USF MSMS 2018-19

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Have you taken or do you know anyone who has taken the MCAT prep course they offer? Do you believe it is possible to juggle this course during the spring semester?

I had a few friends that took the MCAT course during the spring and I think it is taught by the Princeton Review. It is doable. I can tell you from experience that the second semester material for MSP3 is much denser than the first semester and requires more hours of studying. I self-studied for the MCAT during the spring (for around 5 months and did well on it-- in my SDN signature) and still got A's in all the classes so it is possible. Of course, this is solely dependent on the person and if they're willing to stay on top of the material and grindddddd.

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[AbundanceMindset]

I had a few friends that took the MCAT course during the spring and I think it is taught by the Princeton Review. It is doable. I can tell you from experience that the second semester material for MSP3 is much denser than the first semester and requires more hours of studying. I self-studied for the MCAT during the spring (for around 5 months and did well on it-- in my SDN signature) and still got A's in all the classes so it is possible. Of course, this is solely dependent on the person and if they're willing to stay on top of the material and grindddddd.

Hey! I will be starting the preprofessional track in august. I was just wondering how many hours you studied in a day and then during a full week in general to maintain all A's. I know it varies per person, but I want to get a general idea about what a week will be like. Thank you for any information!

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Hey! I will be starting the preprofessional track in august. I was just wondering how many hours you studied in a day and then during a full week in general to maintain all A's. I know it varies per person, but I want to get a general idea about what a week will be like. Thank you for any information!

First of all, Congrats! You're going to love this program. I would say during the first exam block I more or less went to class and rarely studied until we hit the 2-week mark prior to exams (bad habit from undergrad). During the 2 weeks, I would say I studied for around 6-8 hours a day. During exam week, studied around 8-10 hours a day. The second semester was a different story since I was studying for MCAT as well on top of the more difficult classes... I was putting in around 60-70+ hours weeks every week of studying and volunteering.

This may sound like a lot, but you get used to it and it's not bad.

 

[AbundanceMindset]

First of all, Congrats! You're going to love this program. I would say during the first exam block I more or less went to class and rarely studied until we hit the 2-week mark prior to exams (bad habit from undergrad). During the 2 weeks, I would say I studied for around 6-8 hours a day. During exam week, studied around 8-10 hours a day. The second semester was a different story since I was studying for MCAT as well on top of the more difficult classes... I was putting in around 70+ hours weeks every week of studying and volunteering.

This may sound like a lot, but you get used to it and it's not bad.

Thank you! 70 hours per week is insane! I'm unsure if I will be taking the mcat during the masters since I'm planning on retaking within this next month before classes start. If I do take it and do better than my last score so I don't have to take it again, then I think I'm going to get a 20 hour/week job. Do you think that would be doable?

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Thank you! 70 hours per week is insane! I'm unsure if I will be taking the mcat during the masters since I'm planning on retaking within this next month before classes start. If I do take it and do better than my last score so I don't have to take it again, then I think I'm going to get a 20 hour/week job. Do you think that would be doable?

70 hours a week was the price I had to pay for messing around in undergrad lol. The courses in MSP3 help you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for MCAT material, it's insane so keep that in mind. But for sure able to do the program and a PART-TIME job, but I wouldn't risk getting lower grades for the job... If i were you, I wouldn't make any commitment to work until after the first exam block so you understand what you're getting yourself in to. I must say that the program does NOT advise for their students to work and do the program. Good luck on your MCAT!!!

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

What is the average amount of time that the graduate office of admissions takes to finalize admissions? Is it truly the 1-2 post-recommendation? Also, do you receive a letter in the mail upon final acceptance or is that just updated via oasis/email?

Do you mean after you get the "Congrats... recommended for admissions" email? If so, I do not remember. I think the email said it should take about 3 weeks to finalize and if you haven't heard by then, call them! You will get an acceptance in the mail as well, but I'm not sure if you'll get another email before then.

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Yeah I was referring to that email. Thanks!

For some reason, I remember not receiving any confirmation after 3 weeks and I called them and they said their decision was in the mail. Could be wrong tho, just keep an eye out for it!

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Also, have any financial aid packages been awarded?

Sorry, cannot answer that. I do not qualify for any financial aid so I do not know much on the subject. Financial aid and such will surely be addressed during orientation though.

 

[At1113]

Understandable. Last question I promise, lol but say you are accepted to a medical school during the spring and you are notified that classes begin mid-late July or even the first week of August.. would the masters degree no longer be awarded if you leave before finals during the summer? Has this happened for anyone in your class?

I actually asked an admissions officer of the MSMS program, she said that the school would do everything to accommodate you. They often have online lectures and you’ll only have to come back for the exams. But they’ll take care of it case by case when it comes to medical school early matriculation.


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[Hi_I'mPaul]

Understandable. Last question I promise, lol but say you are accepted to a medical school during the spring and you are notified that classes begin mid-late July or even the first week of August.. would the masters degree no longer be awarded if you leave before finals during the summer? Has this happened for anyone in your class?

No problem! Ask whatever you'd like!

I have two friends that were accepted to FSU during the program and they started classes at the end of May so they dropped the program (a fair amount of students get accepted MD/DO then drop out). Some of my friends were accepted DO and talked with the USF administration to work something out since they wanted to complete the program. Since you take the exams in the program on the computer, all they need to do is talk with the medical school to get a secured room and you could take the finals at your medical school. Most of these things get settled on a case-by-case basis, but *most of the time* the professors are very understandable. The goal of this program is to get people into medical school, which reflects well on the program to have their grads getting accepted-- so they will work with you given enough notice.

 

[At1113]

This might be totally unrelated and random but is it worth it to buy a parking permit? How is the parking situation around those buildings? I’m planning to drive to school since my house is nearby. Thank you for answering our questions!


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[Hi_I'mPaul]

This might be totally unrelated and random but is it worth it to buy a parking permit? How is the parking situation around those buildings? I’m planning to drive to school since my house is nearby. Thank you for answering our questions!


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So I live around a 5-minute drive to campus and I'd fully recommend getting a parking permit unless your apartment is iQ which is literally directly across the street from where classes will be. I'll admit, during Fall and Spring, parking can be a b****. it'll be tough (not impossible by any means) to get a good spot that is super close to class ("super close" to me are the lots the are essentially attached to the medical school building). But, there is always a parking garage that's about a 5-minute walk that will always have parking available.

I'd recommend getting to USF early before classes start so that you can drive around and scope out the parking lots and get a feel of where your lecture hall will be.

 

[At1113]

So I live around a 5-minute drive to campus and I'd fully recommend getting a parking permit unless your apartment is iQ which is literally directly across the street from where classes will be. I'll admit, during Fall and Spring, parking can be a b****. it'll be tough (not impossible by any means) to get a good spot that is super close to class ("super close" to me are the lots the are essentially attached to the medical school building). But, there is always a parking garage that's about a 5-minute walk that will always have parking available.

I'd recommend getting at USF early before classes start so that you can drive around and scope out the parking lots and get a feel of where your lecture hall will be.

Ohh thank you! That is great! I’m totally fine with a short walk from the garage if there’s a parking spot lol


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[AbundanceMindset]

70 hours a week was the price I had to pay for messing around in undergrad lol. The courses in MSP3 help you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for MCAT material, it's insane so keep that in mind. But for sure able to do the program and a PART-TIME job, but I wouldn't risk getting lower grades for the job... If i were you, I wouldn't make any commitment to work until after the first exam block so you understand what you're getting yourself in to. I must say that the program does NOT advise for their students to work and do the program. Good luck on your MCAT!!!

Thank you again! I just have one more question. How did you study differently from others that got you the 4.0 that others haven't gotten (I think most people get 3.8s and lower based on the previous threads)? Was it putting in more hours of studying than others or a specific thing you did everyday for each lecture or are you just smart like that when you apply yourself?

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Thank you again! I just have one more question. How did you study differently from others that got you the 4.0 that others haven't gotten (I think most people get 3.8s and lower based on the previous threads)? Was it putting in more hours of studying than others or a specific thing you did everyday for each lecture or are you just smart like that when you apply yourself?

I'm sure some people put in more hours than me solely studying for the program. But I'm a proponent of "study smarter, not harder." The key in this program isn't to simply memorize the slides (which a lotttt of people do), it's to see the connections between concepts across lectures. Like I do not always instantly know the answer to every question on the exams, however, I have a strong baseline knowledge that will allow me to apply what I studied to the question--if that makes sense. I also changed how I took notes during this program and, as you said, I applied myself infinitely more than I did an undergrad. I will tell you now that I did not "preview" lectures before classes like some students and I didn't really start grinding for studying until two weeks out from exams. but, when I do study, I do not mess around with my friends and I get stuff done efficiently. I also think that the TA sessions allowed me to get that second look at the material from a different perspective and that was extremely helpful.

Side note: I think it's very important to find a group to study with that will motivate you (don't get crazy with like 10 people, but I've noticed a max of 6 is just right). Also, if you think about it, the class is about 180 people, and only 5-10% get 4.0s. The average for most classes are either a B or B+. If I were to guess (and this is purely a guess....), the average GPA in the program would be around a 3.6-3.7. (idk if you guys know this either but an A in these classes cut-off at 92%, NOT 90%)

 

[fissyjj_34]

I was accepted to this program, as well as the Tufts MBS and RFU MBS. Having trouble deciding on one, any insight?

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Pros:
Live in FL
Taught by med school faculty
Classes are rigorous but fair
Tampa is a great city to live in, so much to do (campus is 5 minutes away from Busch Gardens-amusement park)
Cons:
Not a pipeline program and no guarantee of an interview

 

[aceeeltearie]

Current MSP3 student who just stumbled upon this thread and wanted to offer up some advice from my experience. During orientation they gave this little rant about how if you have a job you should quit it if you want to do well. I have a family and had no choice financially, but those comments stressed me out the first few months. I ended up working 20-30 hrs a week, have a 4.0 ending with a 98-100% average in all, but a couple of the classes (Looking at you Neuro), and will be starting medical school next week. Not trying to toot my own horn just letting those of you who might be in a similar situation know that anything is possible if you want it bad enough. I knew this was my last chance academically and coming up short was not an option for me. Definitely recommend understanding concepts more so than memorizing every detail. Its a ton of material and piles up on you quick. I overhear people in the library quizzing each other on the most minute details that never show up on exams. There's tons of my classmates that study more than me, but the key is to be efficient and find what works for you. All lectures are recorded and re-watching them on 2x speed is extremely convenient. Exams span about a week and a half. One thursday, and then mon, wed, fri of the next week. You no joke will be studying nearly every free hour of those two weeks. By the time the Friday exam finishes up you are burnt out and it's so easy to take the next week off, and my biggest advice is to not do that. You still have lectures for each class during the exam block so assuming you aren't paying attention to those cause you're preparing for the exams and then you take a breather the next week, you all of a sudden are at least 10 lectures behind. If you're behind going into the second set of exams you most certainly will be behind on the third as well. Also don't let the first semester lull you into a false sense of security. There's a decent amount of overlap with some concepts from undergrad and the exam questions are a little more straightforward. Overall I would say it is not hard at all to get a B, but to get an A requires exponentially more work. If anyone has any questions let me know!

 

[gfish180]

Current MSP3 student who just stumbled upon this thread and wanted to offer up some advice from my experience. During orientation they gave this little rant about how if you have a job you should quit it if you want to do well. I have a family and had no choice financially, but those comments stressed me out the first few months. I ended up working 20-30 hrs a week, have a 4.0 ending with a 98-100% average in all, but a couple of the classes (Looking at you Neuro), and will be starting medical school next week. Not trying to toot my own horn just letting those of you who might be in a similar situation know that anything is possible if you want it bad enough. I knew this was my last chance academically and coming up short was not an option for me. Definitely recommend understanding concepts more so than memorizing every detail. Its a ton of material and piles up on you quick. I overhear people in the library quizzing each other on the most minute details that never show up on exams. There's tons of my classmates that study more than me, but the key is to be efficient and find what works for you. All lectures are recorded and re-watching them on 2x speed is extremely convenient. Exams span about a week and a half. One thursday, and then mon, wed, fri of the next week. You no joke will be studying nearly every free hour of those two weeks. By the time the Friday exam finishes up you are burnt out and it's so easy to take the next week off, and my biggest advice is to not do that. You still have lectures for each class during the exam block so assuming you aren't paying attention to those cause you're preparing for the exams and then you take a breather the next week, you all of a sudden are at least 10 lectures behind. If you're behind going into the second set of exams you most certainly will be behind on the third as well. Also don't let the first semester lull you into a false sense of security. There's a decent amount of overlap with some concepts from undergrad and the exam questions are a little more straightforward. Overall I would say it is not hard at all to get a B, but to get an A requires exponentially more work. If anyone has any questions let me know!

I’m taking the MCAT Sept 8; so three weeks after classes start. Do you remember how intense the workload was that early on in the program?

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

I’m taking the MCAT Sept 8; so three weeks after classes start. Do you remember how intense the workload was that early on in the program?

Ehhhh cannot recommend this. The exams for the program are usually every 3-4 weeks so you'll be putting yourself up against the MCAT and studying for 4 sciences classes with no experience on how the program tests. Don't want to play catch-up from a first bad run of tests--especially since MSP3 is supposed to be a boost for a sub-par undergrad GPA (for the most part). Unless you have amazing background knowledge in Anatomy, Genetics, Microbio/Immuno, and biochem, the workload will be a lot. Students tend to overprepare for the first exams (and rightfully so!) since they do not know what to expect.

 

[aceeeltearie]

I’m taking the MCAT Sept 8; so three weeks after classes start. Do you remember how intense the workload was that early on in the program?

You should be fine that early on our first exam was on the 21st. I took the MCAT the week before class started and the first couple weeks of class in particular had a lot of material that is on the MCAT anyways.

 

[KisyCake]

Current MSP3 student who just stumbled upon this thread and wanted to offer up some advice from my experience. During orientation they gave this little rant about how if you have a job you should quit it if you want to do well. I have a family and had no choice financially, but those comments stressed me out the first few months. I ended up working 20-30 hrs a week, have a 4.0 ending with a 98-100% average in all, but a couple of the classes (Looking at you Neuro), and will be starting medical school next week. Not trying to toot my own horn just letting those of you who might be in a similar situation know that anything is possible if you want it bad enough. I knew this was my last chance academically and coming up short was not an option for me. Definitely recommend understanding concepts more so than memorizing every detail. Its a ton of material and piles up on you quick. I overhear people in the library quizzing each other on the most minute details that never show up on exams. There's tons of my classmates that study more than me, but the key is to be efficient and find what works for you. All lectures are recorded and re-watching them on 2x speed is extremely convenient. Exams span about a week and a half. One thursday, and then mon, wed, fri of the next week. You no joke will be studying nearly every free hour of those two weeks. By the time the Friday exam finishes up you are burnt out and it's so easy to take the next week off, and my biggest advice is to not do that. You still have lectures for each class during the exam block so assuming you aren't paying attention to those cause you're preparing for the exams and then you take a breather the next week, you all of a sudden are at least 10 lectures behind. If you're behind going into the second set of exams you most certainly will be behind on the third as well. Also don't let the first semester lull you into a false sense of security. There's a decent amount of overlap with some concepts from undergrad and the exam questions are a little more straightforward. Overall I would say it is not hard at all to get a B, but to get an A requires exponentially more work. If anyone has any questions let me know!

What can I expectjuggling the program and a family? Was your family in Tampa with you, if so what was housing like?

 

[aceeeltearie]

What can I expectjuggling the program and a family? Was your family in Tampa with you, if so what was housing like?

It makes it more challenging of course, but I had my daughter sophomore year of undergrad so I would say I have adjusted at this point. My best advice is to compartmentalize your responsibilities. When you're studying, be the best student you can be and don't worry about anything else, when you have time at home focus on be the best parent/spouse you can be, if you work then focus on doing you're best at your job when you're there as well. If you worry about everything at once it's overwhelming so just do you're best in each individual aspect and it comes together well as a whole. We had a condo in the carrollwood area about 15 mins from campus. The immediate area around USF isn't super family friendly. There's a lot to do in Tampa though lots of parks, armature works market, riverwalk etc.

 

[ScribeStudent]

Hey everyone!
I was accepted into the pre-professional track. Does anyone know what the dress code is like? (business casual, scrubs, etc.)

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Hey everyone!
I was accepted into the pre-professional track. Does anyone know what the dress code is like? (business casual, scrubs, etc.)

You'll get a graduate T-Shirt at orientation and Dr. Barber will want you to wear it first day! Other than that, jeans and a shirt will suffice. It gets pretty casual as the semester continues. Many people simply wore shorts and a T-Shirt for class.

 

[ScribeStudent]

You'll get a graduate T-Shirt at orientation and Dr. Barber will want you to wear it first day! Other than that, jeans and a shirt will suffice. It gets pretty casual as the semester continues. Many people simply wore shorts and a T-Shirt for class.

awesome, thank you so much!

Looking forward to meeting all of you at orientation this Wednesday!

 

[bowlofrice]

If anyone has any questions about the program, I successfully completed the program 2 years ago!

 

[Jsp907]

If anyone has any questions about the program, I successfully completed the program 2 years ago!

I know someone responded to this question earlier but how did you go about studying? I know everyone has their own method/strategy but it would be nice to see another perspective from someone that has successfully completed the program.

 

[bowlofrice]

I know someone responded to this question earlier but how did you go about studying? I know everyone has their own method/strategy but it would be nice to see another perspective from someone that has successfully completed the program.

For the easiest classes I studied on my own and for the hardest I studied with classmates, talking and quizzing each other helped a ton. But honestly, even though there was a lot of material, I still had a lot of time to hang out, workout every day, travel during breaks... I thought it wasn’t too too difficult!

 

[Jsp907]

For the easiest classes I studied on my own and for the hardest I studied with classmates, talking and quizzing each other helped a ton. But honestly, even though there was a lot of material, I still had a lot of time to hang out, workout every day, travel during breaks... I thought it wasn’t too too difficult!

good to hear! last question did you purchase books for the classes or just studied off the power point and other resources online such as quizzlet?

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

good to hear! last question did you purchase books for the classes or just studied off the power point and other resources online such as quizzlet?

Don't buy the books, way too expensive. all you need are the lecture material/powerpoints/online to do well.

 

[bowlofrice]

good to hear! last question did you purchase books for the classes or just studied off the power point and other resources online such as quizzlet?

I did. Either hard copy or downloaded online! 70% of the material tested on exams are off PowerPoints, but the remaining 30% comes from the book. They assign readings so that’s how they make sure you read the chapters.
Which concentration are you in? I got accepted in Neuroscience and Women’s Heath and decided Women’s Health.

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

I did. Either hard copy or downloaded online! 70% of the material tested on exams are off PowerPoints, but the remaining 30% comes from the book. They assign readings so that’s how they make sure you read the chapters.
Which concentration are you in? I got accepted in Neuroscience and Women’s Heath and decided Women’s Health.

This is false for the pre-professional track. You do not need to buy the books. The vast majority of the test questions come from lecture + powerpoints.

 

[bowlofrice]

This is false for the pre-professional track. You do not need to buy the books. The vast majority of the test questions come from lecture + powerpoints.

There are classes that you definitely needed the books..

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

There are classes that you definitely needed the books..

Bruh... I literally just graduated from the pre-professional program with all high A's and never used the books... They are not necessary.

 

[bowlofrice]

Bruh... I literally just graduated from the pre-professional program with all high A's and never used the books... They are not necessary. Plus the TAs give you a google drive of the books so you do NOT need to buy them!

Ok chill I guess they changed it then I graduated two years ago with all A’s as well. They didn’t even have TAs for us back then

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Ok chill I guess they changed it then I graduated two years ago with all A’s as well. They didn’t even have TAs for us back then

I am chill! I'm just tryna give these new people accurate info so they don't waste $500 lol

 

[HbondsR_FON]

I had a few friends that took the MCAT course during the spring and I think it is taught by the Princeton Review. It is doable. I can tell you from experience that the second semester material for MSP3 is much denser than the first semester and requires more hours of studying. I self-studied for the MCAT during the spring (for around 5 months and did well on it-- in my SDN signature) and still got A's in all the classes so it is possible. Of course, this is solely dependent on the person and if they're willing to stay on top of the material and grindddddd.

Hi Paul! I'm wondering when is a good time to take the MCAT in the spring? Did you do it over spring break or did you figure it out by finding a time in between tests for classes?

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Hi Paul! I'm wondering when is a good time to take the MCAT in the spring? Did you do it over spring break or did you figure it out by finding a time in between tests for classes?

Hi! So, I studied during Christmas break and throughout the Spring semester. My MCAT date was May 24th, which was a week or two into the summer classes. I thought this was a perfect date because it was over 2 weeks after final exams for Spring, and 1.5 weeks before the first exam of summer. So, I had 2 weeks to grinddddd MCAT, and plenty of time to study for Pathology after.

 

[bowlofrice]

Also, has anyone that has gotten accepted, done so in pursuit of a career in dentistry? I'm keeping all my options open.

I did. Starting dental school next week!

 

[GoldenCrown]

This is false for the pre-professional track. You do not need to buy the books. The vast majority of the test questions come from lecture + powerpoints.

This isn’t false I graduated too and books were required (for some classes, not all).

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

This isn’t false I graduated too and books were required (for some classes, not all).

1) the question that was asked regarded buying the books, not if they were required.
2) the books are not required, I never touched a book and got all high A's.

 

[SigmundFreud23]

Hey guys! I just got into the IMS program, however I believe that I may benefit more from the MSP3 program, are any of you in the same boat? I've heard the IMS program is much more difficult since you take courses with the college of medicine students and that you won't get much of a GPA boost

 

[Gomogdaj]

I did. Starting dental school next week!

What dental school did you get accepted to? Plus what was your stats if you don’t mind?

Looking to pursue this masters program for dental school.