Here are the reasons I chose USF:
1. Longitudinal Clinical Experience - I like the fact that you are having weekly patient contact in a true clinical setting from the time you get there. I'm not sure if UF has a comparable program, but it sounds like USF has developed a unique program.
2. Center of Advanced Clinical Learning - USFs standardized patient lab is amazing. Everything is recorded and available for watching at a later date. The director said that you can come back in your 4th year and watch videos of your exams in MSI. I feel much more comfortable knowing I will be practicing on actors before I have to go do the real thing. Also, Harvey and Stan (the simulators) are quite incredible. You can do everything to Stan - intubate, insert IVs, do CPR, make him cry, make him pee!
3. Scholarly Concentrations Program - If we aren't overachievers yet, we can sure become one by doing a scholarly concentration. I am interested in the public health concentration or even the international concentration. But they have several more like business and law. The way they were explained to me they are like minors in undergrad. You do them along with your regular med school curriculum. That means no extra year!
4. Location, location, location - Need I say more? No, but seriously the type of patients you will see at TGH will be different from the type seen at Shands. TGH is in the heart of big city and though Shands attracts attention it is not located in a busy metropolitan area. Also, USF has many affiliated hospitals and clinics. Here are the ones I know of - Moffitt cancer center, TGH, All Childrens, Shriners, the two VAs, Bay Front medical center, certain programs at University Community Hospital, Fairwinds psychiatric hospital, Judeo Christian Free Clinic, and the USF clinics.
5. The students - Overall, the student satisfaction at USF seems to be high. I have talked to only 2 students from UF, but they were unhappy (one had transferred from there). I am sure there are two sides to every story so its better to ask as many students as you can. The thing that impresses me at USF is how helpful the students are. There isn't a great sense of competition and it does not seem that some students are out to get their classmates. This is the case at some very competitive schools. I like the relaxed atmosphere and I appreciate the low amount of competition at USF. Additionally, the ranking is kept private. So unless you want to broadcast your rank no one else will know how you are doing.
6. Faculty - I have shadowed several doctors at USF and I loved their teaching style. They used a team based approach and they made the students feel like they were an important part of the treatment process. I got a feeling the faculty is focused on patient care and humanistic health care. I also got the feeling that the faculty and staff will work hard to ensure you succeed.
7. Admissions Staff - I have had a great experience with the admissions staff. They are so honest and upfront. No other school that I applied to has kept me as informed as USF. Luckily, I did not get waitlisted, but those that are on the waitlist know where they stand. I have a lot of respect for this policy. Also, the second look program was very beneficial. I think it spoke volumes that Dr. Koehler would open up her home to host the dinner. And Monday's clinical experience was a blast. We had the opportunity to do histories and physicals on several standardized patients as well as practice CPR on Stan.
8. International Opportunities - I picked up a brochure at the second look about travel opportunities. Some of the place USF healh students have traveled are Colombia, Dominican Republic, India, and Panama. They have a website for Travel Medicine and travel podcasts -
http://health.usf.edu/intprog/resources.htm and
http://health.usf.edu/medicine/ia. It also looks like some of the research opportunities overseas are funded.
9. BRIDGE Clinic and Judeo Christian Clinic - More patient contact opportunities. You can volunteer at the student run BRIDGE clinic and at the JC Clinic. Both work with underserved communities and students are responsible for doing h&ps or vitals. Shadowing at these clinics can also help you pick up some medical spanish - a necessity if you plan to practice in underserved areas in Florida.
I think its apparent that I am biased toward USF, but there are plenty of SDNers that know all about why UF is great. Maybe they will add their opinions as well.
