USF COM c/o of 2012

[LifetimeDoc]

Cost of printing is about $0.06 per page (12 cents per piece of paper b/c it prints front and back) and it usually prints double sided. You can print at the library or Nickel's but the printer at Nickel's isnt working at the moment. People only go to Nickel's to print after hours anyhow most of the time but choose to go to the lib if it is open.

Printing color at the lib is 30 cents per side so 60 cents per piece of paper.

You can get 30 pages printed free in black and white or 10 color and 20 black and white from the marshall center in the main campus.

I've worked with the administration to try and bring back printing, but at the actual cost of printing ($0.06-$0.10/page for full color). Alas they haven't listened, and continue to charge above cost pricing at the library for printing. The best solution at this point is just to get your own printer for home use. I'm considering bringing in my color printer and letting people print and pay on the honor system in the histology labs.

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[LifetimeDoc]

I have a question for current med student as well. I have the opportunity to get a welch allyn harvey elite stethoscope for $135. Is this a good deal and are there specific stethoscopes that you cannot use at USF? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You can use any stethoscope, just get one that you like and can hear well for learning purposes.

I got the Littman Cardiology III, which is around the same price as the one you got, as a Christmas gift. You can get cheap cardiology scopes from allheart.com for $25.00 (http://www.allheart.com/allheartscopes.html), though not as nice but can be good if you tend to lose stuff. I'd try to get one that allows you to hear things well.

 

[mikedc813]

You can use any stethoscope, just get one that you like and can hear well for learning purposes.

I got the Littman Cardiology III, which is around the same price as the one you got, as a Christmas gift. You can get cheap cardiology scopes from allheart.com for $25.00 (http://www.allheart.com/allheartscopes.html), though not as nice but can be good if you tend to lose stuff. I'd try to get one that allows you to hear things well.

I agree that you can get pretty much anything, although the most expensive stethoscopes will give you a better quality product as you would expect. I definitely would not buy anything fancy for med school purposes. If you end up going into cardiology later on, you can always buy a better stethoscope. For your purposes as a student, a basic model is adequate. I used the most basic Littman model throughout med school including on the wards and it was just fine.

 

[andtheholograms]

Does anyone know (or remember from when you were an MS1) if there are textbooks you get for joining certain clubs when school starts? I know at other schools joining AMSA may get you an anatomy book...does USF do this as well?

 

[mikedc813]

Does anyone know (or remember from when you were an MS1) if there are textbooks you get for joining certain clubs when school starts? I know at other schools joining AMSA may get you an anatomy book...does USF do this as well?

Yes, I believe you get a Netter's atlas for joining AMSA.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Yes, I believe you get a Netter's atlas for joining AMSA.

Confirmed, I got a free Netter's Atlas, but you had to BOTH join AMSA AND sign-up for the AMSA credit card.

Half.com is probably a better place to get used/new books as I'd recommend getting a Netters Atlas (any edition is fine) and a Rohen's Color Atlas of Anatomy (cadaver photos, not pretty drawings though shematic ones are in there). I wouldn't buy any other books besides those unless you can get good deals ($15 or less) for the various BRS review books for the different subjects. DON'T buy any textbooks recommended unless it's BRS review books, Step 1 First Aid, or the Netter's/Rohen's atlases.

 

[wally47]

Confirmed, I got a free Netter's Atlas, but you had to BOTH join AMSA AND sign-up for the AMSA credit card.

Half.com is probably a better place to get used/new books as I'd recommend getting a Netters Atlas (any edition is fine) and a Rohen's Color Atlas of Anatomy (cadaver photos, not pretty drawings though shematic ones are in there). I wouldn't buy any other books besides those unless you can get good deals ($15 or less) for the various BRS review books for the different subjects. DON'T buy any textbooks recommended unless it's BRS review books, Step 1 First Aid, or the Netter's/Rohen's atlases.

Really? I understand it is a great way to save money but aren't they needed? In undergrad my textbooks replaced the teachers.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Really? I understand it is a great way to save money but aren't they needed? In undergrad my textbooks replaced the teachers.

Just study the lecture notes, you'll fill up a large binder for each exam. The saying "Drinking from the firehose" is a pretty accurate statement of medical school, though USF COM tries to ramp up the difficulty so as not to shock the first years.

I found the following books helpful during my first year here at USF (still ongoing)...

Netters Atlas of Anatomy
Rhoen's Color Atlast of Anatomy
BRS Review Book (insert particular topic such as Embryology, Neuroanatomy, Physiology, etc.)
First Aid for the USMLE Step 1
Class PowerPoint provided online.
Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases, Hal Blumenfeld, M.D. Ph.D.

That's about it; others found a couple more books useful, but you DO NOT want to buy all of the books. I'm someone who likes to have all the books, and I found that it was a mistake to buy them all up front. Just passing my 2 cents onto the next class.

 

[andtheholograms]

Thanks for the info! I have the kind of family who is already asking what they can buy me for med school, and apparently they don't appreciate my calls for cash so instead i'm thinking of books.

 

[mikedc813]

Just study the lecture notes, you'll fill up a large binder for each exam. The saying "Drinking from the firehose" is a pretty accurate statement of medical school, though USF COM tries to ramp up the difficulty so as not to shock the first years.

I found the following books helpful during my first year here at USF (still ongoing)...

Netters Atlas of Anatomy
Rhoen's Color Atlast of Anatomy
BRS Review Book (insert particular topic such as Embryology, Neuroanatomy, Physiology, etc.)
First Aid for the USMLE Step 1
Class PowerPoint provided online.
Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases, Hal Blumenfeld, M.D. Ph.D.

That's about it; others found a couple more books useful, but you DO NOT want to buy all of the books. I'm someone who likes to have all the books, and I found that it was a mistake to buy them all up front. Just passing my 2 cents onto the next class.

I agree that you should definitely not buy all of the books that are "required" for each class. Ask a 2nd year what they used if you want to save a lot of money. I used all of the books that Lifetime Doc suggested and found them to be very good. The most useful BRS books I used during 1st year were BRS physiology and BRS anatomy.

 

[mikedc813]

Really? I understand it is a great way to save money but aren't they needed? In undergrad my textbooks replaced the teachers.

You don't have the time to read the textbooks. Med school is totally different than undergrad. You will see that the majority of test questions come directly from the powerpoints. Buy books that others recommend to supplement your lectures. You'll find that review books (BRS, High Yield) are a great resource because they neatly and clearly present the basic principles. I used these throughout medical school.

 

[Jennifer5109]

Thanks Lifetime and Mike for the tips. Speaking of developing new study practices - How long did it take you to get into a study routine? I'm a little concerned about having good study habits because I have taken the year off and I haven't cracked a book since last April. Plus, in undergrad I had some semesters where I only had to study 1-2 hours a night. I'm sure this will never be the case in med school. Did you guys find the adjustment period was really rough?

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Thanks Lifetime and Mike for the tips. Speaking of developing new study practices - How long did it take you to get into a study routine? I'm a little concerned about having good study habits because I have taken the year off and I haven't cracked a book since last April. Plus, in undergrad I had some semesters where I only had to study 1-2 hours a night. I'm sure this will never be the case in med school. Did you guys find the adjustment period was really rough?

Nothing has really prepared me for the amount of studying required. I spent about 6 hours today studying for an an exam this coming Friday. You just gotta figure out what works best for you; though probably the best thing for everyone is to study a little bit EVERY DAY. I'm still figuring out what works best for me studying and I am an average student as far as grades goes. There is so much information to absorb, you just have to keep trudging onwards learning what you can, and spreading it out over time to you can remember it all.

If you haven't been in school for awhile, maybe try reading a biochemistry textbook from undergrad if you have one. That'd be the only thing I'd say to read before medical school. Better yet is to just relax, and try to enjoy your summer before med school. When you start, make it a pont to pick a time to review the class materials everyday. Try condensing the information every few days into a study sheet that you can review the week before an exam.

 

[mikedc813]

Nothing has really prepared me for the amount of studying required. I spent about 6 hours today studying for an an exam this coming Friday. You just gotta figure out what works best for you; though probably the best thing for everyone is to study a little bit EVERY DAY. I'm still figuring out what works best for me studying and I am an average student as far as grades goes. There is so much information to absorb, you just have to keep trudging onwards learning what you can, and spreading it out over time to you can remember it all.

If you haven't been in school for awhile, maybe try reading a biochemistry textbook from undergrad if you have one. That'd be the only thing I'd say to read before medical school. Better yet is to just relax, and try to enjoy your summer before med school. When you start, make it a pont to pick a time to review the class materials everyday. Try condensing the information every few days into a study sheet that you can review the week before an exam.

They ease you into the craziness of medical school at USF, which I liked. They don't just throw anatomy and physiology at you on Day 1. I strongly urge you to NOT read any sort of textbooks. Do not study anything, in fact. It won't help you, and probably will only end up stressing you out. You have plenty of time for that later. Enjoy your time off before school starts! I can't emphasize that enough. You'll develop your study skills over the first couple of exams, when you find out what they like to ask. As I said before, primarily study the powerpoints from lecture and supplement with review books. That's basically all I did. I used textbooks only sparingly to understand something I didn't from my other resources, but I almost never bought a true textbook.

 

[mikedc813]

You can study 24/7 and take no breaks or a few hours a day and take breaks, but you still won't know it all or feel like you know it all.

This is definitely something to keep in the back of your mind. There's just too much info to feel like you've mastered it all.

 

[ndmed4life]

Thanks so much for the info you guys have provided us with. It is really helpful and I really appreciate it. I must admit I am both excited and really nervous about medical school. It's definitely a new chapter in my life.

By the way, I was looking at Lenovo laptops and was wondering if any body had any input or experiences regarding the Thinkpads?
I def. need a light, efficient, and affordable laptop.

Thanks and God bless

 

[mikedc813]

Thanks so much for the info you guys have provided us with. It is really helpful and I really appreciate it. I must admit I am both excited and really nervous about medical school. It's definitely a new chapter in my life.

By the way, I was looking at Lenovo laptops and was wondering if any body had any input or experiences regarding the Thinkpads?
I def. need a light, efficient, and affordable laptop.

Thanks and God bless

I feel the same towards starting residency that you do towards medical school. I just can't wait until I'm on call next year overnight as house officer for the first time and responsible for most of the patients in the hospital...

I strongly recommend getting a laptop on the smaller/lighter side since you'll be taking it everywhere with you. My brother has a Thinkpad and really likes it, but I can't speak from personal experience. I had an HP and it worked great.

 

[wally47]

Thanks so much for the info you guys have provided us with. It is really helpful and I really appreciate it. I must admit I am both excited and really nervous about medical school. It's definitely a new chapter in my life.

By the way, I was looking at Lenovo laptops and was wondering if any body had any input or experiences regarding the Thinkpads?
I def. need a light, efficient, and affordable laptop.

Thanks and God bless

I am planning on getting the Lenovo X61 Tablet...it comes highly recommended from my friend who is a computer science doctoral student. I also have a friend who has a gateway that he loves. Check out download.com for some reviews.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Remember that you can get any kind of laptop you want at USF (Windows, Macintosh, Linux). However, they will only fix Dell branded computers that run Windows. If you have a computer from a different manufacturer, you'll need to go off-campus to get support if the computer breaks.

 

[mikedc813]

Remember that you can get any kind of laptop you want at USF (Windows, Macintosh, Linux). However, they will only fix Dell branded computers that run Windows. If you have a computer from a different manufacturer, you'll need to go off-campus to get support if the computer breaks.

That being said, I know people who have had negative experiences with the IT people at USF.... I would probably choose another brand over Dell, but that's just my opinion.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

That being said, I know people who have had negative experiences with the IT people at USF.... I would probably choose another brand over Dell, but that's just my opinion.

mmm, I haven't had that kind of experience with the USF Health IS. My Dell has had a bad hard drive twice, and they've rapidly fixed the computer and been helpful for most stuff, though I'm pretty good at doing software repairs on my own.

I'd definitely NOT purchase the Dell bundle that they will offer first year med students through the school. If you want to go with a Dell, get it on your own either new or refurbished (the route I took). They'll repair any computer, as long as it has a Dell name on it.

As usual throughout my years in IS and the computer field, manufacturers have fallen into and out of favor with users, with one putting out quality hardware one year and then crap the next. Just go with whatever system you like. That's the beauty at USF COM, you can use whatever system you wish. Some schools force you to use a particular brand of computer, or worse a particular model purchased directly from them. I just like to let people know that they won't fix non-Dell computers is all. I personally prefer Fujitsu tablet PCs, but chose the Dell for the onsite support.

 

[mikedc813]

mmm, I haven't had that kind of experience with the USF Health IS. My Dell has had a bad hard drive twice, and they've rapidly fixed the computer and been helpful for most stuff, though I'm pretty good at doing software repairs on my own.

I'd definitely NOT purchase the Dell bundle that they will offer first year med students through the school. If you want to go with a Dell, get it on your own either new or refurbished (the route I took). They'll repair any computer, as long as it has a Dell name on it.

As usual throughout my years in IS and the computer field, manufacturers have fallen into and out of favor with users, with one putting out quality hardware one year and then crap the next. Just go with whatever system you like. That's the beauty at USF COM, you can use whatever system you wish. Some schools force you to use a particular brand of computer, or worse a particular model purchased directly from them. I just like to let people know that they won't fix non-Dell computers is all. I personally prefer Fujitsu tablet PCs, but chose the Dell for the onsite support.

Thanks for your thoughts. I am sure they have been helpful to the incoming class.

 

[Jennifer5109]

I'm definitely getting a mac. I switched over to macs about 4 years ago and they are so reliable. I still have my first lap top and it works perfectly. Plus, mac has the lightest lap top on the market. Only problem is it doesn't have an internal CD/DVD drive. It's all wireless.

 

[Jennifer5109]

You can always get an attachable one right? Like one of those separate drives that you plug in through a USB port?

yeah, you can get an external drive.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

yeah, you can get an external drive.

I love external drives. They are cheap nowadays, are pretty portable if you get a small one that is powered only by the USB cable, and are great for backing up files.

 

[Jennifer5109]

Apple also has an external drive called time capsule and you can transfer files to it wirelessly (is that a word?). I really want a mac book air, but I think I need to be a bit more practical. I believe the air only has one USB and it's storage is not as good as the mac book pro or even the mac book. So are there any programs that we use at the med school that cannot run on a mac?

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Apple also has an external drive called time capsule and you can transfer files to it wirelessly (is that a word?). I really want a mac book air, but I think I need to be a bit more practical. I believe the air only has one USB and it's storage is not as good as the mac book pro or even the mac book. So are there any programs that we use at the med school that cannot run on a mac?

Everything is either Office Files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), email through Outlook or Entourage (Outlook for Macintosh), WMV video files, web-based stuff, or citrix-client stuff. So you can access everything theoretically from Windows, Macintosh, or even Linux (VPN should work with Linux, but I'll try it after the big test tomorrow). There are no specific programs that we run in the first year that I know of that can't be found on any three of those computer operating systems. Any computer will do.

 

[ndmed4life]

I was just wondering how a typical MS1 class day goes? and when do you usually get out of class so you can go and do other things such as study, work out, or go to church? (those are the three things I usually do other than class).

I was also curious as to what activities or groups do you join so as to meet other students and get to know them better? It seems there is so little time to do everything that needs to be done. Anyway thanks for the help. You guys have been a great resource.

In addition, I just want to remind any newcomers that we have a USF COM class of 2012 facebook that you are all welcome to join.

God bless and thanks again!

 

[mikedc813]

I was just wondering how a typical MS1 class day goes? and when do you usually get out of class so you can go and do other things such as study, work out, or go to church? (those are the three things I usually do other than class).

I was also curious as to what activities or groups do you join so as to meet other students and get to know them better? It seems there is so little time to do everything that needs to be done. Anyway thanks for the help. You guys have been a great resource.

In addition, I just want to remind any newcomers that we have a USF COM class of 2012 facebook that you are all welcome to join.

God bless and thanks again!

This has been posted earlier, but to recap classes are 8-4 or 8-5 Monday and Wednesday. The other days are half days, and on one you go to your LCE. There may be some exceptions to this, but this is how I remember my 1st year going.

I don't know if anyone joins a group or anything like that at school to meet people. Remember that you are in the same classroom with your classmates for two years straight. You'll get to know who everyone is sooner or later, and you'll form a small group of close friends. Oh, and you get to wear a name tag everyday for the first 2 weeks during Professions of Medicine so people can start learning each other's names (lucky you!).

 

[ndmed4life]

Thanks so much for your input.
I was also looking into the possibility of living on campus at the graduate/upperclassmen housing such as Magnolia or Holly apartments.

Has anyone else thought about campus housing or have any input?

Thanks and God bless

 

[mikedc813]

Thanks so much for your input.
I was also looking into the possibility of living on campus at the graduate/upperclassmen housing such as Magnolia or Holly apartments.

Has anyone else thought about campus housing or have any input?

Thanks and God bless

I would REALLY consider living somewhere besides on campus. That environment tends to be noisy. You will be studying A LOT. Find somewhere further away that is quiet. If you want to live on campus because it's cheaper (which I assume is the reason), make the investment in living somewhere else. There is housing within a mile or two of the campus that is reasonably priced.

Your grades are incredibly important for residency. Don't risk being at a disadvantage from the start because you can't study due to noise around you.

I should add that I have never heard of anyone living on campus in 4 years of being a medical student at USF. That should tell you something.

 

[WorldsAway]

By half days do you mean classes end at 12 and your free for the rest of the day? And how long are LCEs

 

[RunDMCMD]

I would be grateful if USF med students would post the name of the book or discuss the materials used for the first science class taken as an M1 - "Molecular Medicine". If a specific book is not used can you please offer suggestions on how to best prepare for the class.


Thank you !

 

[mikedc813]

I would be grateful if USF med students would post the name of the book or discuss the materials used for the first science class taken as an M1 - "Molecular Medicine". If a specific book is not used can you please offer suggestions on how to best prepare for the class.


Thank you !

Don't buy the recommended textbook (at least if it's still Devlin) because it's not helpful for your purposes. The powerpoints are pretty much all you need. I thought the Lippincott's Illustrated Biochemistry book was really good. I didn't use anything other than that.

 

[Jennifer5109]

I have a kind of odd question. I'm not sure where I will be living in the fall, but if I live close to USF I'd like to bike to class. Is USF a safe place to have a bike? I know some universities are notorious for bike theft. Are there bike racks near the medical campus? Also, if I bike will there be a shower/locker room where I could change?

 

[mikedc813]

I have a kind of odd question. I'm not sure where I will be living in the fall, but if I live close to USF I'd like to bike to class. Is USF a safe place to have a bike? I know some universities are notorious for bike theft. Are there bike racks near the medical campus? Also, if I bike will there be a shower/locker room where I could change?

I've never heard anything negative about biking and have known several people who did so. You can shower and change in the new USF med gym, in the same courtyard as the bookstore.

 

[RunDMCMD]

Is the USF med gym the very small store front location that is very near the admissions office ?

Does anyone know if there are freeweights in the USF med gym ?


Does anyone know if USF med students have full access to all the USF facilities ? Does the main campus have a much larger and nicer gym ?

 

[mikedc813]

Is the USF med gym the very small store front location that is very near the admissions office ?

Does anyone know if there are freeweights in the USF med gym ?


Does anyone know if USF med students have full access to all the USF facilities ? Does the main campus have a much larger and nicer gym ?

There are freeweights. The gym is near the USF bookstore.

 

[vw200405]

Hello everyone.

I received my financial aid information for USF. Right now, I have to choose a lender for my loans. I had some questions about choosing a lender.

What are the most important things to consider when choosing a lender?
I found out information about the interest rates, fees, and repayment terms.
Are there any other important conditions that I should look at?

Out of the current USF students, do you have any tips on how to choose the lender?
What are the most important things that you considered in your decision? What lender did you choose and why?

Also, when you fill out the master promissory note, is it like a contract? If you want to change the school, will the lender transfer the loans to another school? Can you cancel the loan in the future if your financial situation changes?

If anybody has any other tips about choosing a lender, please let me know.

I have to choose between three loan lenders: Access Group, Sallie Mae, or Wells Fargo.

For all three lenders, the loan interest rate is 6.8%. All three lenders start repayment 6 months after graduation. But all three lenders have deferment programs during residency.

For Access Group, there is a 1% to 2.5% fee. For Sallie Mae, there is a 0% to 2% fee. For Wells Fargo, there is a 0% fee.

The annual loan limit with Access Group is $20500. The annual loan limit with Sallie Mae is $40500. The annual loan limit with Wells Fargo is $40500.

Which lender should I choose? Which lender has the best plan? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks and good luck.

 

[SillyMeMD]

Hi! I was wondering what kind of health insurance options there are for med students? Is it better to get an independent health insurance or take the insurance that is offered by the school? Thanks!

 

[mikedc813]

Hi! I was wondering what kind of health insurance options there are for med students? Is it better to get an independent health insurance or take the insurance that is offered by the school? Thanks!

I had private health insurance through my parents. If you can do the same I'd recommend it. The health insurance through USF pretty much sucks.

 

[Jennifer5109]

If you are a member of AMSA you can get insurance through them. It's United and I think it might be better than the school plan.

 

[SillyMeMD]

Thanks for the replies. I'll be 25 in June so I have to get my own insurance. So no school insurance. Check.

 

[Jennifer5109]

Yeah it sucks. I hate it. I am just glad I have a lot of family friends who will see me for no charge as long as it doen'st require getting a prescription that can't be given with samples. But I still go to SHS for real emergencies. I just hate it cuz I can't pick my doctor so easily.

I tried going to the AMSA website to learn more about their health insurance but couldn't really figure out how the policy works. Does anyone know? That is an interesting matter, and I'll definitely look into it. I wonder if med students also have insurance options through other student organizations that are nationally funded out of DC like AMWA and AMA.

I know a little bit about AMSA's policy as I'm looking into for the fall. It looks like they have 2 plans. Here is the site: https://www.uhcsr.com/selfservicesupport/students/CollegeHome.aspx. The plan is in pdf format.

 

[BoxingTheStars]

couple more questions...

-I can't seem to remember, is there a simulation lab/center at USF?
-How early can you do a clinical elective (like do you get the opportunity at all in 3rd yr? or early 4th yr? or after all the requirements are done)
-is the class ranked or unranked?
-Are the majority of clinicals done at TGH, or are they pretty spread out among the different hospitals/clinics? How far away is TGH from the campus?
-How easy is it to find a mentor to help you pick out and conduct a research project?
-When do people take the boards/How much time do you get off to study? Is there any built-in review/board prep in the curriculum?


still trying to get everything together to make a difficult decision... it's pretty much down to usf or osu... any help/persuasion/convincing is also welcome

 

[WorldsAway]

i know the question of what kind of computer to get has been discussed, but I was wondering if anyone ever had a problem with the computer they as far as handing it over to the IT department for installation of the VPN and McAfee software?

 

[mikedc813]

couple more questions...

-I can't seem to remember, is there a simulation lab/center at USF?
-How early can you do a clinical elective (like do you get the opportunity at all in 3rd yr? or early 4th yr? or after all the requirements are done)
-is the class ranked or unranked?
-Are the majority of clinicals done at TGH, or are they pretty spread out among the different hospitals/clinics? How far away is TGH from the campus?
-How easy is it to find a mentor to help you pick out and conduct a research project?
-When do people take the boards/How much time do you get off to study? Is there any built-in review/board prep in the curriculum?


still trying to get everything together to make a difficult decision... it's pretty much down to usf or osu... any help/persuasion/convincing is also welcome

Yes, there's a relatively brand new simulation/clinical skills center that is very nice.

Electives are only done during 4th year. You are allowed something like 5 electives. I did 3 months of research, a radiation oncology month, and a family med independent study.

You will be ranked, and this will be reported when you apply to residency programs. Ranking is only computer from years 1-3.

You will submit requests for clinical sites during your 3rd year. Because I live in New Tampa (north of campus) I request most of my clerkships at Moffitt and the VA and I was granted most if not all of those requests. The only thing I had to go to TGH for was OB (no babies delivered at the VA or Moffitt obviously) and some neuropsychiatry stuff.

It takes about 20 minutes from USF to TGH when you don't go during rush hour. It probably takes twice as long during rush hour. Traffic on 275 is bad going south towards TGH in the morning starting around 630 and bad going north starting around 5. So if you live in south Tampa you're going against the flow of traffic in the mornings.

Getting a research mentor is easy. It's all on you to go out and find someone, but most people are more than happy to take you on or refer you to someone who will mentor you. I did plenty of research at Moffitt and it was pretty easy to get started... There's a summer research program during the summer after 1st year that's a good place to start, and plus they give you around $2500.

I got around 6 weeks before 2nd year to study for Step 1, and you realistically only need 3-4 weeks because you end up forgetting stuff after a while and you just get burned out. There's no special board prep courses - you're studying for boards as you study for med school. You'll see you really don't need any special board prep other than an online question bank (either Kaplan Qbank or USMLE World) and a review book like First Aid for Step 1. Professors throughout your first 2 years will point out questions during their lectures that are commonly asked on boards. I'd be really shocked to see a school that had a special board prep course - I don't know what they would tell you to do other than study hard and do A LOT of practice questions.

I can say that USF is a great medical school and I doubt you will find many schools that train you as well from a clinical perspective. The preclinical years are good, but the clinical years are just awesome. I'm now on a rotation that is teaching me dermatology, orthopaedics, and rheumatology. I've had 2 months of critical care this year and a month of oncology. It's because of these diverse clinical experiences that I am really proud of being a soon-to-be USF grad. USF students match into the most competitive fields. USF is continually getting more and more known throughout the nation. It's truly a great place to be. It's one of the reasons why I am staying for residency. I'd be happy to share more of my experiences if you have any other specific questions.

 

[maluangel2]

Hey I am struggling between UF and USF....what do you guys think and why? Also, what is the grading scale for USF- is it a bell curve or standard scale (like 90 to a 100 is an A). And is Tampa a safe place to be at night? Whats the night life scene like? And to medical students even have time to go out? Im from Miami, so south beach scene as spoiled me somewhat. Sorry for the random array of questions but any feed back would be so much appreciated!

 

[mikedc813]

Hey I am struggling between UF and USF....what do you guys think and why? Also, what is the grading scale for USF- is it a bell curve or standard scale (like 90 to a 100 is an A). And is Tampa a safe place to be at night? Whats the night life scene like? And to medical students even have time to go out? Im from Miami, so south beach scene as spoiled me somewhat. Sorry for the random array of questions but any feed back would be so much appreciated!

USF grading scale is not on a curve. Tampa has safer places and not so safe places just like every city. Generally it's a pretty safe place. Night life scene could use some improvement, but you'll be busy so it's not that big of an issue in my opinion. If you're studying hard, you probably could go out a couple of times a month. Some people don't work as hard, either because they don't need to or they don't care as much, and go out much more.

 

[noles925]

USF is graded on a normal scale, 90+ Honors, 80+ PC, 70+ P, anything else is a failure. It is nice that we are not graded against each other as it fosters a collegial spirit among classmates.

I also grew up in Miami and feel like Tampa is a safer city in many ways than Miami. That being said, you still have to be smart about things. There are areas of the city that are less than desirable.

Medical students do have time to go out. As stated above, the amount is very dependent on the individual. You will have to find a balance between studying and your social life. The night life scene is not South Beach. No where near it actually. There are a few clubs, but definitely not south beach. There is a decent amount of things to do in Tampa. If you are into the arts, we get some great Broadway shows, concerts, etc. There are a number of bars/pubs that medical students hang out at. Also, there is a salsa club that a number of medical students go to on Thursday. Rest assured that Tampa is MUCH closer to a night life than living in Gainesville.