When do we hear back regarding scholarships?
If you received an acceptance, you won't hear much about scholarships until after summer term starts. You'll apply for merit & mission based scholarships in the summer through a FSU COM-only scholarship database. They like to spread the money around as much as possible, with usually everyone receiving some sort of financial aid that doesn't have a parent, family member or spouse paying for their schooling. It is very rare for FSU COM to give out pre-matriculation scholarship offers except in extreme circumstances from what I know.
Well i have been viewing posts for the last few weeks now and i would like to ask a question. Has anyone here interviewed at any schools outside of Florida? Or if anyone has interviewed at either UF or USF, how would you compare them to FSU?
I am curious as to the substance of the school interviews as it seems students are quite happy with each of the schools. Thank you for your time
I am a first year at FSU, but I interviewed at UF & USF. I will share some of my experiences and perspective on my own personal decision making process.
USF
USF is a good school. They have an integrated curriculum that is relatively innovative with a system-based approach. A number of schools are moving more toward this model and away from the subject-based curriculums (FSU is an example. Our 2nd semester 2nd year is already systems based, and we are thinking about moving toward a more universally integrated curriculum over the next few years). I personally think the system-based approach is specifically geared toward prepping for boards, but I have no evidence to back this up

(oh EBM, how I love you). Anyways, they have good clinical rotations at some big hospitals in Tampa (TGH & The VA) that have some pretty good residency programs. Now for why I didn't like the school: The application was horrible. I felt like I was applying to Harvard for as much research as I did; just for the application mind you. Also, had some VERY unpleasant interactions with one of the admission personnel (and no, names will not be named). I try not to spread unsubstantiated rumors, but I have information from reliable sources regarding infighting in their administration. Whether this effects the students or not, I can't comment. Also didn't like the facilities there much. Library was old, outdated and had almost no individual study space. I got the feeling from talking with the students that there wasn't much camaraderie in the student body, with most commuting and living far from campus. Lectures were recorded, so it allowed students to basically do their own thing and rarely come to school if they so chose. Not personally for me. I don't love mandatory lectures, but I want to be compelled to come to school more often than not as I hate sitting around the house all day.
UF
UF is also a good school. They have a very strong research and graduate medical education (residency) directed curriculum. I am a UF undergrad and will always be a gator at heart; (sorry to the rest of my classmates reading this
😀, I still love you). They have a mostly subject-based curriculum, but like USF they do their clinicals at strong hospitals, namely Shands, which has many excellent residency programs. Now why didn't I like it you ask? Their building is very outdated. The med students are cruising around in the bowels of the health science building for much of the first years with some lectures above ground thankfully haha. Also didn't feel the administration does a great job fostering a strong student body; although I think that is improving greatly with the new Dean. But my interview day there was horrible. Had 2 interviews back to back that were half-a-mile from each other (yes I said half-a-mile, that's 2,640 feet, roughly

). I walked out in the hot FL sun in a three-piece suit and was sopping in sweat before the day was out (not my best moment). I pointed out the...oversight in scheduling to the admissions director. She apologized and said she would warn my second interviewer I might be late, which didn't happen. Spent the first 15 minutes apologizing to the PhD for tardiness and the next 40 being grilled about my 3 months of bench-research which I had done one summer to try it out (hated it lol). Additionally, and in my opinion only of course, their admissions crew goes after a very specific "type" of student; booky with lots of research. This is not a universal norm of course, and I would also definitely classify myself as a booky nerd, but I didn't want to be around a bunch carbon copies of myself for the next 4 years.
FSU
Obviously, great school
🙂. Was blown away by the facilities and student body at my interview. I loved the good natured spirit of the students, from my interview there and my communication with a good friend, whom was a 4th year at the time. What were my reservations? I was not sure about the "Rural medicine, primary care" mission they pushed. I didn't know what I wanted to do at the time, and I am still not sure to this day, so I didn't want to be pigeon-holed into anything. But when I looked at the match list, they had matched people into Derm, plastics, gen surg, ortho, pretty much into everything. So I knew my opportunities were not going to be limited by going here. The administration is amazing. We complained about the business at the campus gym during peak hours, we got a gym on the 4th floor. We complained about not enough study space, we got 15 new individual study rooms on the 4th. We complained about how a portion of our doctoring course was being handled, or how we wanted grades immediately after the examinations or how we wanted recorded lectures that were downloadable; changed, changed and changed. They are looking out for our best interests at FSU and do pretty much everything in their power to help us succeed. Regional campuses are unique because they are done a lot more one-on-one between you and the attending. No residents or interns, to compete or contend with. Gives you the opportunity for early autonomy in training. Our graduates are routinely lauded for their maturity and adeptness with patients during exams and procedures. I'm only a first year and I feel comfortable performing a full history and physical on a real patient if called to (which I recently was in community preceptorship). Just to give you a fair balance of good and bad, it is true we don't have a teaching hospital here. That means no "home" program for residency, which can be a boon in certain specialties. Also, can be more difficult to find clinical research because of this (hasn't stopped me though, already have a research project lined up for the summer). No associated teaching hospital means it can be harder to find shadowing opportunities (again, hasn't stopped me from shadowing different specialties). Some things here can be more difficult to attain, but if you are dedicated and resourceful it can be done.
Well anyways, that was a mouthful, but I was bored and didn't want to hit the books quite yet. Hoped this helped. Please PM with any other comments or concerns, as I don't check this thread as routinely as I would like. If I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would still choose FSU over ANY other FL school (I interviewed at all of them just to give you some insight on my perspective).