- Joined
- Apr 27, 2020
- Messages
- 780
- Reaction score
- 873
That would have been brutal........ but yes they were not thinking this through lol.Maybe it was an April fools joke and everybody who got the R today will get an II tomorrow.
That would have been brutal........ but yes they were not thinking this through lol.Maybe it was an April fools joke and everybody who got the R today will get an II tomorrow.
Stats in signature, but I want to note I had a 123 CARS (ORM too). Lots of research, shadowing, volunteering (non-clinical), and one clinical volunteering opportunity. Happy to go into more detail via private message.Can some of y'all who got accepted tell me what your stats, extracurriculars, etc. were like?
This is the second time I applied to this school and got rejected and while my MCAT is on the average and have a decent amount of extracurriculars, I had a low undergrad GPA (2.8) which I did a post-bacc for and got up to 3.1 (all upper-level science classes, 4.0 post-bacc GPA).
The school doesn't give feedback, but I really do want to go here.
I was accepted and my stats are also in my signature. I can expand on ECs in a private message if you want. Just my 2 cents: 3.1 is a little low even with an upward trend. FIU’s average accepted student GPA is 3.79 with their 25th to 75th percentile range being 3.66-3.92. I am no expert but probably would want to have at least a 3.5 with above average ECs to have a shot.Can some of y'all who got accepted tell me what your stats, extracurriculars, etc. were like?
This is the second time I applied to this school and got rejected and while my MCAT is on the average and have a decent amount of extracurriculars, I had a low undergrad GPA (2.8) which I did a post-bacc for and got up to 3.1 (all upper-level science classes, 4.0 post-bacc GPA).
The school doesn't give feedback, but I really do want to go here.
I was accepted and my stats are also in my signature. I can expand on ECs in a private message if you want. Just my 2 cents: 3.1 is a little low even with an upward trend. FIU’s average accepted student GPA is 3.79 with their 25th to 75th percentile range being 3.66-3.92. I am no expert but probably would want to have at least a 3.5 with above average ECs to have a shot.
Stats in signature, but I want to note I had a 123 CARS (ORM too). Lots of research, shadowing, volunteering (non-clinical), and one clinical volunteering opportunity. Happy to go into more detail via private message.
If you have MSAR you can toggle the data to look at IS and OOS accepted student statsUnfortunately taking more classes will make such marginal increases to my GPA that it would take literal years to get it to even a 3.5.
I do wonder if they are more stringent on OOS students. I feel like that's been a vibe I've been getting after applying to 17 schools (DO/MD) this cycle and all three that I got interviews at were IS.
So I don't have the highest stats (in signature) but I have really strong ECs and I truly believe my writing has served me extremely well this cycle. I had 9 interviews total with a LizzyM of 65. I have 900+ hours undergrad research, I founded a program at my school, was a competitive athlete growing up, and have a lot of volunteer hours and experiences, 1k shadowing hours and 4k clinical hours. But I strongly believe it was the way I wrote about my experiences that led to my success this cycle. I think without this my ECs alone wouldn't have set me apart with my stats.Unfortunately taking more classes will make such marginal increases to my GPA that it would take literal years to get it to even a 3.5.
I do wonder if they are more stringent on OOS students. I feel like that's been a vibe I've been getting after applying to 17 schools (DO/MD) this cycle and all three that I got interviews at were IS.
Can some of y'all who got accepted tell me what your stats, extracurriculars, etc. were like?
This is the second time I applied to this school and got rejected and while my MCAT is on the average and have a decent amount of extracurriculars, I had a low undergrad GPA (2.8) which I did a post-bacc for and got up to 3.1 (all upper-level science classes, 4.0 post-bacc GPA).
The school doesn't give feedback, but I really do want to go here.
Hi guys! Have you guys heard that FIU holds back as much as 20% of the class to keep their Step averages super high? I’m just now reading about this and kind of freaking out ...
It was in the 2016-2017 FIU thread. And I was looking at some other FIU vs X med school threads and it was mentioned there as well. I guess you’re right, now that step 1 is P/F it doesn’t really make sense for it to continue to happen
Hey guys, current student here, I know these comments are a bit old but I think it’s important to address it.That sounds about right considering the stats of the students they have matriculated in past years and the step numbers they reported.
A lot of schools like to polish their numbers to help students decide to spend their money at that school, so good on you for doing some research and trying to see the method behind the marketing madness.
For example, a fun one I always cite from the Caribbean; did you know SGU's step 1 pass rate is in the upper 90's?
You just have to pass their in-house simulated board exam first... and if you can't, you might have to pack your bags and go home without ever sitting for Step 1 so you don't ruin their great statistics...
Fair?
I really appreciate you speaking up about this... it was truly the only "con" I could think of about FIU. It also seriously makes me feel 100% more comfortable to attend.Hey guys, current student here, I know these comments are a bit old but I think it’s important to address it.
This is 100% not the case. If I recall, for all med schools, on average about 5-10% of a class has to repeat a year or drop out for various personal reasons. Our numbers are the same.
Our step scores are so high because we take step 1 after third year, which essentially adds a ten point boost for all schools that do it, and because we’re tested with NMBE final exams starting with our first course. This makes you very good at answering their particular question style compared to other schools who give mainly in-house exams.
As with most schools, the reasons for being asked to repeat a year are very clear and I think fair. If you fail 2 or more classes or can’t pass remediation they’ll want you to repeat. I also think failing is defined fairly and objectively as a 75% in the class OR being in the bottom 5th percentile of the course.
people forget about this 5th percentile cutoff, which is the national standard for passing shelf exams, and stress about getting a 75.
So if 95% of the class gets between 95-85 on a test you still only need a 75 to pass. If 50% of the class gets below a 75 on a test that doesn’t mean half of the class failed, only the bottom 5% in that case.
These standards make sense because everything builds on itself, you can’t go to M2 if you don’t know cell biology because M2 builds on that knowledge and when you take step1 you’re going to have a bad time
It’s unfortunate but this whole commotion about passing at FIU started because a few disgruntled students from the class in that thread had to repeat and decided to trash the school on SDN and Reddit, and because were all pretty neurotic on here we remember bad reviews much more than good reviews.
Every school has its issues and all students complain, but for me I’ve enjoyed my time at FIU and think it’s set me up well for residency.
If anyone has more questions about HWCOM feel free to ask, I’ll try to keep up with the thread.
It's difficult to speak to specific, private claims like this because the only people who know what happened are the people that were there and I don't know which specific rumors you're referring too. The admin doesn't go around publicizing their conversations with students, only a few specific students do....I really appreciate you speaking up about this... it was truly the only "con" I could think of about FIU. It also seriously makes me feel 100% more comfortable to attend.
However, do also you mind addressing the rumors about admin being unsupportive of people who are held back/speak about that aspect of it as well? I felt on my interview day that FIU was extremely supportive of its students, but hearing those rumors made me question the integrity and genuine-ness of those claims.
I believe your response was really thorough. Thanks again!It's difficult to speak to specific, private claims like this because the only people who know what happened are the people that were there and I don't know which specific rumors you're referring too. The admin doesn't go around publicizing their conversations with students, only a few specific students do....
From my perspective the admin is very supportive in general of the student body, although I don't interact with them much. The school really wants you to do well and graduate, its in everyone's best interest for that to happen. I know first had of the admin working with students to arrange leave of absences, moving exam dates to accommodate specific circumstances, and taking feedback from the class council to make larger changes. Over the years I've also heard students complaining that the admin is being unsupportive but at the time I usually thought the student was being a bit unreasonable in their request...
If you want to give me a specific example I could try to answer or guess how the faculty would respond
It definitely has its pros and cons, likely a few more cons haha. I've done rotations at the VA w/ UM students so I have a good perspective on both I think.I believe your response was really thorough. Thanks again!
Since I'm assuming you're an M3/4, could you also speak about the quality of rotations? I know you mentioned above that you feel as though you've been thoroughly prepared for residency, but how did not having an on-site teaching hospital/affiliate academic institution play a role into rotations? I would PM you about these specifics but I feel like others are interested in having these answers, too
Honestly this sounds like a much better set up than others have made it seem. Thanks for your honesty... again, you doing this helps SO much! You're not the first to mention that some people do research at UM and that some faculty have come from there. I'm assuming it's because research options are limited/not as available at FIU? The news with Baptist also sounds pretty good. I mean these are all new concepts to me, but from the little I do know, having established residency programs at the medical institution you're attending is really important.It definitely has its pros and cons, likely a few more cons haha. I've done rotations at the VA w/ UM students so I have a good perspective on both I think.
During M1/2 it won't affect you at all. For example at UM they'll say you can do a shift a the trauma center or observe any doc you want etc etc. However, from experience you may do this once or twice in your career and if you want to do it at FIU you can easily arrange it at Baptist which is close by. IMO shadowing a lot during M1/2 really isn't a good use of your time, theres too much to study, too much research to do and too many fun things to be doing in Miami than watching someone work all day haha.
In M3 the pro is that you get to see how private practice works which is much different than academic and maybe get to do some more stuff than normal since there arent residents around how take priority over you. At the VA with UM residents, I was often 3rd assist while at baptist I was always first. The cons are that you tend to be driving all over the place even though most of our rotations are in the baptist system. Also some docs don't quite know how to best use us as med students and others tend to work their students pretty hard, both types have pros and cons lol. Similarly if the practice isn't used to having med students their patients might not really want you participating much in their care, this really wasn't an issue outside of OB tho. If you're going for a small competitive specialty it also is a bit harder to make connections since you don't interact with them very often but its pretty easy to network and get research at UM. That said a number of the faculty we work with also worked at UM earlier in their careers so they still have some connections and know-how to teach/engage with med students.
Overall I think I would have preferred if FIU was an academic institution but I don't think Ive been overly limited it not. Also something to keep in mind is that Baptist, our main affiliate, is pushing to become a teaching hospital and are opening a whole slew of residencies in next few years, IM surg and maybe ortho if I remember correctly
Appreciate you asking these questions because I also really want to know!!Honestly this sounds like a much better set up than others have made it seem. Thanks for your honesty... again, you doing this helps SO much! You're not the first to mention that some people do research at UM and that some faculty have come from there. I'm assuming it's because research options are limited/not as available at FIU? The news with Baptist also sounds pretty good. I mean these are all new concepts to me, but from the little I do know, having established residency programs at the medical institution you're attending is really important.
If you don't mind me bothering you with two more questions...
1) How do you think FIU's match list is going to change with STEP 1 going P/F? I know nobody really knows, but I'd love to hear if there's been internal chat about it/what steps FIU may take in the future with this change.
2) Can you speak about the match list this year? Did most people get their top choices? Like, what was the dynamic? How many people SOAPed?
I promise I'll be done after this!!!! You've been nothing but extremely helpful in making my decision to choose FIU that much easier.
I am! I'm also OOSIs anyone planning to attend in-person second look on Monday, 5/3? I'm OOS and this would be my first time visiting Miami, so I'm hoping to organize my trip.
I am! I'm also OOS
Is anyone planning to attend in-person second look on Monday, 5/3? I'm OOS and this would be my first time visiting Miami, so I'm hoping to organize my trip.
Me too, 5/3 SDN gang! 😂Wait I'm also going 5/3! DM me if you guys need any help at all... also... meetup after?
Haha okay I'm down to have a meetup dinner (socially distanced/outdoors) after the tour! I'm fully vaccinated, too. Anyone who's interested, DM meMe too, 5/3 SDN gang! 😂
No problem, I know what its like to be in your shoes and be all over SDN lolHonestly this sounds like a much better set up than others have made it seem. Thanks for your honesty... again, you doing this helps SO much! You're not the first to mention that some people do research at UM and that some faculty have come from there. I'm assuming it's because research options are limited/not as available at FIU? The news with Baptist also sounds pretty good. I mean these are all new concepts to me, but from the little I do know, having established residency programs at the medical institution you're attending is really important.
If you don't mind me bothering you with two more questions...
1) How do you think FIU's match list is going to change with STEP 1 going P/F? I know nobody really knows, but I'd love to hear if there's been internal chat about it/what steps FIU may take in the future with this change.
2) Can you speak about the match list this year? Did most people get their top choices? Like, what was the dynamic? How many people SOAPed?
I promise I'll be done after this!!!! You've been nothing but extremely helpful in making my decision to choose FIU that much easier.
Yes! I'm excited to meet youIs anyone planning to attend in-person second look on Monday, 5/3? I'm OOS and this would be my first time visiting Miami, so I'm hoping to organize my trip.
Hell no I’m accepted and this FloridaHow are y’all dressing for the in person welcome back visit? Formal?
I might email to ask but hopefully casual is fineHow are y’all dressing for the in person welcome back visit? Formal?
yeah no. I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt lolI might email to ask but hopefully casual is fine
Did you see your estimated financial aid offer on the my FIU portal?FYI post for other who haven’t received their financial aid estimate yet or those who have and were confused like me:
I received my estimated financial aid offer and was offered quite a bit more in direct unsubsidized (stafford) loans than what I thought was the maximum so I was a bit confused. I emailed the financial aid office and this what they told me. Some medical schools run on a scheduled academic year (SAY) and with this the maximum amount amount in stafford loans per year is $40,500 for a 9 month academic year or $47,176 for a 12 month academic year. FIU runs on a borrower based academic year (BBAY) which allows for increased amounts in stafford loans which have lower interest rates than GradPlus loans and the fact that they are a BBAY school is why I was able to be offered more than $47,176. I don’t know what the maximum is for BBAY schools and couldn’t really find anything online.
Also what may be of interest—scholarships or grants were not included in this financial aid estimate and those will be emailed separately later if you are awarded for either.
Edit: Appears they are offering $57,417 to most people.
I got it as an email and when I tried to login to the portal using their instructions it said username or password was incorrect so I need to call the office and find out what’s wrongDid you see your estimated financial aid offer on the my FIU portal?
Gotcha, I saw it in the email as well. I checked my FIU portal but nothing is there. Im assuming that it hasn't updated yetI got it as an email and when I tried to login to the portal using their instructions it said username or password was incorrect so I need to call the office and find out what’s wrong
Anyone know what time post II decisions are given out on decision days?
I got mine around 1:45pmAnyone know what time post II decisions are given out on decision days?
The only reason I have access is because I went to undergrad at FIU. I'm sure more info about how to log in will be forthcoming. I think the email had said April 30th.Wait there is an FIU portal? Can someone tell me what the website is? Also was wondering, do you guys have student ID numbers yet?
Just to piggyback off this.. just want to make sure we can't submit deposits until after 4/30? Just want to make sure I'm not missing something...Does anyone know how we submit the deposit to hold our acceptance?
I believe they’ll give us a heads up but they haven’t said anything yetJust to piggyback off this.. just want to make sure we can't submit deposits until after 4/30? Just want to make sure I'm not missing something...
FollowingCurrently on the WL here. What has movement looked like in the past and what do you all expect it will look like this year?
Yes, I have heard that you can negotiate financial aid with the medical school. It doesn't hurt to try!Please don't judge me for this question - but do people ever like "barter" or "bargain" with medical schools - saying X school is 20K less annually but I would prefer to go to your school soo.... ? Because I basically know I want to go to FIU but I'm reluctantly holding onto another A because the school is cheaper.. thanks for your guys' input in advance.
Coincidence you’re asking this the day before 4/20? 🤔 All jokes 😂😂😂Does anybody know when FIU begins the vaccination, physical, drug screening, etc. process for accepted students? Have they mentioned this at all? I can't recall getting any information on it, but I know other programs have started that process
Lol I guess I kind of set myself up for failure there 😂Coincidence you’re asking this the day before 4/20? 🤔 All jokes 😂😂😂