2011-2012 University of Florida Application Thread

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You guys really plan on doing nothing between graduation and matriculation?
 
Trad here, I put down that I was going to be vacationing with my family and traveling (which I did), didn't really seem to be that big of a deal. Probably just some way for UF to keep track of where you are in case you end up being accepted/decide to enroll here and they need to send you something over that summer.
 
When I was applying last year I was going to say that I was going to complete a Master's program. Now that I've completed it, that's what I'm putting for this year's app.

I've always interpreted it to be a: Did you "sit on the couch"? Or did you involve yourself with something? type question.

Either way, I wouldn't leave it blank. Just put something 😎
 
👍

cweave16 said:
Trad here, I put down that I was going to be vacationing with my family and traveling (which I did), didn't really seem to be that big of a deal. Probably just some way for UF to keep track of where you are in case you end up being accepted/decide to enroll here and they need to send you something over that summer.
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do i have to have the peer recommendation sent to UF before I send my AMCAS primary?
 
No. And you don't send the letter to UF, all letters will be sent to AMCAS: http://admissions.med.ufl.edu/

FOR THE 2011-2012 APPLICATION CYCLE:
ALL LETTERS MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH AMCAS. AMCAS ONLY ACCEPTS 10 LETTERS, YOU MAY NEED TO CONSOLIDATE YOUR LETTERS INTO PACKETS
​
The University of Florida College of Medicine requires the following five letters of recommendation:

- 2 academic letters of recommendation from science coursework
- 1 academic letter of recommendation from non-science coursework
- 2 character letters, 1 of which can be a character reference from a peer (friend, classmate, non-supervising co-worker).

anon08 said:
do i have to have the peer recommendation sent to UF before I send my AMCAS primary?
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Has anyone received secondary invites yet??
 
Does anyone know how many people get screened out presecondary? Im OOS with mediocre GPA Good MCAT w/ military clinical exp im wondering if its worth it...i do have ties to the state (grandparents and uncle/aunt live there)
im wondering if its worth filling the secondary out if they dont accept that many OOS
 
IDFsoldierboy said:
Does anyone know how many people get screened out presecondary? Im OOS with mediocre GPA Good MCAT w/ military clinical exp im wondering if its worth it...i do have ties to the state (grandparents and uncle/aunt live there)
im wondering if its worth filling the secondary out if they dont accept that many OOS
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If you've already applied via amcas, I say it can't hurt to do the secondary. It's only $30, so relative to non-Florida schools, that's pretty cheap.

They will definitely pick a few OOS people, so it can't hurt to try!
 
LNuge said:
If you've already applied via amcas, I say it can't hurt to do the secondary. It's only $30, so relative to non-Florida schools, that's pretty cheap.

They will definitely pick a few OOS people, so it can't hurt to try!
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didnt realize its 30 ill def do it then...these 100 dollar secondaries are killing my bank account! lol...yea i kinda put 1 too many schools down on amcas and am kinda regretting it cuz i didnt realize secondaries costed THAT much
 
when filling out the app and it asks the activities from most recent should that be starting from may (when i graduated) or starting from any plans I have in the future going backwards to til may?
 
IDFsoldierboy said:
when filling out the app and it asks the activities from most recent should that be starting from may (when i graduated) or starting from any plans I have in the future going backwards to til may?
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My guess would be from May (list first) through August 2012 (list last).
 
I plan on having a shadowing letter and a research letter. Not sure which one to use as the other character reference.

Haven't received secondary invite yet as I just submitted primary on 7/13, just wondering for when I have to cross that bridge.
 
AnthroMD said:
I plan on having a shadowing letter and a research letter. Not sure which one to use as the other character reference.

Haven't received secondary invite yet as I just submitted primary on 7/13, just wondering for when I have to cross that bridge.
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You are no longer required to have a "peer letter" so you can send in both?
 
AnthroMD said:
Are you sure about this? According to their website, http://admissions.med.ufl.edu/, 2 character letters are required. One is from a "peer" (friend, classmate, non-supervising coworker) with similar credentials and qualifications.
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Flamen04 is right. Previously on this site it said that a peer letter was required, now it says "One of which CAN be a character reference from a peer". So you don't have to do a peer letter, but you can if you want to.
 
Oh cool, I wasn't aware they had made those changes. Thanks for the heads-up guys 👍
 
Have secondaries been sent out to IS students? I filled out the proof of residency application but haven't heard anything for the past month? Am I missing something?
 
topherP said:
Have secondaries been sent out to IS students? I filled out the proof of residency application but haven't heard anything for the past month? Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

I haven't received a secondary yet, and I haven't heard of anybody else getting one yet either.
 
Nomdeplume said:
I haven't received a secondary yet, and I haven't heard of anybody else getting one yet either.
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i received an e-mail saying i was selected for a secondary and was asked to fill out the app to UFlorida professional school...and that they r still working on the secondary because they are changing the system and that it will be up mid-July (or relatively close) and as soon as it is up they will be sending the link. (I'm OOS btw)
 
Why is UF taking forever...? I just want my secondaries to be done already so PLEASE send it out soon. :laugh:
 
Yeah does anyone know when they'll be sending secondaries? The email I got said by the middle of the month and we are now nearing the end of it...
 
The director of admissions is retiring from his position officially, and the new director isn't slated to take his place until August 1. Maybe that has something to do with it?
 
Has anyone received secondary information yet? I can't believe they are taking so long to get things together.
 
I just received an email from UF stating that the secondary isn't ready yet (and, apparently, that they aren't sure exactly when it will be). The email also included the essay prompts...I think everyone probably got the email.

Let me just say...I think this is the most ridiculous secondary yet. I'll do it, because I like UF, but I think this secondary is ridiculous.
 
oh wow..... 😱

What if I am both extroverted and introverted??
 
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Nomdeplume said:
I just received an email from UF stating that the secondary isn't ready yet (and, apparently, that they aren't sure exactly when it will be). The email also included the essay prompts...I think everyone probably got the email.

Let me just say...I think this is the most ridiculous secondary yet. I'll do it, because I like UF, but I think this secondary is ridiculous.
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S***, they changed it? I was REALLY hoping for the diversity question again, 'cause I was ready to copy/paste that essay. 🙁

libraryismyhome said:
oh wow..... 😱

What if I am both extroverted and introverted??
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Yeah, I'm about a 60/40 balance. I hate secondaries.
 
Cinclus said:
S***, they changed it? I was REALLY hoping for the diversity question again, 'cause I was ready to copy/paste that essay. 🙁



Yeah, I'm about a 60/40 balance. I hate secondaries.
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Yep, looks like a complete overhaul, I think. Sorry to break the news.
 
Three 250-500 word essays? The question prompts are long, but this is nothing compared to Miami's secondary.

Edit: Only two essays for traditional applicants.
 
Cinclus said:
S***, they changed it? I was REALLY hoping for the diversity question again, 'cause I was ready to copy/paste that essay. 🙁
Click to expand...

Wait it's actually okay to copy then paste your last year's essay? Woudln't that work as your disadvantage? This is my first time applying, so no clue here.
 
libraryismyhome said:
Wait it's actually okay to copy then paste your last year's essay? Woudln't that work as your disadvantage? This is my first time applying, so no clue here.
Click to expand...

I'm not a re-applicant, it's just that I've already written a diversity essay for another secondary and was hoping UF would ask for that sort of essay again.
 
Essay 1: Please limit your response to 250-500 words

If you are not a full-time student during this application cycle, in particular at any time between September 2011 and May 2012, please detail your current and planned activities below.


Essay 2: Please limit your response to 250-500 words

At the core of our profession are attributes sometimes called the three C's; Competence (clinical excellence), Caring (a genuine desire to help others or "other centeredness") and Character (personal integrity and honesty). In order to grow in these areas, the best practitioners are able to reflect upon who they are as individuals (self-assessment) and allow these insights to shape how they develop as physicians. The relationships we develop with patients and colleagues are among the most rewarding aspects of being a physician and provide the theatre in which the three C's are both learned and practiced. We therefore have two short essay questions designed to help you explore these important topics. The first deals with self-assessment, and the second deals with the experiences of two UF medical students facing the loss of a patient and its impact on them as young doctors.

Read the following description of introversion and extraversion from the Myers-Briggs foundation website. Most people, while seeing themselves to one degree or another in each description, are inclined towards either being introverted or extroverted. Both groups make wonderful physicians, but each personality type has some inherent strengths and weaknesses which need to be appreciated as individuals develop into practicing physicians. Do you see yourself as more of an extravert or an introvert and how will this impact how you learn to communicate with patients and colleagues?

Extraversion (E)
I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. I'm excited when I'm around people and I like to energize other people. I like moving into action and making things happen. I generally feel at home in the world. I often understand a problem better when I can talk out loud about it and hear what others have to say.

The following statements generally apply to me:

I am seen as "outgoing" or as a "people person."
I feel comfortable in groups and like working in them.
I have a wide range of friends and know lots of people.
I sometimes jump too quickly into an activity and don't allow enough time to think it over.
Before I start a project, I sometimes forget to stop and get clear on what I want to do and why.

Introversion (I)
I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world. I often prefer doing things alone or with one or two people I feel comfortable with. I take time to reflect so that I have a clear idea of what I'll be doing when I decide to act. Ideas are almost solid things for me. Sometimes I like the idea of something better than the real thing.

The following statements generally apply to me:

I am seen as "reflective" or "reserved."
I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own.
I prefer to know just a few people well.
I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don't move into action quickly enough.
I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience.


Essay 3: Please limit your response to 250-500 words

Among the most poignant but challenging experiences for a physician surround caring for patients at the end of life. Read the 2 attached essays (attached file, UFCOM_Essay-3.pdf), written recently by students at the University of Florida College of Medicine. In the first, the student describes the experience of caring for a patient with cancer at the end of life and the second reflects upon a "code" which the student observed. Both were changed and grew through the experience. Pick one, and describe the skills of the author that you notice and think are helpful, then describe how these characteristics manifest in the kind of physician that you want to be.
 
Here are the students' essays to be used for prompt #3:

The Quickness of Death
I wonder if they can hear the footsteps? Starting off as a whisper, far away in the dark, but then amplifying into a roaring cacophony, drowning out the prayers and the get-well soons. Then there is silence. It was over almost as fast as it began, with heads now being scratched and decisions being second-guessed, we stand with incredulity written indelibly across our foreheads. The family reads our faces, sentence after sentence punctuated by teardrops until they have to look away. Words of comfort and explanations are caught in our throats and come out awkwardly, misaligned, but sincere. There is no longer the need for science or medicine, but for something less synthetic and more human. The doctor reaches out her hand to the now widow and their hands meet like strangers who were somehow looking for each other on a crowded street. The embrace is uncomfortable at first, but quickly becomes familiar and rather reassuring. The footsteps were quick and they never heard them coming. The suffering is over as his soul soars past the balloons lining the sealing through the cold walls and into the infinite sky. I look up and wonder how this could happen so fast. We need warnings, reminders, and alarms; second notices, memos, and last chances. The unexpected is not welcome around here in the company of facts, figures, and statistics. We often hear the question asked by patients, "How much longer do I have?", insinuating that the end is near…within reach. I think I always imagined the way people died as a slow and indolent process similar to watching sand passing through an hourglass grain by grain. But it can be a tidal wave, knocking you down and holding you under despite desperate attempts to resurface. The weights some patient's carry can be oh so heavy and we just cannot tell when their bodies will buckle under the tremendous forces of disease. This is a piece of knowledge you won't find in the thickest of textbooks or in the latest literature. This is the knowledge of experience and it is unfortunately something one must stumble onto often unexpectedly. As I look back on these experiences that somehow found me I can't help but feel blessed. In that I mean to have the opportunity to help and guide patients and families through this unfamiliar transition in life. The footsteps still echo down the halls and the patients will pop their heads out of their rooms to see if the footsteps are coming to see them. This wont change, but I certainly have.

Why do we do what we do?
What makes us get up before the sun and spend our days in cramped work rooms choosing between different antibiotics, between a stress test and a cath., between greasy pizza and granola bars? It's not money, recognition or glamour. We are human and we are apt to become frustrated with non-compliant patients, inefficient hospitals, and our litigious society. We are often overworked and almost always exhausted. We are vulnerable to forget why we chose to undertake this challenge in the first place. So, I would like to tell you about my friend Jim.
I met Jim the first day of my medicine rotation. He was in the MICU after developing a small bowel obstruction the night before. He had slept even less than I had and was obviously in pain, but when I introduced myself, Jim gave me a big smile and a warm handshake. He told me his medical history; he told me about his chronic leukemia that had transformed into something scarier, about his liver infiltrates, and about the intense pain in his belly that had developed just 12 hours before. He told me he was ready to fight it all.
In the 13 short days I knew him, I learned much more about his story. He had two daughters, (one who shared my name), who had changed their wedding dates so their father could attend. I looked through pictures of his family with him and discussed favorite vacations, memories of his kids, and how he wished he were at the beach. He told me that he was happy his room had a view of the football stadium, which launched a long conversation about the Gators and Tim Tebow's Heisman win. I discussed wedding plans with his fiancé and held her hand when she found me outside his room to tell me how scared she was about losing him.
Only a few years older than my own father, Jim simultaneously treated me as a member of his medical team and as one of his children. He trusted me with his care while still feeling a need to protect me. When he told me that he was finished fighting, that he wanted no more treatment, he did so with compassion and sensitivity and care. He was certain about his decision, but he wanted to make sure I could handle it. He was an amazing man.
In the last few days of his life, I got the privilege of meeting his family. I cried with his fiancé and his daughters. I hugged his closest friends and explained how we would make him comfortable. I also got the privilege of watching the physicians around me. As, one by one, we stopped his chemotherapy, his intravenous feedings, his antibiotics, as we withdrew the medical and pharmacological technology prolonging his life, we never lapsed in our care. Instead, we spent long hours talking with his family, assessing his pain, taking care of him for as long as he was our patient. When he asked us to pray with him, we joined hands and prayed. We provided him the opportunity to die well.
The day before Jim died, his fiancé asked me to stay with him for a few minutes while she took a break. She had not left the hospital in days; she was tired and emotionally broken, and when she asked me to sit by him so he wouldn't be alone, I rejoiced at her request. He was lethargic and only minimally responsive, and for the majority of the 15 minutes I spent alone with him at his bedside, he slept. I cried openly and unabashedly for this man I had known for less than 2 weeks. I cried for his kids and his fiancé and for myself. I cried because every once in a while, Jim would squeeze my hand and shoot me that same wonderful, warm smile. He was an amazing man.
We do what we do because it is a privilege. I had the privilege of being welcomed into a man's life when he was most vulnerable. I had the privilege of joining his family in prayer when they were most desperate. And I had the privilege of being part of a team of physicians who cared for their patient when others would have said they had nothing left to contribute. I hope to never forget how lucky I am.
 
anyone know the gender of the first author? It's kind of annoying trying to decide which pronoun to use. :lame:
 
WhizoMD said:
anyone know the gender of the first author? It's kind of annoying trying to decide which pronoun to use. :lame:
Click to expand...

It's a she.
The doctor reaches out her hand to the now widow and their hands meet like strangers who were somehow looking for each other on a crowded street.

:luck:
 
How is the essay on introverted versus extroverted going for everybody else? What seemed like the easiest question to answer has turned out to be quite challenging for me. It's not that I am not self-aware, but that I find it hard to categorize myself as either without thinking I am losing a little essence of who I am.
 
well its finally up...they also wanna know if u took a MCAT prep class...ur ties to the state if ur OOS (they also want a statement even if u have no ties) the lovely essays they have alrdy told us and an area for additional comments
 
IDFsoldierboy said:
well its finally up...they also wanna know if u took a MCAT prep class...ur ties to the state if ur OOS (they also want a statement even if u have no ties) the lovely essays they have alrdy told us and an area for additional comments
Click to expand...

I haven't received it yet. Weird. I thought I submitted relatively early. Anyways, good to know. :luck: everybody.
 
I haven't received it yet, either. That's OK though, because I'm definitely not in a rush to complete this monster.
 
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submitted. No more secondaries!!!! 😀
 
There's an additional essay. The length is 250-500 words.

All graduates wish to be outstanding practicing physicians, but many also have other areas of interest as part of their careers. Pick one or two of the following areas that sound appealing as areas of potential special professional interest:

* Biomedical Research
* Community Outreach
* Public Health
* Healthcare policy & administration
* Global Health
* Ethics
* Professionalism in medicine
* Medical Education

Please describe your interests.
 
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