As you're aware, Miami has a VERY diverse population (much more diverse than Jacksonville and Gainesville combined). As a result, there are more illnesses and rare conditions that you can observe in Miami since there are people from nearly every corner of the world in Miami. Also, Jackson Hospital (UM's primary teaching hospital) is a large community hospital. It is fully funded by the state and a patient does not need health insurance to be viewed in Jackson. Due to this, the patients that students observe in Jackson are usually very ill. Many individuals even fly in to Jackson from South and Central America to receive treatment. Due to Jackson's large size, students get a lot of hands-on experience.

 

[RedPhys]

UM's hospitals are located in the heart of Miami. As you're aware, Miami has a VERY diverse population (much more diverse than Jacksonville and Gainesville combined). As a result, there are more illnesses and rare conditions that you can observe in Miami since there are people from nearly every corner of the world in Miami. Also, Jackson Hospital (UM's primary teaching hospital) is a large community hospital. It is fully funded by the state and a patient does not need health insurance to be viewed in Jackson. Due to this, the patients that students observe in Jackson are usually very ill. Many individuals even fly in to Jackson from South and Central America to receive treatment. Due to Jackson's large size, students get a lot of hands-on experience.

Plus, you end up learning some Spanish along the way (God help you if you don't).

 

[Shootinblanks]

UF/UM (whichever comes out cheaper)
USF
UCF/FSU (though I see UCF gradually climbing up higher, it's still a new school)
FIU/FAU (maybe slight edge to FIU, and that's personal bias because I know a FIU graduate who is solid)
Nova
LECOM

PSA: No one under the age of 60 should live in Boca or Lakewood Ranch.

I have to agree with your ranking, I think this is the most accurate. UF is better in research than UM and I would say UM has better hospitals in terms of sheer volume and exposure. USF is definitely next up, I think being able to rotate in Moffitt is a wonderful experience, especially if you want to go into oncology. I agree that UCF has the potential to surpass FSU but right now FSU has been established for a longer period of time so I would give it the edge. In addition, at FSU you can do 3rd and 4th year in Orlando, so I am assuming its a somewhat similar experience to UCF. FIU/FAU, I have no knowledge about either of these programs but based on what I have observed they seem to be correctly placed on your ranking. Regardless, all of these schools are good schools and have extremely bright student populations.

 

[Gladiator89]

I have to agree with your ranking, I think this is the most accurate. UF is better in research than UM and I would say UM has better hospitals in terms of sheer volume and exposure. USF is definitely next up, I think being able to rotate in Moffitt is a wonderful experience, especially if you want to go into oncology. I agree that UCF has the potential to surpass FSU but right now FSU has been established for a longer period of time so I would give it the edge. In addition, at FSU you can do 3rd and 4th year in Orlando, so I am assuming its a somewhat similar experience to UCF. FIU/FAU, I have no knowledge about either of these programs but based on what I have observed they seem to be correctly placed on your ranking. Regardless, all of these schools are good schools and have extremely bright student populations.

Only a limited number of 3rd and 4th year FSU students can rotate in Orlando and it is the second most popular site for the students, after Tallahassee. Besides Orlando, I didn't find any of the other sites as appealing.

 

[sat0ri]

UM and UF are very close to each other in most aspects, such as teaching, curriculum, and research opportunities (although UF has a slight edge in my opinion in research). However, one main difference between the two is the patient population and patient care experiences. For UF, you're mainly in Gainesville (a very small town) or Jacksonville for clerkships and rotations. The reason UF sends its students to Jacksonville is because of the bigger population, hence a greater variety of illnesses and procedures students can see and learn about.

UM's hospitals are located in the heart of Miami. As you're aware, Miami has a VERY diverse population (much more diverse than Jacksonville and Gainesville combined). As a result, there are more illnesses and rare conditions that you can observe in Miami since there are people from nearly every corner of the world in Miami. Also, Jackson Hospital (UM's primary teaching hospital) is a large community hospital. It is fully funded by the state and a patient does not need health insurance to be viewed in Jackson. Due to this, the patients that students observe in Jackson are usually very ill. Many individuals even fly in to Jackson from South and Central America to receive treatment. Due to Jackson's large size, students get a lot of hands-on experience.

Awesome this was exactly the detailed sort of answer I was looking for. Very clear. Thank you.

 

[Levrone]

I'd much rather go to FIU than any other FL school except UM.

this. top choice is UM, 2nd is FIU. I live pretty close to both

 

[kayleel0ve]

Thanks guys! California applicant! Interviewing at UF, USF and FIU pretty soon. Trying to decide whether or not I should stay and go to FAU but I didn't read anything that says I should spend the extra money... if anything I got that 22 year olds shouldnt be in Boca Raton lol

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Thanks guys! California applicant! Interviewing at UF, USF and FIU pretty soon. Trying to decide whether or not I should stay and go to FAU but I didn't read anything that says I should spend the extra money... if anything I got that 22 year olds shouldnt be in Boca Raton lol

If you have the chance to interview at FAU, you should go. I think you will be very impressed (I was). The clinical aspect of their education is more comprehensive than many schools I have interviewed at, and the campus/location is SUPER nice. They're a new school, but they know what they're doing and headed in the right direction. IIRC the admissions dean said they predict their matriculated average stats to be 3.8 and 33 this cycle - on par with many mid tier schools. I know stats don't mean all that much for schools, but it at least shows they are attracting higher-end applicants.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Thanks guys! California applicant! Interviewing at UF, USF and FIU pretty soon. Trying to decide whether or not I should stay and go to FAU but I didn't read anything that says I should spend the extra money... if anything I got that 22 year olds shouldnt be in Boca Raton lol

This is purely anecdotal, but friend who attended FAU med didn't have good things to say about the school. She said it is poorly run, and that the administrators and students frequently butt heads. Apparently, the administrators will write you up for protesting policies, and then tear up the note before putting it in your file. Sounds a bit nutty to me.

FAU was the only MD acceptance she received, so she had to attend. Based on her experience, she recommended that I not attend a new medical school because the people there clearly don't have experience dealing with students.

If I were you, I'd go to the interview anyways, just to see what the vibe is like. Congrats on your iis!!

 

[Gladiator89]

Thanks guys! California applicant! Interviewing at UF, USF and FIU pretty soon. Trying to decide whether or not I should stay and go to FAU but I didn't read anything that says I should spend the extra money... if anything I got that 22 year olds shouldnt be in Boca Raton lol

If you have the opportunity, you should go there and interview. I was iffy about FAU before visiting it and their interview day changed my opinion about them. Although it's a fairly new program, it's based off of UM's old program since UM had a regional campus there so it is somewhat established.

 

[kayleel0ve]

@Gladiator89 @FutureSunnyDoc @FindMeOnTheLinks Thanks for all the honest advice guys!! I appreciate it! As it turns out, UCF responded to my in the area e-mail and is offering me one the same day as the FAU one so I'm gonna go to UCF instead. But thanks!!

 

[Gladiator89]

@Gladiator89 @FutureSunnyDoc @FindMeOnTheLinks Thanks for all the honest advice guys!! I appreciate it! As it turns out, UCF responded to my in the area e-mail and is offering me one the same day as the FAU one so I'm gonna go to UCF instead. But thanks!!

Congrats and good luck! UCF is an amazing school and know how to sell themselves very well on interview day!

 

[beachside]

Glad to see my school is ranking well. 'Merica.

 

[IamZee]

@Gladiator89

Here is a niche.com list of the top 25 Florida Universities (https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-overall/s/florida/)

This the rank of the schools that actually have medical programs;

1. UF
2. UM
3. FSU
4. UCF
5. USF
6. NSU
7. FIU
8. FAU

 

[Gladiator89]

@Gladiator89

Here is a niche.com list of the top 25 Florida Universities (https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-overall/s/florida/)

This the rank of the schools that actually have medical programs;

1. UF
2. UM
3. FSU
4. UCF
5. USF
6. NSU
7. FIU
8. FAU

That's actually a ranking for the overall University, rather than just the medical program offered there.

 

[RicinBranCrunch]

Guys, FIU or UM. All day. Miami is indescribable.
Bottom of the list ? UF and FSU. Gainesville and Tally are thee worsstt. The only people who would tell you other wise are the 18 year olds living there.
I went to an OOS interview over a North Florida MD interview- that's how **** those cities are.
You'll be a doctor in the end anyway, might as well enjoy the weather and everything a global metropolis has to offer.
Good luck anywhere you end up, my FL people
Out.

 

[darklabel]

Its basically UF/UM > USF then everybody else.

For UF and UM it all comes down to personal preference.

Pretty much this. I think it's crazy people here are ranking UCF over USF with USF's research, clinical affiliations, location and history behind it. UCF may be a great school, but it still is new. UF and UM are pretty much interchangeable and it wouldn't be a bad decision picking one over the other if given the opportunity. Actually, attending any of the FL schools over another wouldn't really be a bad decision, though it seems FSU gets some flack for being a school focused on primary care.

 

[DrSoup]

After applying to all 7 FL MD and 2 FL DO schools, I was only accepted to 1 school in state total , One of the MD schools. I applied broadly out of state and had a lot more luck out of state! Other than UF and FSU, all of the FL schools take about 50/50 in-state to out-of-state which makes it even harder than it already is with so many applicants in Florida! I would tell future FL applicants to apply out of state well to give themselves the best chance!

Old thread, I know, but just wondering...how did you go about deciding which oos schools to apply for? I went through that this past cycle, and couldn't quite figure out how to formulate that list. Congrats on your acceptances, btw!

 

[miamiheatfan]

Old thread, I know, but just wondering...how did you go about deciding which oos schools to apply for? I went through that this past cycle, and couldn't quite figure out how to formulate that list. Congrats on your acceptances, btw!

Thanks! I basically went on MSAR and went state by state. I looked at "Acceptance Information" and looked at the ratio of OOS applicants to OOS interviews given.

 

[DrSoup]

Makes sense. Thanks so much!

 

[Gladiator89]

Thanks! I basically went on MSAR and went state by state. I looked at "Acceptance Information" and looked at the ratio of OOS applicants to OOS interviews given.

I essentially did the same thing. Albeit, I got no love from out of state schools.

 

[freemontie]

It's UM, then UF then USF.

Then it's open to opinion between UCF, FIU and FAU.

Then last among allopathics would be FSU due to it's small size and sucky match list history. Location is the worst of the lot too.

Then LECOM and then NSU.

 

[Avicenna]

UCF
UF
UM
USF
FAU
FSU
FIU

 

[Shootinblanks]

It's UM, then UF then USF.

Then it's open to opinion between UCF, FIU and FAU.

Then last among allopathics would be FSU due to it's small size and sucky match list history. Location is the worst of the lot too.

Then LECOM and then NSU.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on schools but I think placing FSU last is a bit misinformed. Here is this year's match list for your reference, personally I would not consider it 'sucky', especially considering the average MCAT and GPA of the students. You also have to look at the mission of the school a lot of students choose it to pursue primary care but those who do choose to specialize do not seem to be at a disadvantage.

http://med.fsu.edu/userFiles/file/Class of 2015 Residency Match Results(1).pdf

 

[freemontie]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on schools but I think placing FSU last is a bit misinformed. Here is this year's match list for your reference, personally I would not consider it 'sucky', especially considering the average MCAT and GPA of the students. You also have to look at the mission of the school a lot of students choose it to pursue primary care but those who do choose to specialize do not seem to be at a disadvantage.

http://med.fsu.edu/userFiles/file/Class of 2015 Residency Match Results(1).pdf

Relatively, bro. Relatively.
It's not a bad match list by any absolute measure, but they still only have 4 people in sub-specialty surgery residencies. In the end, I just don't think most people would pick FSU over other allopathic FL schools if they had the choice and it shows.

 

[miamiheatfan]

I essentially did the same thing. Albeit, I got no love from out of state schools.

It is definitely a toss up, I have friends who were like me and received most love from OOS schools, and I have friends who only received IS interviews.

 

[tiedyeddog]

Its basically UF/UM > USF then everybody else.

For UF and UM it all comes down to personal preference.

I agree with this. FSU/FIU/FAU/Whoever else are kind of the same IMO.

 

[tiedyeddog]

UCF
UF
UM
USF
FAU
FSU
FIU

Yeah, no. UCF is not #1 by any stretch of the imagination.