2017-2018 University of Miami (Miller)

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for people who were accepted... did you email to confirm your acceptance, or waited until the formal mailed acceptance letter arrived?
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smlin23 said:
for people who were accepted... did you email to confirm your acceptance, or waited until the formal mailed acceptance letter arrived?
Click to expand...
I emailed to confirm as the email directs you to. I don’t think we have to pay a deposit until spring. Pretty sure I read this when the official acceptance letter was mailed to me about two weeks later. Congrats on your acceptance!
 
is there a student host program set up for interviewees? Would prefer not to get a hotel
 
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cany anyone clarify the scoirng tiers. I just checked the portal and it says the application has been reviewed and interviews are extended through march. Still praying for some love from my home institution
 
Hello all! This whole cycle I have been stalking SDN without contributing, and I feel guilty. I am updating all school threads that I have heard from so everyone can get some more data!

Received an II December 12th for both MD and MD/MPH, first date available was February 12th-13th! SO excited as this is one of my top choices.

LizzyM: 71.5, OOS, tons of research and a thesis, descent shadowing hours, couple of international medical missions, teaching/tutoring, doing a public health-related Americorps program during my gap year.
 
Recent grad from UMMSM. Having gone through med school, I'll list some important pros and cons of the school about features that you should be looking for when choosing a med school so you can compare it to other schools (so I'm not trying to market the school, just an objective assessment):

Pros:
-Early clinical exposure: you learn how to perform H&Ps and do quick sessions in the hospital starting a few weeks into first year. There are student run clinics (SJB, Lotus House) and health fairs (DOCS) to practice early on. I know a few schools who don't even introduce how to do an H&P until 3rd year.
-Reasonably affordable for a private med school. UMMSM gives a good quantity of merit-based scholarships (about 1/4 of the incoming class) of $5-35k per year, so many are not paying the sticker price. Also, the mandatory fees are ridiculously high.
-For MD students, nearly all the M3 and M4 rotations are on the main campus, so driving distance won't be an issue.
-You're at a large academic medical center that has residency programs in nearly every specialty, so whichever one you're interested in, you can network with a "home program" during your time here (many smaller med schools won't have residency programs in the smaller specialties (eg ENT, rad onc) which would make it harder to network with program directors in those specialties).
-Lecture attendance not mandatory during M1 and M2, and all lectures are recorded (watch at double speed to save time).
-PBL sessions, and especially a lot for the MD/MPH students. This can be a pro or con as some students don't see the value in it.
-Decent amount of time to study for Step 1 (6 weeks btwn M2 and M3 to study and take it), and you can take an additional 6 weeks to delay it if you like. But you do have to at least take it before starting 3rd year rotations. Given the significant role Step 1 plays in residency selection, try to avoid a school that gives you very limited dedicated studying time or is inflexible about it.
-Decent research opportunities, with strengths in a few departments.
-You work with mainly an undeserved population during your M3 and M4 rotations at Jackson, which can be a plus if this is a population you're interested in.
-Great weather and culture in Miami.

Cons:
-NOT true pass/fail. This probably the biggest downside here that UMMSM students have been pushing for years and where the school lags behind others the most. You are being ranked against your classmates starting with the very first exam during M1 year. Given that everyone who gets into med school is at least reasonably start and hard-working, there is fierce competition among students to be at the top. In many exams, very small points differences separate the quartiles of the class, so a 98 might be significantly better than a 96. This does leave the students here a harder decision on a daily basis of whether to spend more time studying or doing other things (ECs, employment, etc...). Note that your class rank when sent out to residency programs will be a weighted average of all the graded courses and rotations from M1 to M3.
-No dedicated research time. Unlike some large research-heavy med schools, UM students need to use their own time to do research. For example, winter breaks, the 6-week summer break btwn M1 and M2, and spring breaks, and evenings and weekends. This can be a big issue for students pursuing competitive specialties that essentially require specialty-specific research (eg derm, rad onc, plastic surgery, ortho, neurosurgery, ENT), and many UM students pursuing these specialties commonly end up taking a year off for research. At other schools where significant research time is built into the schedule, taking a year off may not be necessary.
-Research opportunities in many specialties are more limited. While UM is a research institution, it's not a top one by any means and outside a select few specialities that do well (eg ophtho, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis), the research opportunities in most departments is more limited and usually not as "cutting-edge" as you would find at a larger institution.
-For MD/MPH students during M3 and M4, there is significant driving distances between the rotations. They rotate as far south as Fort Lauderdale and as far north as Jupiter. This can be quite a hassle. Also, the M4 MD/MPH students have some rotations on the main campus and some on the regional "campus," so living arrangements are often difficult for them during M4 year.
-Pre-clinical curriculum not geared towards Step 1. It's a school curriculum with all school-made exams. UMMSM does not take any of the NBME exams. You thus end up learning a lot that is low-yield for Step 1, while there are some high-yield Step 1 topics that are not covered and you have to learn independently.
-During M3, too much emphasis on clinical evaluations as part of your grade. They usually account for 30-70% of your rotation grade depending on the rotation (with the Shelf exam counting usually 25-30%). Given how subjective the evaluations are, your grade and class rank can sway very widely just based on which residents or attendings you happen to be rotating with. On most rotations, there's also no way of standardizing the evaluations to account for people who grade more strictly than those who grade more leniently.
-Current educational facilities are outdated (a new med school building is being built, but there have been delays and probably won't be up until fall of 2020).
-You rotate mostly at Jackson during M3 and M4, which is public hospital and thus very inefficient. Many of the staff there aren't the most excited about their jobs either. Even as a med student, this can often slow down your ability to get things done for your patients. Also, many of the patients there have too much social issues to deal with in additional to their medical issues.
-Cost of living in Miami is expensive (about 15% more than national average).
-Not a significant issue, but when rotating in Miami there is a large-Spanish only speaking population. Not speaking Spanish can slow down your workflow a bit on rotations during M3 and M4.
 
Does anyone know if UM accepts updates after post-interview waitlists or would it be better to wait until traffic day?
 
DrHopeful12 said:
Still under review since August. Does anyone know if they really do score each applicant and I should expect my status to eventually change?
Click to expand...

TBH I'm not expecting to be scored. Some people said when they applied last year they were never scored by the end of the season.
 
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did anything happen for anyone after emailing to hold your acceptance?
 
collegestud2013 said:
Recent grad from UMMSM. Having gone through med school, I'll list some important pros and cons of the school about features that you should be looking for when choosing a med school so you can compare it to other schools (so I'm not trying to market the school, just an objective assessment):

Pros:
-Early clinical exposure: you learn how to perform H&Ps and do quick sessions in the hospital starting a few weeks into first year. There are student run clinics (SJB, Lotus House) and health fairs (DOCS) to practice early on. I know a few schools who don't even introduce how to do an H&P until 3rd year.
-Reasonably affordable for a private med school. UMMSM gives a good quantity of merit-based scholarships (about 1/4 of the incoming class) of $5-35k per year, so many are not paying the sticker price. Also, the mandatory fees are ridiculously high.
-For MD students, nearly all the M3 and M4 rotations are on the main campus, so driving distance won't be an issue.
-You're at a large academic medical center that has residency programs in nearly every specialty, so whichever one you're interested in, you can network with a "home program" during your time here (many smaller med schools won't have residency programs in the smaller specialties (eg ENT, rad onc) which would make it harder to network with program directors in those specialties).
-Lecture attendance not mandatory during M1 and M2, and all lectures are recorded (watch at double speed to save time).
-PBL sessions, and especially a lot for the MD/MPH students. This can be a pro or con as some students don't see the value in it.
-Decent amount of time to study for Step 1 (6 weeks btwn M2 and M3 to study and take it), and you can take an additional 6 weeks to delay it if you like. But you do have to at least take it before starting 3rd year rotations. Given the significant role Step 1 plays in residency selection, try to avoid a school that gives you very limited dedicated studying time or is inflexible about it.
-Decent research opportunities, with strengths in a few departments.
-You work with mainly an undeserved population during your M3 and M4 rotations at Jackson, which can be a plus if this is a population you're interested in.
-Great weather and culture in Miami.

Cons:
-NOT true pass/fail. This probably the biggest downside here that UMMSM students have been pushing for years and where the school lags behind others the most. You are being ranked against your classmates starting with the very first exam during M1 year. Given that everyone who gets into med school is at least reasonably start and hard-working, there is fierce competition among students to be at the top. In many exams, very small points differences separate the quartiles of the class, so a 98 might be significantly better than a 96. This does leave the students here a harder decision on a daily basis of whether to spend more time studying or doing other things (ECs, employment, etc...). Note that your class rank when sent out to residency programs will be a weighted average of all the graded courses and rotations from M1 to M3.
-No dedicated research time. Unlike some large research-heavy med schools, UM students need to use their own time to do research. For example, winter breaks, the 6-week summer break btwn M1 and M2, and spring breaks, and evenings and weekends. This can be a big issue for students pursuing competitive specialties that essentially require specialty-specific research (eg derm, rad onc, plastic surgery, ortho, neurosurgery, ENT), and many UM students pursuing these specialties commonly end up taking a year off for research. At other schools where significant research time is built into the schedule, taking a year off may not be necessary.
-Research opportunities in many specialties are more limited. While UM is a research institution, it's not a top one by any means and outside a select few specialities that do well (eg ophtho, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis), the research opportunities in most departments is more limited and usually not as "cutting-edge" as you would find at a larger institution.
-For MD/MPH students during M3 and M4, there is significant driving distances between the rotations. They rotate as far south as Fort Lauderdale and as far north as Jupiter. This can be quite a hassle. Also, the M4 MD/MPH students have some rotations on the main campus and some on the regional "campus," so living arrangements are often difficult for them during M4 year.
-Pre-clinical curriculum not geared towards Step 1. It's a school curriculum with all school-made exams. UMMSM does not take any of the NBME exams. You thus end up learning a lot that is low-yield for Step 1, while there are some high-yield Step 1 topics that are not covered and you have to learn independently.
-During M3, too much emphasis on clinical evaluations as part of your grade. They usually account for 30-70% of your rotation grade depending on the rotation (with the Shelf exam counting usually 25-30%). Given how subjective the evaluations are, your grade and class rank can sway very widely just based on which residents or attendings you happen to be rotating with. On most rotations, there's also no way of standardizing the evaluations to account for people who grade more strictly than those who grade more leniently.
-Current educational facilities are outdated (a new med school building is being built, but there have been delays and probably won't be up until fall of 2020).
-You rotate mostly at Jackson during M3 and M4, which is public hospital and thus very inefficient. Many of the staff there aren't the most excited about their jobs either. Even as a med student, this can often slow down your ability to get things done for your patients. Also, many of the patients there have too much social issues to deal with in additional to their medical issues.
-Cost of living in Miami is expensive (about 15% more than national average).
-Not a significant issue, but when rotating in Miami there is a large-Spanish only speaking population. Not speaking Spanish can slow down your workflow a bit on rotations during M3 and M4.
Click to expand...

Hey I really appreciate you posting this pros/cons list unprompted. Great information that we all value in this stressful process.

Just to follow up on two of your cons, specifically the grading system in all 4 years and the curriculum format not aligning with STEP, how big of a con was this to you? If you were to go back in time do you see yourself going to a lower ranked school(20-30 ranks lower) or to a school in a much less desirable area if they were pass/fail and/or taught to step? I’m just trying to gauge these cons as they seem significant but without going through medical school I can’t exactly grasp how big of a factor they should be playing in my decision.

Thanks again!
 
MrAnderson said:
Hey I really appreciate you posting this pros/cons list unprompted. Great information that we all value in this stressful process.

Just to follow up on two of your cons, specifically the grading system in all 4 years and the curriculum format not aligning with STEP, how big of a con was this to you? If you were to go back in time do you see yourself going to a lower ranked school(20-30 ranks lower) or to a school in a much less desirable area if they were pass/fail and/or taught to step? I’m just trying to gauge these cons as they seem significant but without going through medical school I can’t exactly grasp how big of a factor they should be playing in my decision.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

I second this question. That con list seems pretty negative... particularly the pass fail system, the lack of STEP training, and no allotted time for research. Also, their accreditation warnings posted earlier in the cycle are disconcerting, and LCME doesn't have their next survey date posted (accreditation "pending"). However, I saw on their website that they actually advertise how their curriculum prepares students for STEP and that they do give NBME exams? Maybe this is a new development since OP matriculated?
 
PremedKidOnTheBlock said:
Bump to these questions ^ loved Miami but strongly considering attending a school ranked 20 spots lower that is P/F for stress relief where I'm equally happy at
Click to expand...

Side question: are you guys identifying a school's rank based on the US News research rank? Or is there another way you guys are calculating it?
 
Anyone complete in October hear anything? I've got silence on my end, but I see a lot of the previous posters who have heard back completed relatively early.
 
Anonymityismyname18 said:
I second this question. That con list seems pretty negative... particularly the pass fail system, the lack of STEP training, and no allotted time for research. Also, their accreditation warnings posted earlier in the cycle are disconcerting, and LCME doesn't have their next survey date posted (accreditation "pending"). However, I saw on their website that they actually advertise how their curriculum prepares students for STEP and that they do give NBME exams? Maybe this is a new development since OP matriculated?
Click to expand...

4th year MD-MPH, happy to give my 2 cents on this. I think the OP summarized very well the pros and cons, so rather than repeat everything I'll just affirm that the less rigorous step prep is a real issue. The give NBME exams once during MS1 and once during MS2 to assess readiness and compare the MD-MPH performance to the traditional track, but the exams for each module are compiled by the course coordinator. For MD-MPH, having a greater focus on PBL has led to some holes in our curriculum and admin is trying to fix but it's taking time.

Speaking of which, there are major differences between the MD-MPH and traditional MD track. These are summarized pretty well in the OP's post and on the admissions website, and I don't in any way regret my MD-MPH decision. However, I do feel that at this point they cannot claim that we learn the same information, and the MD-MPH module exam performance is consistently lower than the traditional track, and the school has made misleading statements on this.

The driving for MS3 MD-MPH is indeed a huge hassle. The one upside is that the preceptors are better about respecting our duty hours because they know we have to drive, so we typically do actually get let out at 5 whereas (I'm told) the MD students are more likely to be forced to stay a few extra hours for no reason. That said, the quality of the MS3 rotations are honestly one of the greatest strengths of the MD-MPH program, as we get a lot more hands-on training as a result of being in smaller hospitals. I felt totally prepared for my sub-I at Jackson and externships.
 
Recently sent an update to my application the admissions email and never received an email confirmation that they got it. Did anyone who sent an update get a confirmation email? Should I call the admissions office on Monday to ensure they received it?
 
tmv11 said:
Recently sent an update to my application the admissions email and never received an email confirmation that they got it. Did anyone who sent an update get a confirmation email? Should I call the admissions office on Monday to ensure they received it?
Click to expand...

I sent one this week - no response. If you call, let us know what you hear!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
tmv11 said:
Recently sent an update to my application the admissions email and never received an email confirmation that they got it. Did anyone who sent an update get a confirmation email? Should I call the admissions office on Monday to ensure they received it?
Click to expand...

DBC03 said:
I sent one this week - no response. If you call, let us know what you hear!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...

I've sent two (one in September and one in December) and got an email response back both times, they responded the same day
 
boogiecousins94 said:
I've sent two (one in September and one in December) and got an email response back both times, they responded the same day
Click to expand...

It is possible they were out until this next week - I’ll see if I hear anything then. Pretty sure I’m not getting an interview here any time soon, so maybe I’ll call and be the sacrificial paranoid premed. I will report with my findings.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
-I would say I initially chose UM based on cost reasons (I got a partial scholarship so it would end up costing less than other schools), and I would say that cost should be a significant factor for some people once it involves a difference of >$50k in loans.
-Not teaching to Step 1 doesn't seem to be major issue. The students do reasonably well on it that's comparable to scores you would expect at a "mid-tier" ranked med school. The class average in both 2015 and 2016 was a 232 (with the MD students probably scoring a bit higher than than the MD-MPH students).
-There are some curriculum differences between the MD and MD-MPH, and the main deficiency in the MD-MPH program that students have brought up is the relative lack of biochemistry, immunology, and some of the other "basic sciences." The organ systems modules are essentially taught by the same people with the same lectures and exams, so that's what about 1.5 years out of the 2-year preclinical curriculum is focused on.
-I personally think the lower exam scores in the MD-MPH program reflects more of the type of students that generally choose to join the program versus the MD program (instead of the differences in the curriculum). There seems to be less "gunners" in the MD-MPH class each year than the MD class, and the MD-MPH class tends to have a higher proportion of non-traditional students each year.
-Not having a true pass/fail system for MS1-3 was a drawback (M4 here is essentially pass/fail since it does not go on your Dean's Letter). At UM, the students do have to be much more mindful of the time commitment of each EC they become involved in and how much studying time each commitment will take compared to at a true P/F school. I think it's less of an issue if you don't want to go into a competitive specialty, but students who want to go into the more competitive specialties do seem to be more stressed out about their grades here, even starting M1 year. I would say I might have chosen a lower ranked school that had a true/pass fail system as long as the cost difference was small and they still had opportunities in all the specialties. Also keep in mind that most schools that claim to be true P/F will usually only be that way for the preclinical years. The clinical year is usually graded at just about every school.
 
Do you guys think it would be safe to send a letter of interest to UM? I still really want to interview here and haven't heard a thing...
 
SwimmerDoc721 said:
Do you guys think it would be safe to send a letter of interest to UM? I still really want to interview here and haven't heard a thing...
Click to expand...

Everyone is going to say no because there's no evidence that they help but there's probably only a couple more interview dates left at most schools before rejections start to trickle in so it's now or never.
 
Did anyone else lose the Hub App email? I have no info on interview day lol
 
Gatorzmed said:
Did anyone else lose the Hub App email? I have no info on interview day lol
Click to expand...
Add on- Would someone be able to pass along the interview location address and start time? You'd be my hero
 
Was anyone else surprised at how few people at the U seemed to have a solid grasp of Spanish? Both of my student hosts, my student guide, most of the students on my interview day panel, and my interviewer said that they spoke little to no Spanish, and they didn't seem to think they needed to learn it. Pretty strange attitude when you live in a city that is 75% Spanish-speaking.
 
Anonimus.Maximus said:
Was anyone else surprised at how few people at the U seemed to have a solid grasp of Spanish? Both of my student hosts, my student guide, most of the students on my interview day panel, and my interviewer said that they spoke little to no Spanish, and they didn't seem to think they needed to learn it. Pretty strange attitude when you live in a city that is 75% Spanish-speaking.
Click to expand...
There's enough Spanish people here that there will always be someone who can help you communicate with your patient if you need to. It seems absurd to think that everyone living in South FL should learn Spanish because we happen to be a hub for immigration (although I agree it is useful, just not something that should be required or expected of people).
 
fldoctorgirl said:
There's enough Spanish people here that there will always be someone who can help you communicate with your patient if you need to. It seems absurd to think that everyone living in South FL should learn Spanish because we happen to be a hub for immigration (although I agree it is useful, just not something that should be required or expected of people).
Click to expand...

Well, not everyone works in a human services profession either. And not every medical professional is affiliated with the academic partner of South Florida's leading urban safety net hospital.
 
Anonimus.Maximus said:
Well, not everyone works in a human services profession either. And not every medical professional is affiliated with the academic partner of South Florida's leading urban safety net hospital.
Click to expand...
I agree with you that it's definitely a useful skill. I'm just sharing from my experience, there is always someone who is willing to assist you with translating. My point is more just to let people know that even if they don't speak the language, there will be someone who can help them communicate and they don't need to worry. It is definitely useful to learn at least the basics yourself, though.
 
Just dropping by to share:

Today I was reading the EM subforum and came across some people talking about how in their various hospitals/schools what procedures med students are allowed to do or do routinely.

Surprisingly, they said things like LPs, intubation, and central lines are things they rarely if ever let med students do.

In my time just hanging out in the Jackson ED, I’ve been offered all of these procedures multiple times...as an MS2.

I think that speaks volumes about the amazingly rare/valuable degree of trust and autonomy we are given here.

Just thought I’d share. And as always people should always feel free to PM me or ask me questions in here (just tag me)
 
Welshman said:
has anyone gone from re-review to II so far?
Click to expand...

Do you mind elaborating on what a re-review is? I don’t recall this from the last couple years of this thread.
 
Lucky Day said:
Do you mind elaborating on what a re-review is? I don’t recall this from the last couple years of this thread.
Click to expand...
Sorry, not re-review technically but I've been scored without an II.

"Your Application has been reviewed by the Admissions Committee at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Applicants will be invited to interview based upon their evaluation score from the Admissions Committee review. You will be contacted by email if you are selected for an interview. Interview invitations are extended between August and March."

I took this as being I'm re-reviewed every time they go to send out IIs

Also, just answered my own question about when IIs are sent by quoting the portal lol
 
i almost wish there weren't set acceptance dates

that way i could just accept failure early instead of getting my hopes up each acceptance day and getting let down each time
 
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