Yea, but UF's is the one who touts the "ranking." But I am not going to be a hater for UF holding their ranking up high, even though it is 50 outta 125 but that is another story. What my issue with UF is this: they have a way about them that is snobby. For example, how many people got excepted to UF straight outright from a Florida college not UF? Not many. Why? They play this game that they must put you on "hold" until they have exhausted all IVY league options from wealthy students that can afford to go to those schools in the first place. I think a lot of people hold a little contempt in their hearts/minds about the way UF does things in their process.
In fact, in the interview they brag about board scores like their so amazing. I had one question, I asked the person speaking about the scores what he contributes to UF's good board scores, i.e. like a program or workshop or something. The answer, "You people ask me that all the time and I just say you know nothing really it just happens." But his answer was so off and impersonal it was taken by a lot of people there that he was implying "our students are just smarter than others."
At U.M. Boca when then same type of questions was asked by another student impressed with the board scores the reply was much different. You got the sense they were humble and appreciative of the scores they received. The only thing the admin stated was that they work hard and we give them enough time to prepare properly for the exam. Like they would do anything to help a student succeed. That impressed me and it mattered in my decision making. I will admit that one student in Miami main interview actually abruptly spoke up and said his main problem with the school was that they didn't' have a prep program for the boards. LOL, the UM students were like OMG/🙄 don't worry about that right now. I agreed with them, I don't know how much Kaplan people can afford but we are gonna have to get off that nipple at some point.
The overarching feeling I got from UF was snobbiness. The overall feeling I got from UM was diversity and a lot of new and exciting things on the horizon. I don't think we are UF haters on this board but IMO UF should work on that perception problem a little.
Last thing, I was disgusted with UF's facilities. To be fair UM main wasn't a whole lot better but the wellness center was AMAZING and UM's other facilities are AMAZING too. My goodness UF put some money back into the school for crying out loud. I know you have an alumni center, hit em up. Also to be fair I heard USF's were pretty shabby too. Again, for me that matters.
As for why more people from UF get into UF than from say, USF, FSU, or UM, I think there are a few factors that come into play. For one, UF produces A LOT more pre-meds than other Florida schools. I can't give you a citation on this, but I've heard it said and I believe it. I was a pre-med at UF, and many of my classes were GIGANTIC, mostly full of pre-meds, and often there were 2 or 3 sections for each class. So just going by statistics alone, more UFers will get in. (In fact, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure more people from UF also get into USF, and I know this is the case for FSU as well. There are just more of us. (I didn't mention Miami b/c I honestly don't know anything about Miami or how many pre-meds it produces.) Also, pre-med courses at UF are pretty rigorous. I know they are everywhere, but the adcom at UF
knows first hand just how rigorous it is, partly b/c a few of the courses are taught by med school faculty. Again, I'm not saying microbio is more rigorous at UF than at Miami...I'm just saying that there is a familiarity factor.
As for UF going for Ivy Leaguers...I agree completely. I turned in my app to UF in January...stupid, I know. I attribute the fact that I didn't even get an interview solely to this fact. But when I turned my app in in person, they had a bulletin board on the wall with a picture, name, and school listed for everyone who had been accepted up to that point. I was blown away, and disheartened. There were already upwards of sixty or seventy-five people on the board, and I randomly read where a few of them were from: Hopkins, Yale, Harvard, Yale, Hopkins, Duke, Duke, UF, Brown...they definitely go for IVYs. But honestly, I can't blame them. I think I'm just as qualified and will make just as good a med student as most of the people on that board. And in a way it is a little unfair that a person like you or me might not get in b/c our parents couldn't afford to foot the bill for an Ivy League education. But at the same time, if you put a 3.8 GPA from UF up against a 3.8 GPA from Harvard...most people will say that the Harvard app is more impressive. And it is so hard to differentiate between the top 20% of pre-meds anyway, this may be enought to make the difference.
I agree that for the most part, UFs med student facilities are pretty shabby. And I also agree that this is a legitimate thing to take into account. Facilities matter to me, too. That is, after all, where we will be pretty much living for the next couple of years.
I still maintain that a match list is a terrible way to judge a school. Most students, first of all, wish to remain in the state of Florida, or in another area that they have ties to. Some people choose residency based on "brand name" or whatever, but I would say most do not. Also, I don't care if I ace every test in med school and set a record for highest board scores ever...if I want to be a pediatrician, none of that will matter. I'm not going to open up my board scores and say, wow, I scored really high, now I have to be a dermatologist. Finally, I think the average pre-med is a terrible judge of what is a good residency anyway. Just b/c a school is top notch in terms of med school rankings does not, by any means, indicate that a particular residency program associated with that school is top notch. There are many great residency programs at places that most people have never heard of, and there are many programs at top 15 med school hospitals that are very average. In my mind, all of the schools in Florida are solid, and if you want to match into a competitive residency program, that's on you, not the school.
I will agree with you that there can be an air of snobbiness associated with UF, and I can understand this being a turn-off. I experienced this as an undergrad, even. It is true that some people at UF, including faculty members, students, administration, and alumni, seem to have the impression that UF is Harvard or something. I love UF and think it's an amazing school, but I also think some people there have an inflated opinion of themselves and the school.
Anyway, good luck next year, and wish me luck as I'm still waiting on an acceptance! Stupid late application...
as UM is my #1 choice!
