Florida Schools Application Thread (2008) part 2

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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HurricaneBlood said:
Just curious, do you recommend sending updates and letter of interest because it worked for you?
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I wrote a letter of interest after my interview, but before the committee met. I got accepted, but I am not sure if the letter played a part. My thought was it can't hurt (unless the letter is terrible😛) and it might set me apart from other applicants. I'm not saying that an LOI is going to make a huge difference, but in some cases I'm sure it helps.
 
Jennifer5109 said:
I wrote a letter of interest after my interview, but before the committee met. I got accepted, but I am not sure if the letter played a part. My thought was it can't hurt (unless the letter is terrible😛) and it might set me apart from other applicants. I'm not saying that an LOI is going to make a huge difference, but in some cases I'm sure it helps.
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I sent a letter to Miami (but not boca) before the committee met at either schools. I don't think it made a difference since i got into both.
 
Everyone excited for a brand new week of anxiously awaiting that phone call/e-mail? I know I am. Good luck to everyone!
 
anybody kno when umiami is making calls for interview invites? like when does the committee meet during the month to decide who should come?
 
I just got this e-mail from UF- anyone gotten it as well?

Dear Applicant,

You have been notified that your file is complete. We have received all secondary materials requested. The Medical Selection Committee is still considering your application for interview. You may hear from us shortly or you may not hear a decision from us for (literally) months. Please remember that our interviews continue throughout March and we also continue to accept students at each interview. So although you may be selected to interview later in the cycle, your chances of acceptance are still the same as for those interviewing earlier. Please note that interview invitations are made by telephone.

The best action you can take in this position is to keep us updated. Send (e-mail, fax, snail-mail) short, to the point correspondence informing our committee of things that are not already on your AMCAS application or in secondary materials. Examples: fall grades, new volunteer activities, new research endeavors, etc. If you update in response to this e-mail please be sure to delete this letter from your update.

Each month I will send you this reminder to let you know that we are still considering you. You will be notified immediately when a decision is made regarding your application. If you decide at any time to remove your application from our consideration you may reply to this email to withdraw your application.
 
beats said:
I just got this e-mail from UF- anyone gotten it as well?

Dear Applicant,

You have been notified that your file is complete. We have received all secondary materials requested. The Medical Selection Committee is still considering your application for interview. You may hear from us shortly or you may not hear a decision from us for (literally) months. Please remember that our interviews continue throughout March and we also continue to accept students at each interview. So although you may be selected to interview later in the cycle, your chances of acceptance are still the same as for those interviewing earlier. Please note that interview invitations are made by telephone.

The best action you can take in this position is to keep us updated. Send (e-mail, fax, snail-mail) short, to the point correspondence informing our committee of things that are not already on your AMCAS application or in secondary materials. Examples: fall grades, new volunteer activities, new research endeavors, etc. If you update in response to this e-mail please be sure to delete this letter from your update.

Each month I will send you this reminder to let you know that we are still considering you. You will be notified immediately when a decision is made regarding your application. If you decide at any time to remove your application from our consideration you may reply to this email to withdraw your application.
Click to expand...

It's a good email to remind you of this process that you and med schools are locked within. A useful email updating your status with them. With several hundred qualified applicants looking for ~130 seats it is competitive. The good news is that you are still being considered, the better news is that you arent rejected.
 
beats said:
I just got this e-mail from UF- anyone gotten it as well?

Dear Applicant,

You have been notified that your file is complete. We have received all secondary materials requested. The Medical Selection Committee is still considering your application for interview. You may hear from us shortly or you may not hear a decision from us for (literally) months. Please remember that our interviews continue throughout March and we also continue to accept students at each interview. So although you may be selected to interview later in the cycle, your chances of acceptance are still the same as for those interviewing earlier. Please note that interview invitations are made by telephone.

The best action you can take in this position is to keep us updated. Send (e-mail, fax, snail-mail) short, to the point correspondence informing our committee of things that are not already on your AMCAS application or in secondary materials. Examples: fall grades, new volunteer activities, new research endeavors, etc. If you update in response to this e-mail please be sure to delete this letter from your update.

Each month I will send you this reminder to let you know that we are still considering you. You will be notified immediately when a decision is made regarding your application. If you decide at any time to remove your application from our consideration you may reply to this email to withdraw your application.
Click to expand...

I got this e-mail after I was complete at UF. They called me for an interview about 2 weeks after I received the letter so I think the letter is a positive sign.
 
beats said:
I just got this e-mail from UF- anyone gotten it as well?

Dear Applicant,

You have been notified that your file is complete. We have received all secondary materials requested. The Medical Selection Committee is still considering your application for interview. You may hear from us shortly or you may not hear a decision from us for (literally) months. Please remember that our interviews continue throughout March and we also continue to accept students at each interview. So although you may be selected to interview later in the cycle, your chances of acceptance are still the same as for those interviewing earlier. Please note that interview invitations are made by telephone.

The best action you can take in this position is to keep us updated. Send (e-mail, fax, snail-mail) short, to the point correspondence informing our committee of things that are not already on your AMCAS application or in secondary materials. Examples: fall grades, new volunteer activities, new research endeavors, etc. If you update in response to this e-mail please be sure to delete this letter from your update.

Each month I will send you this reminder to let you know that we are still considering you. You will be notified immediately when a decision is made regarding your application. If you decide at any time to remove your application from our consideration you may reply to this email to withdraw your application.
Click to expand...

Heh, theres always a post about it when it comes each month. It is an automatic email that tells you that "We have not forgotten about you!"
 
Hmm.. It's just strange because I've been complete for several months and this is the first one I've ever gotten
 
I've also been complete for several months, and those e-mails have come throughout that time. I don't think you can necessarily read into what they mean.
 
Even though these UF emails don't mean anything specific regarding your individual status, it's still a nice thought that other schools should adopt. I think the last email I got from USF was sometime around September. Even a token email at this point would be like gold.
 
I'm pretty sure UF sends it out on a monthly basis after you're complete if they're still considering you:luck:
 
beats said:
I just got this e-mail from UF- anyone gotten it as well?

Dear Applicant,

You have been notified that your file is complete. We have received all secondary materials requested. The Medical Selection Committee is still considering your application for interview. You may hear from us shortly or you may not hear a decision from us for (literally) months. Please remember that our interviews continue throughout March and we also continue to accept students at each interview. So although you may be selected to interview later in the cycle, your chances of acceptance are still the same as for those interviewing earlier. Please note that interview invitations are made by telephone.

The best action you can take in this position is to keep us updated. Send (e-mail, fax, snail-mail) short, to the point correspondence informing our committee of things that are not already on your AMCAS application or in secondary materials. Examples: fall grades, new volunteer activities, new research endeavors, etc. If you update in response to this e-mail please be sure to delete this letter from your update.

Each month I will send you this reminder to let you know that we are still considering you. You will be notified immediately when a decision is made regarding your application. If you decide at any time to remove your application from our consideration you may reply to this email to withdraw your application.
Click to expand...

Just posting my experience. I received an interview invite a few days after receiving an almost identical email.
 
I recently received an email from FSU about my file being complete. They said I will receive and email/phone call when a decision has been made about an interview. Does anyone know how long it takes for them to send out a decision after that email is out? Also, what days do they make these calls?
Thanks
 
Kayk said:
I recently received an email from FSU about my file being complete. They said I will receive and email/phone call when a decision has been made about an interview. Does anyone know how long it takes for them to send out a decision after that email is out? Also, what days do they make these calls?
Thanks
Click to expand...

They emailed me the same thing about a week or so before I got the invite. They called me around 9:30 on Tuesday morning with the invitation for that Friday. I think they primarily conduct their interviews on Fridays, although I believe I was also given the option for a future Monday as well. There are two time slots as well, an early group which starts around 8ish and another which interviews around 11. Good luck👍
 
I recently received an invitation to interview at Miami and Boca for Feb 28 and 29. I called in today to ask if I was interviewing for the waitlist...and they said I would be. I'm coming from CA and I have already gotten into two schools, albeit not my first choice, and would rather go to miami or boca raton. Is it worth coming for an interview knowing my chances aren't high?

thanks
 
fiji said:
I recently received an invitation to interview at Miami and Boca for Feb 28 and 29. I called in today to ask if I was interviewing for the waitlist...and they said I would be. I'm coming from CA and I have already gotten into two schools, albeit not my first choice, and would rather go to miami or boca raton. Is it worth coming for an interview knowing my chances aren't high?

thanks
Click to expand...

I think it depends if you really want to go to Miami. If it isn't one of your top choices than it might be a wasted trip. On the other hand, a lot of candidates do get accepted off the wait list.
 
how does the waitlist for miami work? is it ranked after you interview?
 
fiji said:
I recently received an invitation to interview at Miami and Boca for Feb 28 and 29. I called in today to ask if I was interviewing for the waitlist...and they said I would be. I'm coming from CA and I have already gotten into two schools, albeit not my first choice, and would rather go to miami or boca raton. Is it worth coming for an interview knowing my chances aren't high?

thanks
Click to expand...

I believe something like 315 of 400 people who were offered an interview are eventually accepted to the main campus. The acceptance rate at boca is about 50%.
 
are they interviewing for waitlist for miami or boca or both?
 
REL said:
Too late for most of you on this site now (because you will all get that invite and acceptance that you covet -- there is still time).
Click to expand...

That's great news for UCF!!! 🙂
 
REL said:
Too late for most of you on this site now (because you will all get that invite and acceptance that you covet -- there is still time).
Click to expand...

I think UCF is going to be a great school. That is so nice that there will be full scholarships for all members of the first class. You can't beat that!
 
Dendrite said:
I think USF is tremendously swamped right about now. I had sent in an updated transcript earlier in January (approximately the first week), and I just got an e-mail this mid-week notifying me of how it was received and placed in my file. I had called them in mid-January to ask if they received that updated transcript, and they said they had, but I guess it just wasn't added to my file until now.
Click to expand...

Hmm that's not good. I never got an indication that an update letter I sent in around the same time (e-mail and hardcopy) was put in my file. Maybe I shouldn't have assumed it would be since my decision wasn't until 3+ weeks later. I'll have to call, but I don't want to sound like I'm whining that I was put on the waitlist. 😀

Continued :luck: to all FL applicants!
 
HurricaneBlood said:
Just curious, do you recommend sending updates and letter of interest because it worked for you?
Click to expand...


I didn't send FSU a letter of interest, but I did send them an updated transcript. Anything you can do to help your app, I would do. I think my acceptance was largely based on my stats (my MCAT is quite a bit higher than their avg), but if you are close on these things, send a letter of interest, call them etc. Good luck!!!
 
krizmizz said:
I didn't send FSU a letter of interest, but I did send them an updated transcript. Anything you can do to help your app, I would do. I think my acceptance was largely based on my stats (my MCAT is quite a bit higher than their avg), but if you are close on these things, send a letter of interest, call them etc. Good luck!!!
Click to expand...

isn't there avg mcat something like a 28??
 
REL said:
Too late for most of you on this site now (because you will all get that invite and acceptance that you covet -- there is still time).
Click to expand...

YAY!!! So when does the website get updated with your official email over there and other information??
 
FIU also received accrediation for 2009 today.
 
SillyMeMD said:
That's great news for UCF!!! 🙂
Click to expand...

We thought we were ahead of the game and were preparing for the new site to be activated upon receiving word NEXT week! We are at final copy and might have it up by late tomorrow or Friday.

Admissions email is already working at [email protected]

REL
 
REL said:
We thought we were ahead of the game and were preparing for the new site to be activated upon receiving word NEXT week! We are at final copy and might have it up by late tomorrow or Friday.

Admissions email is already working at [email protected]

REL
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update. Good to know. I know one of my friends who has talked to you on here wanted to have the email.
 
REL said:
Too late for most of you on this site now (because you will all get that invite and acceptance that you covet -- there is still time).
Click to expand...

REL, I'll be applying this summer. I hope to see you there!
 
AKN said:
REL, I'll be applying this summer. I hope to see you there!
Click to expand...

Me too along with the majority of the UF alum group of students in our masters program. LOL 😉

FIU for those interested has already updated their website with the curricula and what not. There are some articles about that in the miami herald that my brother was telling me about as well.
 
gujuDoc said:
Me too along with the majority of the UF alum group of students in our masters program. LOL 😉

FIU for those interested has already updated their website with the curricula and what not. There are some articles about that in the miami herald that my brother was telling me about as well.
Click to expand...

With all the hype about UCF, I completely forgot about FIU. We are so lucky to be Floridians!
 
fiji said:
I recently received an invitation to interview at Miami and Boca for Feb 28 and 29. I called in today to ask if I was interviewing for the waitlist...and they said I would be. I'm coming from CA and I have already gotten into two schools, albeit not my first choice, and would rather go to miami or boca raton. Is it worth coming for an interview knowing my chances aren't high?

thanks
Click to expand...

I called Miami today and they told me that they are interviewing for acceptances, not just for the waitlist. The person cited the fact that many people who are accepted withdraw their application and this opens new spots continuously.
 
gujuDoc said:
Me too along with the majority of the UF alum group of students in our masters program. LOL 😉

FIU for those interested has already updated their website with the curricula and what not. There are some articles about that in the miami herald that my brother was telling me about as well.
Click to expand...

Do you know if FIU or UCF will be making new residency programs along with their medschools? I know that most of the hospitals already affiliated with them are teaching hospitals, but will the schools start making new programs at those hospitals and opening up new slots.
 
ufgrad00 said:
Do you know if FIU or UCF will be making new residency programs along with their medschools? I know that most of the hospitals already affiliated with them are teaching hospitals, but will the schools start making new programs at those hospitals and opening up new slots.
Click to expand...

There is something about new residencies in Orlando but I think residency salaries are funded by medicaid so it would require redistribution of money for that.

If Law2doc is on here he can answer how this works better. He explained to me once long time ago.
 
ufgrad00 said:
Do you know if FIU or UCF will be making new residency programs along with their medschools? I know that most of the hospitals already affiliated with them are teaching hospitals, but will the schools start making new programs at those hospitals and opening up new slots.
Click to expand...

That is the plan here at UCF, but it may be a few more years as we get more clinical faculty on board and get into our full-time clinical years.
 
So there was an article in the UF school newspaper (albeit the paper is independent of UF's administartion) quoting the dean of the med school, that shortfalls in funding may cause UF to lose its accreditation - If you're like me, your reaction was pretty close to 😱. It seems that with the accreditation of the two newest schools, UCF and FIU, state funding has thinned out. As quoted from the paper,

"UF must tell the committee [Liasion Committee on Medical Education] in May how state support has improved, Kone [new Dean for the College of Medicine] said, and if it hasn't, UF could lose its status within a year."
-The Independent Florida Alligator, Feb. 8, 2008

Now I would put the odds of UF's administration and the state legislature allowing UF to lose its accreditation between slim and none. But, the dean of the med school is a pretty credible and respectable source, so if he says something like this, there must be some merit to it; where there's smoke, there's fire, kind of thing. Also, if UF could suffer from budget shortfalls, wouldn't the other public schools be subject to the same problems? One more thing, for those of you not familiar with the "Alligator," it has been known from time to time to blow things out of proportion, in an attempt to drum up support, for example, more funding for tuition, research, construction of facilities, etc. Do you guys think this is what's happening here?

REL, if your out there, I'd like to hear what you think about this. I think you're probably the most knowledgeable one on this subject, as your on the inside. Even though I think the odds of this happening aren't very good, its still something that would factor into my, and others final decision of where to confirm acceptances this coming May. Thanks for all the input.
 
REL said:
That is the plan here at UCF, but it may be a few more years as we get more clinical faculty on board and get into our full-time clinical years.
Click to expand...

Congratulations with all the success for the new school.

I know that at the Boca campus, because it is expanding and teaching all four years, something like 375 residency slots are being planned with the affiliated hospitals between Boca Raton Comm. hospital, JFK, and the VA. Right now, I think only internal med is being done, but I was told that new teaching hospitals need to start some programs before they can begin others. Medicine before specialties and surgery, and surgery before surgical sub-specialties.
 
SwampGator said:
So there was an article in the UF school newspaper (albeit the paper is independent of UF's administartion) quoting the dean of the med school, that shortfalls in funding may cause UF to lose its accreditation - If you're like me, your reaction was pretty close to 😱. It seems that with the accreditation of the two newest schools, UCF and FIU, state funding has thinned out. As quoted from the paper,

"UF must tell the committee [Liasion Committee on Medical Education] in May how state support has improved, Kone [new Dean for the College of Medicine] said, and if it hasn't, UF could lose its status within a year."
-The Independent Florida Alligator, Feb. 8, 2008

Now I would put the odds of UF's administration and the state legislature allowing UF to lose its accreditation between slim and none. But, the dean of the med school is a pretty credible and respectable source, so if he says something like this, there must be some merit to it; where there's smoke, there's fire, kind of thing. Also, if UF could suffer from budget shortfalls, wouldn't the other public schools be subject to the same problems? One more thing, for those of you not familiar with the "Alligator," it has been known from time to time to blow things out of proportion, in an attempt to drum up support, for example, more funding for tuition, research, construction of facilities, etc. Do you guys think this is what's happening here?

REL, if your out there, I'd like to hear what you think about this. I think you're probably the most knowledgeable one on this subject, as your on the inside. Even though I think the odds of this happening aren't very good, its still something that would factor into my, and others final decision of where to confirm acceptances this coming May. Thanks for all the input.
Click to expand...


I am familiar with the alligator and it is nothing new. Back when FSU was starting up, they were all doom and gloom. And back in 2005 they were saying the sam thing in the alligator about UCF and FIU starting new medschools. And UF will be fine and most likely they will get an increase in state funds next year. Nothing will happen to their accreditation.

Even though UF only takes 130 students they require more funds than probably USF and FSU combined. So if they do lose money, it will be minimal, and they might have to cut back on some small things or find ways to invest. Anyways if anything happens to them in the future it will be that they become a top thirty medical instituion. 👍

Also, remember that the writer of the article is probably an english or political science student hoping to get a job with a newspaper or magazine, and has only a small idea, at best, about how medical education works in this state.
 
SwampGator said:
So there was an article in the UF school newspaper (albeit the paper is independent of UF's administartion) quoting the dean of the med school, that shortfalls in funding may cause UF to lose its accreditation - If you're like me, your reaction was pretty close to 😱. It seems that with the accreditation of the two newest schools, UCF and FIU, state funding has thinned out. As quoted from the paper,

"UF must tell the committee [Liasion Committee on Medical Education] in May how state support has improved, Kone [new Dean for the College of Medicine] said, and if it hasn't, UF could lose its status within a year."
-The Independent Florida Alligator, Feb. 8, 2008

Now I would put the odds of UF's administration and the state legislature allowing UF to lose its accreditation between slim and none. But, the dean of the med school is a pretty credible and respectable source, so if he says something like this, there must be some merit to it; where there's smoke, there's fire, kind of thing. Also, if UF could suffer from budget shortfalls, wouldn't the other public schools be subject to the same problems? One more thing, for those of you not familiar with the "Alligator," it has been known from time to time to blow things out of proportion, in an attempt to drum up support, for example, more funding for tuition, research, construction of facilities, etc. Do you guys think this is what's happening here?

REL, if your out there, I'd like to hear what you think about this. I think you're probably the most knowledgeable one on this subject, as your on the inside. Even though I think the odds of this happening aren't very good, its still something that would factor into my, and others final decision of where to confirm acceptances this coming May. Thanks for all the input.
Click to expand...

Pure, unadulterated baloney. If the leadership did say it, it's a ploy to get more from the state, but they leadership probably didnt say it the way it was printed. Pure baloney.
 
Here is one opinion. I am sorry to say but UF's facilities were on the shabby side. I was super unimpressed. I don't know how a ranked school, if the number 50 outta 125 is considered ranked, can let its facilities go like that. It was one of the most disenchanting things about the school when I visited.

With that said, I feel bad for Florida schools because I feel the tuition is ridiculously low. It is bizarrely low. Now, low is a good thing if the State isn't chocking you to death, which it seems like our Republican buddy Crist is doing quit nicely. I don't see why the school can't raise tuition in Florida for Public colleges to 150 to 200 dollars a credit. A lot of public state schools charge much more than this easily.

Again, don't get me wrong Florida does awesome things, i.e. bright futures. But come on, 3000 bucks a year for education is extremely low. No reason why it couldn't be double that. 4 years later $24,000.00 in the hole NOT BAD IMO. That's a semester at UM 😆 No seriously, what is Florida thinking, I mean the state not the school, with its funding. It is not fair and it is surely not necessary.

Yea, my school is on SUPER HEAVY BUDGET CUTS TOO. But I think it is more because we are trying to fund an NFL team like UF/FSU oopss sorry football team like UF/FSU.
 
axlaxl1 said:
Here is one opinion. I am sorry to say but UF's facilities were on the shabby side. I was super unimpressed. I don't know how a ranked school, if the number 50 outta 125 is considered ranked, can let its facilities go like that. It was one of the most disenchanting things about the school when I visited.

With that said, I feel bad for Florida schools because I feel the tuition is ridiculously low. It is bizarrely low. Now, low is a good thing if the State isn't chocking you to death, which it seems like our Republican buddy Crist is doing quit nicely. I don't see why the school can't raise tuition in Florida for Public colleges to 150 to 200 dollars a credit. A lot of public state schools charge much more than this easily.

Again, don't get me wrong Florida does awesome things, i.e. bright futures. But come on, 3000 bucks a year for education is extremely low. No reason why it couldn't be double that. 4 years later $24,000.00 in the hole NOT BAD IMO. That's a semester at UM 😆 No seriously, what is Florida thinking, I mean the state not the school, with its funding. It is not fair and it is surely not necessary.

Yea, my school is on SUPER HEAVY BUDGET CUTS TOO. But I think it is more because we are trying to fund an NFL team like UF/FSU oopss sorry football team like UF/FSU.
Click to expand...

LOL why would you want to raise tuition? That means we have even more debt. I think having lesser prices is a good thing. However, I read in a recent article that Crist gave several million dollars to a school not even in the state and then 80 million to UM which got the SUS system schools upset. However, Miami I can understand but why would they be giving money to sponsor out of state school's research projects instead of their own schools?
 
I remember reading not too long ago in the Tampa Tribune about the proposed tuition increase at USF and other FL schools. Every year it does increase a small percentage, so I don't think the state is in need of a drastic increase. Heck, we might as well pay 9$ a gallon for gas since most of the other industrialized nations pay something similar, so the idea of being like other states in terms of tuition would mainly just hit students' pockets. How about chipping a few million bucks off of most of these university presidents' salaries. We could probably fund 10 more med schools. I do think that we are lucky being Floridians. Having a state with relatively low tuition and now 6 MD schools is def. something to be envied by others. I just wish my chances would increase😀

side note: I emailed FSU a week ago and still no reply. I can imagine things would get kind of hectic around the end of interview season, but sheesh.
 
medguy83 said:
I remember reading not too long ago in the Tampa Tribune about the proposed tuition increase at USF and other FL schools. Every year it does increase a small percentage, so I don't think the state is in need of a drastic increase. Heck, we might as well pay 9$ a gallon for gas since most of the other industrialized nations pay something similar, so the idea of being like other states in terms of tuition would mainly just hit students' pockets. How about chipping a few million bucks off of most of these university presidents' salaries. We could probably fund 10 more med schools. I do think that we are lucky being Floridians. Having a state with relatively low tuition and now 6 MD schools is def. something to be envied by others. I just wish my chances would increase😀

side note: I emailed FSU a week ago and still no reply. I can imagine things would get kind of hectic around the end of interview season, but sheesh.
Click to expand...

Is your avatar a pic of you?

LOL

I can't believe you still haven't heard from schools. Have you talked to them to find out what is possibly weak in your app that has caused you not to hear back from them?
 
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