Florida Schools Application Thread (2008) part 2

[thegold91]

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Actually now the interviewing process is starting to slow. So, when you do get an interview you will probably have a week or two turn around. I know in UF's case and Miami's I pretty much could have went the same week but due to finals I had to defer a little bit. In fact I had to defer the Boca interview for a whole month hence I am still waiting to hear back from them while have already heard back from Miami. Point is, don't worry about how late you get an interview, especially UF because, lol, unless you are soflaknight or from an IVY league school you're GONNA BE PUT ON HOLD JK kinda (waits for the lashing.)

Keep hope you'll be fine.

soflaknight and Team Zissuo have a 100% interview --> acceptance rate. Maybe they should write a book for us

 

[ufgrad00]

soflaknight and Team Zissuo have a 100% interview --> acceptance rate. Maybe they should write a book for us

Anyone sitting on a UF acceptance ought to write a book.

 

[axlaxl1]

Anyone sitting on a UF acceptance ought to write a book.

LOL, I hear that. SoFla's 1 for 1 what is team's ratio? Hey and don't they both go to UCF? Is UCF ivy league? HMMMMmmmm.

 

[thegold91]

LOL, I hear that. SoFla's 1 for 1 what is team's ratio? Hey and don't they both go to UCF? Is UCF ivy league? HMMMMmmmm.

Haha i go to UCF also! team zissou is 3-0.......they are good. UCF is the harvard of central florida(JK).

 

[gujuDoc]

LOL, I hear that. SoFla's 1 for 1 what is team's ratio? Hey and don't they both go to UCF? Is UCF ivy league? HMMMMmmmm.

Nah but you know in all seriousness, UCF has some of the best premed course offerings there is to offer for a school that didn't have a med school until now.

The MS I that I'm friends with at UF had done some courses at UCF. They have gross anatomy offered to students there from what she told me. They also have a lot of other medically oriented science course offerings that aren't at other schools def. not at USF.

 

[Tertbutyl]

Nah but you know in all seriousness, UCF has some of the best premed course offerings there is to offer for a school that didn't have a med school until now.

The MS I that I'm friends with at UF had done some courses at UCF. They have gross anatomy offered to students there from what she told me. They also have a lot of other medically oriented science course offerings that aren't at other schools def. not at USF.

I'm also a UCFer and I definitely agree with this! I really love UCF and I never regret for a minute coming here for undergrad. Not to sound like a salesperson for the university, but between all of the course offerings we have (clinical embryology, neuroanatomy, gross anatomy, dissection techniques, histology, endocrinology, hemotology, etc), the physician oriented clinical experiences that our school sets up for us, the area (orlando is awesome!), the research available for undergrad students, the honors college, and the wide array of activities for students to get involved with just about anything, I couldn't think of a reason for Florida premed students to not attend UCF. /longest run on sentence ever!

 

[axlaxl1]

I'm also a UCFer and I definitely agree with this! I really love UCF and I never regret for a minute coming here for undergrad. Not to sound like a salesperson for the university, but between all of the course offerings we have (clinical embryology, neuroanatomy, gross anatomy, dissection techniques, histology, endocrinology, hemotology, etc), the physician oriented clinical experiences that our school sets up for us, the area (orlando is awesome!), the research available for undergrad students, the honors college, and the wide array of activities for students to get involved with just about anything, I couldn't think of a reason for Florida premed students to not attend UCF. /longest run on sentence ever!

Interesting. I have a question. Prior to taking the MCAT how does UCF (and any other florida school for those that would like to chime in) prepare you? The above courses are great but those are slightly junior and mostly senior level courses. I believe that a truely strong Pre-med school will have you prepared well by your sophmore year for the MCAT. I.E. It really bugs me the courses I am taking now. i.e. Molec Cell. A.) I feel this course should be called bio II and should have replaced the my schools bio II which is a taxonomy class for worms and birds.

 

[gujuDoc]

Interesting. I have a question. Prior to taking the MCAT how does UCF (and any other florida school for those that would like to chime in) prepare you? The above courses are great but those are slightly junior and mostly senior level courses. I believe that a truely strong Pre-med school will have you prepared well by your sophmore year for the MCAT. I.E. It really bugs me the courses I am taking now. i.e. Molec Cell. A.) I feel this course should be called bio II and should have replaced the my schools bio II which is a taxonomy class for worms and birds.

I think the problem is that some schools don't teach a lot in basic courses because they assume people are going to take higher level bio courses and learn the info there. That's the problemw ith USF and why a lot of people never learn the necessary material. UF is one of the few schools good about getting through the necessary material. My family friend's brother said they got through 12 chapters just for his first test in bio 1. I'm sure they get through the majority of the topics in the book at the rate they were going.

USF however only gets through 17 chapters in a semester from the bio book per semester depending on the teacher you have.

 

[gujuDoc]

Oh and don't know about UCF or Miami, but USF does not do well for preparing people for the MCAT in my opinion.

I think the physics courses people don't really learn even if they get the A's because they are allowed to have cheat sheets, the bio courses don't get through all the MCAT relevant material because they barely get through the majority of the bio book in 1 and 2, the ochem courses are the only good courses and the upper level courses. I'd also say gchem is being made tougher so they really learn the material but when i took it that was a joke too compared to other schools. I think the chem dept is improving though in terms of making things tougher so they really try harder. i don't think the physics and bio are however.

 

[Tertbutyl]

Interesting. I have a question. Prior to taking the MCAT how does UCF (and any other florida school for those that would like to chime in) prepare you? The above courses are great but those are slightly junior and mostly senior level courses. I believe that a truely strong Pre-med school will have you prepared well by your sophmore year for the MCAT. I.E. It really bugs me the courses I am taking now. i.e. Molec Cell. A.) I feel this course should be called bio II and should have replaced the my schools bio II which is a taxonomy class for worms and birds.

As a whole, I felt prepared for the MCAT. Bio II is also a taxonomy class at UCF, but it is not required for my major so I took a few other Bio classes (genetics, and this Quantitative Bio class) before the MCAT which I think helped out.

I think the chemistry department at the university prides themselves on being kind of hardcore, but as a whole it isn't that bad. I really loved my Organic I professor and felt I actually learned the information really well. I took Biochemistry last semester and got I think a 63 on one of the tests (Enzyme Kinetics..blah) which ended up being an A. Ya, you have to deal with stuff like that, but as a whole, I enjoyed most of my chemistry classes.

Physics at UCF is pretty standard. I really liked my professors and felt I learned a lot and only had to brush up on information when studying that section.

I think UCF will prepare you for the MCAT by sophomore year if you plan your classes accordingly. I didn't finish Organic until the summer before my Junior year and I took Physics II my Junior year.

 

[axlaxl1]

As a whole, I felt prepared for the MCAT. Bio II is also a taxonomy class at UCF, but it is not required for my major so I took a few other Bio classes (genetics, and this Quantitative Bio class) before the MCAT which I think helped out.

I think the chemistry department at the university prides themselves on being kind of hardcore, but as a whole it isn't that bad. I really loved my Organic I professor and felt I actually learned the information really well. I took Biochemistry last semester and got I think a 63 on one of the tests (Enzyme Kinetics..blah) which ended up being an A. Ya, you have to deal with stuff like that, but as a whole, I enjoyed most of my chemistry classes.

Physics at UCF is pretty standard. I really liked my professors and felt I learned a lot and only had to brush up on information when studying that section.

I think UCF will prepare you for the MCAT by sophomore year if you plan your classes accordingly. I didn't finish Organic until the summer before my Junior year and I took Physics II my Junior year.

Why is that Bio II a taxonomy course. Wow, is UF like this as well or Miami. Man was that a waste of time.

 

[thegold91]

Why is that Bio II a taxonomy course. Wow, is UF like this as well or Miami. Man was that a waste of time.

I dont see why Bio II is a pre-req for any medical schools. I do not feel that my intense training in Bio Ii with the plant reproductive system is going to pay off a whole lot in medical school. Taxonomy is about as much fun as seeing how many tetanus shots you can give your self in an hour.

 

[gujuDoc]

I dont see why Bio II is a pre-req for any medical schools. I do not feel that my intense training in Bio Ii with the plant reproductive system is going to pay off a whole lot in medical school. Taxonomy is about as much fun as seeing how many tetanus shots you can give your self in an hour.

Because in theory bio 2 is supposed to be the portion where you learn about the physiology topics and certain microbiology basics and cell bio basics, etc. according to the order of contents in any basic bio book.

However, stupidity of many schools is that they don't teach that. UF is the only one and maybe guessing Miami that actually might have a real quality bio 1 and 2 class. I can't say a lot of other state schools do.

 

[gujuDoc]

Why is that Bio II a taxonomy course. Wow, is UF like this as well or Miami. Man was that a waste of time.

USF is but I highly doubt UF is because they had 12 chapters as just their first test. if that's the case I'd imagine they go at a pace where they get through the majority of the textbook and teach all the relevant info.

 

[KnuxNole]

FSU leaves all of the taxa stuff for the lab portion, but the lecture part goes over a lot of genetics, development, and evolution stuff.

And IMO, the physics classes here did not prepare me for the MCAT that well, EK was a much better teacher(and Salty had a better personality)

Chem and O-Chem were good, both were tough and made the MCAT chem look much easier.

 

[axlaxl1]

FSU leaves all of the taxa stuff for the lab portion, but the lecture part goes over a lot of genetics, development, and evolution stuff.

And IMO, the physics classes here did not prepare me for the MCAT that well, EK was a much better teacher(and Salty had a better personality)

Chem and O-Chem were good, both were tough and made the MCAT chem look much easier.

I swear when I get into school as a parting gift I want to beg my science department to hear me out over the curriculum for pre-meds.

Bio I = OK (great start too bad it ends there)
Bio II = JOKE (I want so bad to collect my money back for that waste of my life. what are they thinking calling this bio II?)
Chem I = Fine
Chem II = (hard but fine although I hate how they leave acids and bases for last and people IMO don't really grasp that concept as much as they should, hurts for other courses i.e. organic and biochem.) I ask my students in Org II does putting sugar in water cause a chemical reaction i.e. a new product. Overwhelmingly they said yes." I just shook my head.
Org I = Fine, but again in my school anyway they focus on way too much material that isn't covered on the MCAT like they don't even know what the MCAT is and if that is not as bad as it causes there not to be enough room for subjects such as SN1 and SN2 which are on the MCAT and aren't given enough attention to.
Org II = Perfect, I mean I teach it so it has to be, LOL.
BioChem I = Fine

Physics I and II (This is probably the most serious offender and from what I heard it is a problem at every school.) The physics department at my school anyway is designed to have a calc based physics for engineers (good for them) and a regular one for pre-meds. Ok, the regular one for pre-meds has way too much math totally skipping over concept. They are soooooo preoccupied if you can remember F = MA they don't include enough concept to use F = MA in a scenario. Thank god for Nova physics or I would have been screwed. After dealing with NOVA physics I actually liked physics and thought it was cool.


What can be done? So much, courses like Animal Phys, Cell Molecular Bio and others should be offered up front. I.e. Mollec Cell the first half of the book should be Bio II it is hilarious that I am now in a senior level course that is giving me a review of all the crap I went dealt with earlier in my Bio degree. I'm thinking to myself wow this is a problem. There is no reason why they can' adjust the curriculum to prep people better for the MCAT which is why a lot of us were there in the first place. I love my school but just in senior mode now and I am thinking things were a little "off" about how the course schedule was designed.

 

[gujuDoc]

There was a thread about the topic being discussed a while ago last semester. Basically the reason courses are not designed to the premed is because you need to make it general at that level for people who may want to do say research in some other abstract field of bio like ecology, or people who want to do bio just for general knowledge and as a science gen ed requirement.

That said, they should try to get through the whole book rather then just selected chapters thinking people are too stupid to learn the material. And if people fail that is their own problem. I mean after doing a semester of grad school i believe it is truly possible if the teacher puts the effort to teach the amount of material one really needs to get through in each semester. If they went through all the topics and the majority of the chapters instead only half of them they would cover everything we need for the mcat because each basic bio book does cover all the necessary topics.

 

[thoffen]

Tell me about it. I took Bio I in 1999 as AP in high school. I later came back and took my remaining prereqs at St. Petersburg College. Bio II was basically a glorified taxonomy course, and I don't think it taught me a single thing I needed on the MCAT. The rest of the instruction, though, was top notch. I ended up doing pretty well considering I studied on my own for the MCAT while working full time, volunteering, and going to school. The courses may be worthless, but the Bio material isn't exceptionally difficult to learn on your own.

 

[Nooneimportant]

I've been reading these forums for quite a while before deciding to register and post in this thread. The last couple of posts have really surprised me in that you guys/gals are wishing that your classes would be geared toward a meaningless (other than getting in the door) test like the MCAT?

Assuming you're all FL residents, you probably remember the FCAT and the baggage it carries, which has frustrated most teachers in the state because there are incentives (e.g., $) to having students score well. As such, they are rushed to "teach toward the test" rather than teaching to actually learn the material. And while you might say that the MCAT is more "conceptual" than the FCAT (at each respective academic level, of course; MCAT in college, FCAT in gradeschool), it's simply a benchmark, like the FCAT. Medical students have repeatedly said that all of the relevant information one needs as a physician will be covered in medical school. So for undergraduate studies, establishing a strong foundation is the key -- not biasing the curriculum toward an entrance exam. Also, as a previous poster mentioned, not all students are pre-med, so teaching should facilitate the most learning for the most students.

 

[ufgrad00]

I've been reading these forums for quite a while before deciding to register and post in this thread. The last couple of posts have really surprised me in that you guys/gals are wishing that your classes would be geared toward a meaningless (other than getting in the door) test like the MCAT?

Assuming you're all FL residents, you probably remember the FCAT and the baggage it carries, which has frustrated most teachers in the state because there are incentives (e.g., $) to having students score well. As such, they are rushed to "teach toward the test" rather than teaching to actually learn the material. And while you might say that the MCAT is more "conceptual" than the FCAT (at each respective academic level, of course; MCAT in college, FCAT in gradeschool), it's simply a benchmark, like the FCAT. Medical students have repeatedly said that all of the relevant information one needs as a physician will be covered in medical school. So for undergraduate studies, establishing a strong foundation is the key -- not biasing the curriculum toward an entrance exam. Also, as a previous poster mentioned, not all students are pre-med, so teaching should facilitate the most learning for the most students.

👎

The purpose of the MCAT is to be an national and international standardized aptitude exam that can be a gauge for performance in Medical school.

What we are discussing is that not all undergrad institutions teach the same type of material in a given course, and they also do not teach to the same level of intensity. If there were no exam, then the only measure of performance would be grades. However, because courses are not nationally standardized in the material they teach as much as they should be, then students from easier curriculums would have an advantage. Ever hear of "Grade Inflation"?

You are right, it is not the responsibility of a pre-req course to prepare you only for the MCAT; however, the exam is structured that you should have a wide base of knowledge before taking it. So, it is best to also have taken advanced course work in science and english before taking the MCAT.

From my experience, the standard eight pre-reqs DO NOT teach enough to fully prepare you for the MCAT; therefore, those courses do not teach with the purpose of accomodating the MCAT. They teach to accomodate physics, bio, and chem in general. However, this just goes to show how difficult and comprehensive the exam is. Also, we are eventually going to have to perform well in nationalized exams with the Licensing exams and such.

 

[Dendrite]

👎

The purpose of the MCAT is to be an national and international standardized aptitude exam that can be a gauge for performance in Medical school.

What we are discussing is that not all undergrad institutions teach the same type of material in a given course, and they also do not teach to the same level of intensity. If there were no exam, then the only measure of performance would be grades. However, because courses are not nationally standardized in the material they teach as much as they should be, then students from easier curriculums would have an advantage. Ever hear of "Grade Inflation"?

You are right, it is not the responsibility of a pre-req course to prepare you only for the MCAT; however, the exam is structured that you should have a wide base of knowledge before taking it. So, it is best to also have taken advanced course work in science and english before taking the MCAT.

From my experience, the standard eight pre-reqs DO NOT teach enough to fully prepare you for the MCAT; therefore, those courses do not teach to accomodate the MCAT. They teach to accomodate physics, bio, and chem in general. However, this just goes to show how difficult and comprehensive the exam is. Also, we are eventually going to have to perform well in nationalized exams with the Licensing exams and such.

I agree.

 

[axlaxl1]

I've been reading these forums for quite a while before deciding to register and post in this thread. The last couple of posts have really surprised me in that you guys/gals are wishing that your classes would be geared toward a meaningless (other than getting in the door) test like the MCAT?

Assuming you're all FL residents, you probably remember the FCAT and the baggage it carries, which has frustrated most teachers in the state because there are incentives (e.g., $) to having students score well. As such, they are rushed to "teach toward the test" rather than teaching to actually learn the material. And while you might say that the MCAT is more "conceptual" than the FCAT (at each respective academic level, of course; MCAT in college, FCAT in gradeschool), it's simply a benchmark, like the FCAT. Medical students have repeatedly said that all of the relevant information one needs as a physician will be covered in medical school. So for undergraduate studies, establishing a strong foundation is the key -- not biasing the curriculum toward an entrance exam. Also, as a previous poster mentioned, not all students are pre-med, so teaching should facilitate the most learning for the most students.

I am calling BS on what you are saying. Sorry, well wait. Congrats this is your first post lol. Schools don't teach the material they are supposed to because they don't plan out a curriculum. They simply buy a book and start teaching chapters. And I don't know about your school but to be honest a lot of time prof's are grounded by what they teach. I am sorry to say it but it is true. Well OK so what if a prof only really knows the subject's they teach. Well here is the problem, when subject matter such as for example genetics comes on the very tail end of Bio I you can look back to the prof and see they really didn't know too much about the subject and just wanted to "get through it to get through it." As well, I have witnessed a class room full of my students in Orgo I tell me that a concept was too hard and the professor said don't worry about it when the students asked a sample question from within the chapter. I replied, "huh? are you serious. this isn't hard he must not have wanted to do it." I was floored. I know this Dr. is super smart and accomplished but on that day he sure didn't want to rack his brain a little.

You brought up the F word. FCAT. I have heard liberals and teachers BITCH about this and say exactly what you are saying. Shame on them and shame on you. What the heck is anyone going to be worried about teaching someone something that they can't retain because it was poorly taught in the first place? A well thought out and planned class will by default produce a good situation for learning a subject. The teaching ability and the learning ability of the student are the last two components to effective learning. With that said, go look at the MCAT list for the subject material that is needed. That is a HUGE array of material that could be covered much more effectively right up front instead of spreading it all over the place.

Lastly, Science isn't writing 101, there are things we need to know and things i.e. like what phylum worms are in AREN'T important for anything. BIO II is a waste of time for a pre-med, a pre-dent, pre-vet pre anything other than taxonomist. Now, when I was declared a pre-med I wanted to go to med school, prepare me to go to med school and let my med school worry about what they want me to learn so I can become what it is I became a pre-med for in the first place. BECOME A DOCTOR!

 

[axlaxl1]

👎

The purpose of the MCAT is to be an national and international standardized aptitude exam that can be a gauge for performance in Medical school.

What we are discussing is that not all undergrad institutions teach the same type of material in a given course, and they also do not teach to the same level of intensity. If there were no exam, then the only measure of performance would be grades. However, because courses are not nationally standardized in the material they teach as much as they should be, then students from easier curriculum's would have an advantage. Ever hear of "Grade Inflation"?

You are right, it is not the responsibility of a pre-req course to prepare you only for the MCAT; however, the exam is structured that you should have a wide base of knowledge before taking it. So, it is best to also have taken advanced course work in science and English before taking the MCAT.

From my experience, the standard eight pre-reqs DO NOT teach enough to fully prepare you for the MCAT; therefore, those courses do not teach with the purpose of accommodating the MCAT. They teach to accommodate physics, bio, and chem in general. However, this just goes to show how difficult and comprehensive the exam is. Also, we are eventually going to have to perform well in nationalized exams with the Licensing exams and such.

I agree exactly with this.

What I am calling for is a more structured and complete curriculum that encompasses what the MCAT calls for. In no way am I saying undergrad should be a Kaplan course. Furthermore, take physics for example. The math should accompany the concept and if one grasp the concept physics is a really cool thing. that is why I like the NOVA physics books so much. I mean the whole idea the shooting a bullet and dropping a tack will reach the ground at the exact same time is about 5 equations and 4 concepts that the average person will never understand. But ask a person finishing a physics course that exact type of question and I bet 4 outta 5 people would get it wrong just because the concept of what was going on was missed from the lecture.

 

[Nooneimportant]

👎

What we are discussing is that not all undergrad institutions teach the same type of material in a given course, and they also do not teach to the same level of intensity. If there were no exam, then the only measure of performance would be grades. However, because courses are not nationally standardized in the material they teach as much as they should be, then students from easier curriculums would have an advantage. Ever hear of "Grade Inflation"?

I agree that not all institutions teach the same, but that is the subjective nature of education. Using a single exam (MCAT) to standardize this sort of subjectivity is a touchy discussion that I won't get into.

You are right, it is not the responsibility of a pre-req course to prepare you only for the MCAT; however, the exam is structured that you should have a wide base of knowledge before taking it. So, it is best to also have taken advanced course work in science and english before taking the MCAT.

If one wishes to take advanced courses prior to taking the MCAT, they can certainly do so with proper planning.

From my experience, the standard eight pre-reqs DO NOT teach enough to fully prepare you for the MCAT; therefore, those courses do not teach with the purpose of accomodating the MCAT. They teach to accomodate physics, bio, and chem in general. However, this just goes to show how difficult and comprehensive the exam is. Also, we are eventually going to have to perform well in nationalized exams with the Licensing exams and such.

While I don't have any exact figures on hand, there are many non-traditional students who take those classes (and no "advanced" level sciences) and do well on the MCAT. As to "teaching to accommodate physics, bio, and chem in general" is precisely the reason why they are called General Physics, General Biology, and General Chemistry. The nationalized licensing exams med students and physicians take are a bit different in character (i.e., more knowledge-based) as compared to the MCAT; of course, good test-taking ability cannot be undervalued here.

I am calling BS on what you are saying. Sorry, well wait. Congrats this is your first post lol. Schools don't teach the material they are supposed to because they don't plan out a curriculum. They simply buy a book and start teaching chapters. And I don't know about your school but to be honest a lot of time prof's are grounded by what they teach. I am sorry to say it but it is true. Well OK so what if a prof only really knows the subject's they teach. Well here is the problem, when subject matter such as for example genetics comes on the very tail end of Bio I you can look back to the prof and see they really didn't know too much about the subject and just wanted to "get through it to get through it." As well, I have witnessed a class room full of my students in Orgo I tell me that a concept was too hard and the professor said don't worry about it when the students asked a sample question from within the chapter. I replied, "huh? are you serious. this isn't hard he must not have wanted to do it." I was floored. I know this Dr. is super smart and accomplished but on that day he sure didn't want to rack his brain a little.

Schools don't plan out a curriculum? That's a bit extreme. Syllabi are commonplace in the university setting. What you are describing above, albeit anecdotally, is a matter of how a professor chooses to conduct his/her course. It is true that there are professors that cannot teach effectively, so perhaps schools should be more rigorous in terms of finding the right people.

You brought up the F word. FCAT. I have heard liberals and teachers BITCH about this and say exactly what you are saying. Shame on them and shame on you. What the heck is anyone going to be worried about teaching someone something that they can't retain because it was poorly taught in the first place? A well thought out and planned class will by default produce a good situation for learning a subject. The teaching ability and the learning ability of the student are the last two components to effective learning. With that said, go look at the MCAT list for the subject material that is needed. That is a HUGE array of material that could be covered much more effectively right up front instead of spreading it all over the place.

Maybe you should become an educator and revamp the system, then.

Lastly, Science isn't writing 101, there are things we need to know and things i.e. like what phylum worms are in AREN'T important for anything. BIO II is a waste of time for a pre-med, a pre-dent, pre-vet pre anything other than taxonomist. Now, when I was declared a pre-med I wanted to go to med school, prepare me to go to med school and let my med school worry about what they want me to learn so I can become what it is I became a pre-med for in the first place. BECOME A DOCTOR!

You're going to be faced with a lot of subjects in medical school that interest you as much as the worm phylums that you cite, so it would behoove an admissions committee to see that you can do well in those subjects that do not necessarily appeal to you.

 

[axlaxl1]

I agree that not all institutions teach the same, but that is the subjective nature of education. Using a single exam (MCAT) to standardize this sort of subjectivity is a touchy discussion that I won't get into.

If one wishes to take advanced courses prior to taking the MCAT, they can certainly do so with proper planning.

While I don't have any exact figures on hand, there are many non-traditional students who take those classes (and no "advanced" level sciences) and do well on the MCAT. As to "teaching to accommodate physics, bio, and chem in general" is precisely the reason why they are called General Physics, General Biology, and General Chemistry. The nationalized licensing exams med students and physicians take are a bit different in character (i.e., more knowledge-based) as compared to the MCAT; of course, good test-taking ability cannot be undervalued here.



Schools don't plan out a curriculum? That's a bit extreme. Syllabi are commonplace in the university setting. What you are describing above, albeit anecdotally, is a matter of how a professor chooses to conduct his/her course. It is true that there are professors that cannot teach effectively, so perhaps schools should be more rigorous in terms of finding the right people.

Maybe you should become an educator and revamp the system, then.

You're going to be faced with a lot of subjects in medical school that interest you as much as the worm phylums that you cite, so it would behoove an admissions committee to see that you can do well in those subjects that do not necessarily appeal to you.

Admissions committees don't sit there and say, WOW they took BIO II and I know they hated it but whoa looky here they got an A. They must be ready for med school.

One could take the pre-reqs and get a music degree and then get a 30 on the MCAT and they will get into med school nonetheless.

Next.

 

[ufgrad00]

While I don't have any exact figures on hand, there are many non-traditional students who take those classes (and no "advanced" level sciences) and do well on the MCAT. As to "teaching to accommodate physics, bio, and chem in general" is precisely the reason why they are called General Physics, General Biology, and General Chemistry. The nationalized licensing exams med students and physicians take are a bit different in character (i.e., more knowledge-based) as compared to the MCAT; of course, good test-taking ability cannot be undervalued here.

Yes, one of my pre-med friends at UF was an english major who took the those eight pre-reqs and made a decent grade on the MCAT. He is now a happy first year med student at Nova. I think you need to understand that their is a difference between a score which shows "preparedness" for medicine and a score which is "competitive." Many practicing physicians and medical students scored in the lower percentiles of the exam and are completely competent to practice medicine. However because of a limited number of seats and a large number of applicants, to become a competitive applicant for med schools, being in the upper percentiles has now become a must. I want you to know that competitive does not equal competent. As for the MCAT and USMLE. Most of the mcat was a reasoning test. For instance, my personal take on the bio section was that it was extremely similar to the verbal reasoning section, more so than a raw science exam. And even though I have no first hand experience with the USMLE, most test preps that prep for the USMLE will tell you that your performance on verbal reasoning section is a better predictor for your performance in the STEP I exam.

 

[Nooneimportant]

Yes, one of my pre-med friends at UF was an english major who took the those eight pre-reqs and made a decent grade on the MCAT. He is now a happy first year med student at Nova. I think you need to understand that their is a difference between a score which shows "preparedness" for medicine and a score which is "competitive." Many practicing physicians and medical students scored in the lower percentiles of the exam and are completely competent to practice medicine. However because of a limited number of seats and a large number of applicants, to become a competitive applicant for med schools, being in the upper percentiles has now become a must. I want you to know that competitive does not equal competent. As for the MCAT and USMLE. Most of the mcat was a reasoning test. For instance, my personal take on the bio section was that it was extremely similar to the verbal reasoning section, more so than a raw science exam.

Trust me, I am well aware of this difference. I am affiliated with a large medical school (not in FL) and I come into contact with both med students and faculty that express the same sentiment that you do. I fully agree with and appreciate your notion of competitive not necessarily being competent. I did not intend to turn this into a debate about the significance of the MCAT; rather, that the pre-req classes should not be tailored toward it.

Also, there is an appreciable amount of maturation students undergo through an undergraduate education. In my case, I felt much more intellectually competent as a senior than I did as a freshman, but maybe that's just me. Thank you for opinions, ufgrad -- I have enjoyed the discussion.

 

[gujuDoc]

I've been reading these forums for quite a while before deciding to register and post in this thread. The last couple of posts have really surprised me in that you guys/gals are wishing that your classes would be geared toward a meaningless (other than getting in the door) test like the MCAT?

Assuming you're all FL residents, you probably remember the FCAT and the baggage it carries, which has frustrated most teachers in the state because there are incentives (e.g., $) to having students score well. As such, they are rushed to "teach toward the test" rather than teaching to actually learn the material. And while you might say that the MCAT is more "conceptual" than the FCAT (at each respective academic level, of course; MCAT in college, FCAT in gradeschool), it's simply a benchmark, like the FCAT. Medical students have repeatedly said that all of the relevant information one needs as a physician will be covered in medical school. So for undergraduate studies, establishing a strong foundation is the key -- not biasing the curriculum toward an entrance exam. Also, as a previous poster mentioned, not all students are pre-med, so teaching should facilitate the most learning for the most students.

All those other posts are too long to read so I'm not going to respond to read each and every single one but I read UFgrad's response below and I think that sums it up perfectly.

But seriously speaking, it is not that one should gear a curricula towards a test so much as they should teach you the relevant info that is in the book before you take such an exam. What I mean by this is that there are roughly 54 chapters or 55 chapters in any general bio book.

You should be able to get through 25-27 chapters in the first semester of bio and the majority of the remainder of it in the second half of the bio sequence.

If this was done then one would have been taught the relevant info that is on the MCAT because the MCAT tests on general bio topics that are covered in any general bio book. This means they test on basics of all major bio subdivisions from microbiology to genetics and molecular biology to enzymology to animal physiology and so forth. These are all topics covered in the textbooks but most professors at lesser known big state universities don't often get through this material. For instance, I had an awesome bio 1 professor but some people had bio 1 professors that barely got through chapter 17 in 1 semester whereas we got through 25.

The next semester instead of starting from 26 forward we didn't get through any of the physiology chapters in the book and just did classifications. We also were not presented basic knowledge of microbiology either. These are both things presented in the book for a good reason and should be presented to students.

 

[SwampGator]

Someone just started a new thread on this, but it will probably get more feedback in this forum. For UM scholarships, some people have said they will wait to see what kind of aid they'll get before making a decision. I was just accepted recently, how do we apply for these? Honestly, I haven't looked through all the handouts they gave us during the interview. There was a web address on the acceptance letter though - Is this the only way to go about applying for scholarship? Any input is much appreciated.

 

[greg1184]

Enough hijacking my thread. 😉

 

[greg1184]

Someone just started a new thread on this, but it will probably get more feedback in this forum. For UM scholarships, some people have said they will wait to see what kind of aid they'll get before making a decision. I was just accepted recently, how do we apply for these? Honestly, I haven't looked through all the handouts they gave us during the interview. There was a web address on the acceptance letter though - Is this the only way to go about applying for scholarship? Any input is much appreciated.

Hinkley should have provided you a link to their scholarship form. If not, I believe they provide a link to it in their financial aid section on the med school website.

That in addition to the FAFSA are the two main forms you fill up for aid.

 

[mikedc813]

Admissions committees don't sit there and say, WOW they took BIO II and I know they hated it but whoa looky here they got an A. They must be ready for med school.

One could take the pre-reqs and get a music degree and then get a 30 on the MCAT and they will get into med school nonetheless.

Next.

Agreed.

 

[axlaxl1]

Someone just started a new thread on this, but it will probably get more feedback in this forum. For UM scholarships, some people have said they will wait to see what kind of aid they'll get before making a decision. I was just accepted recently, how do we apply for these? Honestly, I haven't looked through all the handouts they gave us during the interview. There was a web address on the acceptance letter though - Is this the only way to go about applying for scholarship? Any input is much appreciated.

I got the link too and I filled it out immediately. It is time based so hurry on up. It is merit and need based just so you know.

 

[gujuDoc]

Enough hijacking my thread. 😉

On the scholarship issue, I know you guys and a friend was saying you have to apply for it. But how did my friend get a scholarship offer last year from UMiami without applying when she was taken off a waitlist? Do they sometimes just randomly give people offers?

Just curious.

 

[axlaxl1]

On the scholarship issue, I know you guys and a friend was saying you have to apply for it. But how did my friend get a scholarship offer last year from UMiami without applying when she was taken off a waitlist? Do they sometimes just randomly give people offers?

Just curious.

well I got waitlisted at UM but I was offered the link so I don't know if that is for everyone? Plus, I still have hope to not get waitlisted at Boca and I am still waiting for that. But the scholarship is the same fr both campuses.

 

[SwampGator]

Hinkley should have provided you a link to their scholarship form. If not, I believe they provide a link to it in their financial aid section on the med school website.

That in addition to the FAFSA are the two main forms you fill up for aid.

Is this a link in the email, or a link in the formal letter?

 

[Jennifer5109]

On the subject of financial aid, I was looking at USF's website tonight trying to figure out how to apply for scholarships. I didn't see any scholarships listed on the FA website. I am going to fill out my FAFSA and see what happens. When I dropped off my acceptance form at the admissions office I was told I would begin receiving information about classes sometime in May. Does this mean that they let students know about the aid they qualify for in May? I was hoping that by filling out my fafsa earlier I might hear back sooner. 🙄

By the way, has anyone looked into USF's pre-matriculation program? I am a non-traditional student and I have taken this year off of school. I am wondering if the pre-matriculation program would help me get back into the studying mode and prepare me for the rigorous med school curriculum.

 

[Gigi333]

Can anyone tell me when FSU finishes interviewing? I know they start in May so I assume they might have stopped already.

 

[Jennifer5109]

Can anyone tell me when FSU finishes interviewing? I know they start in May so I assume they might have stopped already.

When I interviewed there I believe they said they interview through April. They accept students through May and one of the students even said that they have accepted applicants a few days after classes began.

 

[adit15]

yea i had my interview a few weeks ago at FSU, they were supposed to get back to us this past tuesday, but i called the admissions office and they said they didnt have time to review all the applicants files b/c of other obligations the committee members had so i have to wait till next tuesday now. but from what they told me, they're interviewing a 100 less people than they did last yr. so i guess the interview selection process is getting more competitive.

 

[pandulce321]

NYMC invite 🙂 Maybe this will make Miami jealous, grrrr.

 

[medguy83]

yea i had my interview a few weeks ago at FSU, they were supposed to get back to us this past tuesday, but i called the admissions office and they said they didnt have time to review all the applicants files b/c of other obligations the committee members had so i have to wait till next tuesday now. but from what they told me, they're interviewing a 100 less people than they did last yr. so i guess the interview selection process is getting more competitive.

I hope this translates into a better chance for me to eventually get off their hold list. I interviewed back in late September and have been left dangling ever since. It does seem strange that they would interview through April and yet start in late may. Although, from the accounts of those being accepted the week of orientation, I guess it shouldn't be surprising. I just hope they start hacking away at the hold list soon.

 

[ankit999]

NYMC invite 🙂 Maybe this will make Miami jealous, grrrr.

i got one too the other day, although i declined it. r u going to it? let me know if you liked it! unfortunately miami has not looked at me at all either. still waiting for interview, but i doubt i'll get one.

 

[Jennifer5109]

I hope this translates into a better chance for me to eventually get off their hold list. I interviewed back in late September and have been left dangling ever since. It does seem strange that they would interview through April and yet start in late may. Although, from the accounts of those being accepted the week of orientation, I guess it shouldn't be surprising. I just hope they start hacking away at the hold list soon.

I'm pretty sure you will get off of the hold list. They accept 90% of the students they interview. Hopefully they will let you know before May since you interviewed so early.

 

[axlaxl1]

Ok, I have a question here. I got another interviewed scheduled for February 12th. Honesly my top choice is Miami Boca so I don't want to spend another 500 bucks for no reason on traveling. I interviewed at Boca on December 10th. When should I expect to hear back from Boca?

thanks in advance.

 

[ufgrad00]

Ok, I have a question here. I got another interviewed scheduled for February 12th. Honesly my top choice is Miami Boca so I don't want to spend another 500 bucks for no reason on traveling. I interviewed at Boca on December 10th. When should I expect to hear back from Boca?

thanks in advance.

Dude, I really hope they send you a Boca acceptance next week.👍

You are one of the awesome people thats heading to Boca, and it would suck if we lost you to another school.👎

 

[mdgator]

I know the answer to this question likely varies considerably from person to person, and changes as the interview cycle progresses, but can some of you post how long it took to get an interview invitation at FSU after you submitted your secondary? I have been complete there for 6 weeks, and I'm wondering if being a late applicant is going to exclude me.
What about UF and USF. Is it true that USF is notoriously slow?

 

[thegold91]

Ok, I have a question here. I got another interviewed scheduled for February 12th. Honesly my top choice is Miami Boca so I don't want to spend another 500 bucks for no reason on traveling. I interviewed at Boca on December 10th. When should I expect to hear back from Boca?

thanks in advance.

Good luck!! Doesent it suck having to go on other interviews when you already know where you wanna go. I had to go all the way to nyc and do this since I did not have any acceptances yet. Why do you prefer boca over main campus

 

[ankit999]

I know the answer to this question likely varies considerably from person to person, and changes as the interview cycle progresses, but can some of you post how long it took to get an interview invitation at FSU after you submitted your secondary? I have been complete there for 6 weeks, and I'm wondering if being a late applicant is going to exclude me.
What about UF and USF. Is it true that USF is notoriously slow?

from my personal experiences, it took it until december to get an invite from fsu and i was complete in august. However, i got an interview about 5 days after i was complete at uf (i think i was pretty early applicant) and about a week to interview at usf. At all these schools i was complete by august. They will look at your application, however, because ur late you wont have priority. hope this helps!

 

[thoffen]

I think USF is pretty quick, but they do spread their interviews out. I waited until January (not exceptional stats, but tampa local and really tried to spell out that they were my top choice). However, the turnaround for a decision is like 2 weeks (here's hoping it's good news next week).

Also got in at UM and UM Boca. I think Boca is my #2 choice right now. If all my fiancee's family wasn't in Tampa, maybe it would be #1.