REGULAR ADMISSIONS

Requirements

Applicant must receive a Bachelor's degree, from a Council on Higher Education accredited institution prior to matriculation in the University of Florida College of Medicine. Applicants will be carefully appraised on the basis of personal attributes, academic record, evaluation of achievements, references, performance on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and personal interviews, if granted by the medical selection committee.

Applicants currently pursuing graduate level work toward a Ph.D. degree or other professional degrees are obligated to complete all degree requirements prior to matriculation to the College of Medicine for study toward the M.D. degree.

The College of Medicine does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, age, national origin or disability. Further details on technical standards for medical school admission may be accessed from the Admissions home page. Although Florida residents are given preference in admission, the College of Medicine does consider a limited number of nonresident applicants each year. Nonresident applicants must demonstrate superior qualifications. The College of Medicine welcomes applications from underrepresented minorities. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree conferred prior to matriculation from a United States accredited institution. Eligible application must be an United States citizen or an United States permanent alien (in possession of the INS assigned 'Green Card'). All pre-requisite courses must be taken in a traditional classroom setting (no distance learning or internet online courses).

Basic Science Requirements: The minimum science admissions requirements include basic introductory courses and laboratories in the following subjects:

1. Biology - 8 semester hours (12 quarter hours/lab)
2. General (Inorganic) Chemistry - 8 semester hours (12 quarter hours)
3. Organic Chemistry - 4 semester hours (2-3 quarter hours)
4. Biochemistry - 4 semester hours (6 quarter hours)
5. Physics - 8 semester hours (12 quarter hours)

There are no substitutions or waivers for pre-requisite courses.

For students who desire additional background in science, courses in genetics, microbiology and physiology might be considered. It is not necessary to choose one of the sciences as a college major. We welcome applicants with either nonscience majors or substantial work in liberal arts fields.

Mathematics: No specific requirement is set in the area of mathematics since, at most colleges, some mathematics is prerequisite to physics and chemistry. Some college work in calculus is strongly recommended. Familiarity with the principles of statistics and their application to the analysis of data is an important asset for any medical student. A knowledge of computer programming is valuable in medical education, but is not required.

Honors Courses: Individuals planning to apply to medical school should consider participation in honors courses, independent study and scientific research. These activities present opportunities for an unstructured learning experience.

Electives: The remainder of the college work should be distributed throughout the humanities, social and behavioral sciences. The student should select subjects that tend to broaden one's educational experience.

Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular activities and employment both during the academic year and summers are important contributions to an individual's development. Experience in medical and paramedical areas often contributes toward an understanding of health care delivery problems and helps to solidify the basis of the student's motivation toward a career in medicine. We recognize the additional time required of either those who must work substantial hours to finance their education or those who participate in a major sport. We understand the potential impact of such activities on a student's achievement. Also, non-healthcare related experience (preferably with the underserved) is important. A substantial amount of meaningful, medically related research is also a plus.

Florida Residency Information

Application Process

The Medical Selection Committee includes approximately 50 members appointed by the Dean of the College of Medicine, the Senior Associate Dean for Educational Affairs, and the Chair of the Medical Selection Committee. Members include clinical and basic science faculty, community physicians and 4th year medical students. The Associate Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs and the Assistant Dean and Director for Minority Relations are permanent members.

Please note: All correspondence from the admissions office regarding the application is via e-mail. It is imperative that an applicant have a valid address at all times throughout the process. It is also suggested that an applicant have an address to be used only for medical school application purposes and remove any spam blocker to prevent missed communication. All address changes should be made through AMCAS, then notify the Admissions Office.

All applications will receive a UF Admissions Office Residency Form upon UF College of Medicine’s receipt of the unverified AMCAS application. It must be completed and submitted with a non-refundable $30 fee to the UF Admissions Office. Any questions about the residency form and/or fee is to be directed to the graduate admissions office, (352) 392-1365. The residency form is not an indication of a decision by the medical selection committee on the AMCAS application, nor does it have any bearing on the decision.

The regular admissions process is as follows:

1. Students submit their application for admission through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) beginning in June. The application should be submitted as early as possible, but the deadline for AMCAS is December 1st. Students are encouraged to have prerequisite courses / basic science requirements completed prior to application. The AMCAS application is found on http://www.aamc.org and is on-line.
2. Personal statements, extracurricular activites, academic performance and MCAT scores are reviewed and verified by AMCAS. Competitive applicants are then sent materials for formal (secondary) application. The deadline for submitting formal application materials, including letters of recommendation, is January 15th. Incomplete files will be canceled from further consideration. No application materials will be accepted after this date and there are no extensions of the deadline.
3. Materials in the completed secondary application are reviewed by the Chair with additional review by other members of the committee at the Chair's request. On the basis of personal qualifications, academic record, expanded personal statements, and letters of recommendation, applicants are invited for interview.
4. Interviews are held on Friday's from September through March at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Applicants meet with the Director and the Program Assistant of Admissions, Financial Aid Director, and the Chair of the Medical Selection Committee for orientation and follow-up discussion. Tours of the facilities are provided. Each applicant has interviews with two members of the Selection Committee. A subset of the Committee is designated to interview applicants on a particular Friday. Interviewers also meet with currently enrolled students during lunch and on tours.
5. The subset of committee members who interviewed applicants meet to review and discuss the applicants and make recommendations to the Chair. The Chair is responsible for weighing these recommendations and the qualifications of each applicant against those of the entire interviewee pool. With the approval of the Dean, the Chair of the Selection Committee makes the final determination of each applicant's status. Begining October 15 acceptance follows a "rolling admission process" whereby acceptances are made throughout the interview cycle. The class is filled by the middle of March. Those interviewing later in the cycle are at no disadvantage in gaining acceptance.
6. Following acceptance, a candidate is required to provide a written statement of intent to the Admissions Office. A $200 deposit is also required from accepted applicants. If the applicant is subsequently accepted by another school that he or she prefers, the applicant is obligated to notify the College of Medicine Admissions Office immediately with a written letter of intent to withdraw acceptance. If an accepted applicant withdraws prior to May 15 the $200 deposit is refunded, withdrawals after May 15, the deposit will not be refunded. Matriculant's deposits are reimbursed in the Fall.
7. At the completion of the interview cycle a non-ranked alternate list is established by the Chair based on academic and personal qualifications and the recommendations by the Committee. As withdrawals occur, positions are filled from the alternate list. Updates are accepted and are important for alternate list decisions.
8. An applicant who is not successful in gaining admission and who wishes to reapply for the next entering class must initiate a new application through AMCAS.
9. Deferments:
   
   
   1. Deferments are processed on an appeal basis once an applicant has been accepted. The appeal should be directed to the Chair of the Medical Selection Committee. The plans for the deferred year should reflect thoughtful consideration by the applicant. The resulting experience of that year's actions should result in personal growth and enhancement of life experience. Deferments are approved for one or two years and the applicant will enter with the appropriate fall's matriculating class. Two-year deferments are granted for those accepted applicants who wish to participate in the Teach for America program. Additional information about the program can be found on the web site www.teachforamerica.org
   
   
   2. Deferred applicants are restricted from applying to other medical schools during year/years of deferment. If this restriction is not followed the applicant's offer of acceptance will be rescinded and the other programs applied to will be notified of the breach of the restriction, which can result in loss of acceptance into medical school. AAMC requires that an AMCAS application be filed for the appropriate year's matriculation. During the time deferment the Director of Admissions will contact you with specific instructions for the application process, including a fee waiver for the AMCAS application.