How would you rank all of the Florida schools?

[NotSur]

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As, not relative to non-Florida schools but relative to each other? Thanks!

 

[ChubbyChaser]

hmmm....UM=UF, USF, FSU, UCF, FIU???

 

[Arzt67]

hmmm....UM=UF, USF, FSU, UCF, FIU???

imo that's a pretty good ranking of them...There's a huge difference between north/central and south florida that can be taken into account, but that's more dependent on the applicant's preferences

 

[sjdsn135]

UCF (if it's free)
UF
Miami
USF
UCF (if it's not free)
FSU
FIU

 

[CanHasNaps]

It really depends on what you are looking for in a school. For example...

Research potential
UF/UM
USF
FSU/UCF/FIU

Clinical skills
USF
UM
UF
UCF
FSU (depending on location of 3/4 year)
FIU

Innovative Curriculum
UCF
Everyone else

Cost of Attendance
UCF/USF/FSU/UF/FIU
UM

And you could go on and on and on...

 

[Beta Cell]

UF is generally the clear-cut winner for most aspects of medicine in Florida. Even if UCF is free, it doesn't make the education better than UF. In my opinion, UCF and FIU are too new to risk even applying. There are definitely people who go to different schools in Florida that believe they are better, but the fact remains that Shands + all of UF's ratings are consistently higher than the other Florida schools, especially UM.

 

[3pin3phrine]

Don't think there's a clear cut winner. It's all based on preference because all Florida schools (even FSU, though they stress Family Practice) have there pros and cons. But I'm kinda biased towards UF because we have the greatest college football player. 🙂

 

[Zerodegree]

"It really depends on what you are looking for in a school. For example...

Research potential
UF/UM
USF
FSU/UCF/FIU

Clinical skills
USF
UM
UF
UCF
FSU (depending on location of 3/4 year)
FIU

Innovative Curriculum
UCF
Everyone else

Cost of Attendance
UCF/USF/FSU/UF/FIU
UM

And you could go on and on and on..."


And this is based on???

Clinical skills USF better than UF???
give me a break.

 

[Daran]

Uf>usf>um>fsu>ucf>fiu>>>>>>>>>>>>>fau

 

[greg1184]

UF is generally the clear-cut winner for most aspects of medicine in Florida. Even if UCF is free, it doesn't make the education better than UF. In my opinion, UCF and FIU are too new to risk even applying. There are definitely people who go to different schools in Florida that believe they are better, but the fact remains that Shands + all of UF's ratings are consistently higher than the other Florida schools, especially UM.

Generally the US News and World Report ranking is the last "factor" anyone would even consider when choosing a medical school.

And UF is only ranked just above UM. (UF: tied with 2 others at 48; UM 51). Congrats!

 

[Octagonecology]

Seems kind of silly to even mention UCF or FIU when they haven't even had one class or graduated one student. No?

 

[CanHasNaps]

And this is based on???

Clinical skills USF better than UF???
give me a break.

Personal experience and listening to the experience of people who actually go to the other schools in Florida. It's all highly subjective. The national "rankings" of schools is total BS - ask anyone in the school's admin. So it all comes down to personal preference...thus was I was attempting to explain. For any given factor you could get a different ranking of the programs. You barely get to touch a patient at UF until your 3rd year - how exactly is that exceptional clinical learning?

 

[QofQuimica]

As, not relative to non-Florida schools but relative to each other? Thanks!

This ranking will be totally subjective. You really have to research and visit each school before you can make any kind of ranking that is not completely based on hearsay. When I applied, there were basically only UF, USF, and Miami to choose from. (FSU had just opened, but I didn't apply there since it seemed more primary care oriented.) My perspectives on each school changed tremendously after visiting. For example, I went to my UF interview with a bit of a chip on my shoulder expecting to dislike it, but I wound up having a terrific interview day and was tremendously impressed with the Shands hospital. I went to Miami expecting to like the main campus program, but I much preferred the new FAU campus program after visiting both sites. (At the time, there was only one interview for both.) I felt the most comfortable socially at USF and liked Tampa the best of all three cities. In the end, Miami offered me a full tuition scholarship, and that basically made the decision for me in terms of ranking the FL schools.

In my opinion, UCF and FIU are too new to risk even applying.

I disagree completely. Both schools will be LCME accredited before their first classes graduate. No doubt there will be some applicants (maybe you are one of them) who are so risk-averse that they won't even check these schools out. But if I were applying today, I would definitely give them both a look. Life is full of tough choices, and sometimes taking a calculated risk is a better option than playing it safe.

 

[p30doc]

nova>* 😉

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Personal experience and listening to the experience of people who actually go to the other schools in Florida. It's all highly subjective. The national "rankings" of schools is total BS - ask anyone in the school's admin. So it all comes down to personal preference...thus was I was attempting to explain. For any given factor you could get a different ranking of the programs. You barely get to touch a patient at UF until your 3rd year - how exactly is that exceptional clinical learning?

actually it sounds like they know what they are doing..Are you really gonna gain anything out of talking to patients first and second year?

 

[CanHasNaps]

actually it sounds like they know what they are doing..Are you really gonna gain anything out of talking to patients first and second year?

Well, it's something I personally enjoy, so yes I do gain something out of the experience.

UF also has some of the worst medical lecture halls...unless they have renovated in the last few years. Their facilities were just depressing. FSU has the nicest study areas with their pod set up.

 

[BrainBuff]

None of these schools beats Miami. The school is a 5 minute drive from South Beach, the physical plant is new and gleaming and you are going to have one of the best clinical experiences in the country. UF does not even remotely compares to that. It is very different to draw patients from the whole continent like Miami does, than to draw patients from Cow Country = Gainesville and Central Florida.

 

[Octagonecology]

This ranking will be totally subjective. You really have to research and visit each school before you can make any kind of ranking that is not completely based on hearsay. When I applied, there were basically only UF, USF, and Miami to choose from. (FSU had just opened, but I didn't apply there since it seemed more primary care oriented.) My perspectives on each school changed tremendously after visiting. For example, I went to my UF interview with a bit of a chip on my shoulder expecting to dislike it, but I wound up having a terrific interview day and was tremendously impressed with the Shands hospital. I went to Miami expecting to like the main campus program, but I much preferred the new FAU campus program after visiting both sites. (At the time, there was only one interview for both.) I felt the most comfortable socially at USF and liked Tampa the best of all three cities. In the end, Miami offered me a full tuition scholarship, and that basically made the decision for me in terms of ranking the FL schools.


I disagree completely. Both schools will be LCME accredited before their first classes graduate. No doubt there will be some applicants (maybe you are one of them) who are so risk-averse that they won't even check these schools out. But if I were applying today, I would definitely give them both a look. Life is full of tough choices, and sometimes taking a calculated risk is a better option than playing it safe.

I was under the impression that you cannot gain full accredidation until you graduate your first class.....

 

[QofQuimica]

actually it sounds like they know what they are doing..Are you really gonna gain anything out of talking to patients first and second year?

Yes. You learn how to perform simple but necessary tasks (such as measuring a patient's vitals like blood pressure, respiratory rate), you learn how to perform a history and physical, and you learn how to write up said H & P in the chart. Most importantly, you learn how to get over the initial awkwardness of going into a room, introducing yourself to a perfect stranger, and then asking them personal questions about their lives that ordinarily you would never ask someone you had just met. You get to do all of this before you reach a point in medical school where anyone actually expects you to know what you're doing. That's huge when you're a third year and you can hit the ground running, know your way around your school's hospital's charting system (I taught the intern how to use it in July of my third year), and know your way around the hospital. This familiarity with the system greatly reduces the stress of the beginning of your third year. (Though trust me, it'll be stressful anyway.)

That being said, I'm not arguing that what UF and other schools without much preclinical patient contact are doing is "wrong." UF's program is more traditional than that of some other schools, but the traditional American medical curriculum has worked pretty darn well for decades. Also, when you are learning clinical skills as a preclinical student, there will be many times when you're doing things without really understanding why. I found that to be particularly true concerning asking the history questions. Our clinical skills preceptor simply told us to memorize the questions and we'd understand why later. He was right, but it still frustrated me at the time (especially as a first year), because I don't like memorizing things without knowing why they're important.

Clearly, there are pros and cons to each system. No matter what your school does curriculum-wise, you will have to take what they're telling you is important on faith during your earlier years, because you aren't in a position as a preclinical student to know what is important or not important for you to learn. Once I got into my third year, I was glad I had been forced to learn these things earlier though. Other people may feel differently.

I was under the impression that you cannot gain full accredidation until you graduate your first class.....

You can read a synopsis of the LCME procedure for accrediting new medical schools here. Preliminary accreditation occurs much earlier for schools that qualify, while the review for full accreditation occurs at the beginning of the charter class's fourth year. You are right that schools who enroll a charter class without the LCME's blessing will not get accredited until after the charter class graduates. (See page 3.)

 

[KingstonPre]

USF beat UF either last year or the year before.

 

[Sabio23]

Sorry to bump this thread, but I wonder how perceptions have changed 4 years later. Especially now since the new schools like UCF/FIU have graduated their first classes. Any opinions on the relative merits of these schools in the different areas (research, clinical experience, student satisfaction, etc) ?

 

[Brownshorts]

http://www.reddit.com/r/floridaman

 

[Syndicate]

UF=UM>>>>>>>>all the others