I was asked by PM my thought process behind choosing to attend UF over a higher-ranked school, but I feel that this advice could apply to anybody choosing between UF and another school.
The more difficult choice for me was deciding to turn down a higher ranking school to come to UF, though I'll admit the difference was not as large as 20 spots. UF is around a top-40 school which does help in the match process, although going to a Top-20 probably gives you a little bigger edge in the prestige department. However, if you look through our match list you'll see no lack of high-prestige matches. The clinical competence of UFCOM graduates is nationally recognized.
One thing about UF is that the Admissions office really likes to select students from diverse backgrounds, and many of those students don't really care for the prestige rat-race and thus tend to focus more on location and fit than prestige when it comes to selecting a residency program. We have older students with children and families. We have cancer survivors, veterans, career changers, D1 athletes, you name it. My classmates are badasses.
With that said, I chose UF over a higher ranking school for the following reasons:
1.) New medical school building and facilities, directly adjacent to a hospital. The building really speaks for itself as you saw on interview day. Study spaces abound. Coffee shops and food nearby. Lockers for students. Student lounge. Etc, etc.
2.) Proximity to the hospital. Rotations are almost ALL (with the exception of some outpatient services) at Shands-Gainesville, with some at Shands-JAX and others at the VA in Gainesville. You can do more at either Jax or the VA if you wish. Proximity is important for a number of reasons, convenience being a big one. One big benefit that is a bit harder to realize is the level of interaction with faculty and residents. Our interest group meetings often involve small group interactions with department chairs and residency program directors. I was taught how to perform a ventriculostomy (on a model) by the program director of the neurosurgery program, and taught how to put in pedicle screws (also on a model) by a legendary brain tumor surgeon. The chair of the anesthesiology department taught me how to place an IV a few months into first year. A very prominent pediatric surgeon attending taught me how to suture and tie knots. I had a beer with a couple of ENT residents the other day. I'm neighbors with a hand surgery fellow and a family med attending. Regular, casual, and collegiate interaction with your professors and future colleagues is so regular that I don't even think about it or realize it anymore. Field and industry leaders will walk across the street from the clinic, wards, or OR to come give us lectures.
3.) Residency programs and networking. This is probably not a significant difference between other high-ranking schools with academic hospital affiliations, but UF has residency and fellowship programs in every conceivable specialty except for PM&R. Super important for getting strong letters come the match. Again, with the hospital right across the street, networking is easy. In fact, the benefit is doubled because Shands- GNV and Shands-Jax both have independent residency programs with different focuses.
4.) This is the biggest reason. The culture and vibe of the school. UF was by far the most chill of all the schools I interviewed it. Not only in terms of recorded lectures, student wellness, and grading - these things are getting pretty ubiquitous. However, the student wellness initiative here is way more than the lip service other schools pay to it. UFCOM really cares and we show it. The really significant thing was the culture of the hospital and faculty. Attendings are all warm and friendly, used to teaching, and are really excited to work with med students. Even the surgeons - I did my two specialty preceptorships in surgical subspecialties and I scrubbed in as first-assist to every case. They treated me like a colleague. Administrators are very receptive to constructive feedback and are willing to actually DO SOMETHING in response to it.
5.) Diversity in patient populations. You really get exposed to every type of patient here. Shands-Gainesville serves a rural community but is also a massive quaternary care referral center. So you get the complex patients that nobody else can take care of, everywhere south of ATL and north of MIA. You also get to learn at rural clinics associated with UF. Regional burn center is in Gainesville. Gainesville and Jax are both Level 1 trauma centers. Gainesville just built a brand spanking new cardiovascular and neurovascular hospital. There's a Children's hospital with a less ED and helipad right by the med school. Jacksonville UF is a proton therapy center and is partnered withWolfsons children's hospital. Gainesville does neurosurgical procedures that Mayo Jax can't even touch. Shands-JAX serves an urban population - the ED sees gunshots, stabbings, high risk OB, you name it. It's the safety net hospital so you get the poorest of the poor. You also get to work at the VA within a model of "universal healthcare" of sorts.