Medical Admissions
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FAQ

Q: Do you accept international students?

A: No. You must either be a United States Citizen or be a United States Permanent Alien and in possession of the assigned ‘green card.’

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Q: Can you send me a catalog?

A: Our catalog is currently out of print. The most up-to-date information about our program is found on the various College of Medicine web pages, often in a printable format.

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Q: I am applying this year, can I send in my letters of recommendation before I apply?

A: Letters of recommendation that are submitted before they are requested, via the secondary application, will not be kept. You will need to resubmit them at the time you are completing your secondary application.

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Q: My school’s biochemistry class is only three credit and doesn’t offer a lab. Do I need to take another biochemistry class?

A: If your undergraduate school’s biochemistry class is only three hours and has no optional lab, then the requirement is fulfilled. If you school’s biochemistry class has an optional lab and you chose not to take it, you must take the lab prior to matriculation.

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Q: Can I take the prerequisite courses at my local community/junior college?

A: In order to create the most academically competitive application you should take all prerequisite courses at the most competitive bachelor degree granting institution where you can gain entrance. You should take your pre-requsite courses from your degree granting institution.

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Q: Can I take the prerequisite courses through distance learning or through the internet?

A: Prerequisite courses must be taken in a traditional classroom environment.

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Q: Do the prerequisite courses have to be taken before I apply?

A: You can apply without taking the prerequisite courses, however, you will be considerably less academically competitive than those applicants who have completed the coursework.

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Q: I wasn’t accepted by UF COM. Can I find out how to strengthen my application?

A: Once you have received notification of your rejection and you have not been accepted into another medical school (have received notification of rejection from all programs) contact the Office of Admissions for an appointment.

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Q: If I am accepted can I defer matriculation?

A: One year deferrals are approved upon a reasonable appeal. The reason for the request must be well thought through and result in some type of self-improvement. A two year deferral is approved in certain circumstances.

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Q: I have a medical degree from a country outside of the United States, can I enter your medical school?

A: You will have to follow regular admissions policy: citizenship, a Bachelor’s degree from a United States accredited institution, AMCAS application. You will not receive advanced standing from your previous medical school.

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Q: I am an undergraduate student and haven’t applied to medical school yet, can I talk to someone in your office?

A: Before you speak to the Office of Admissions for advisement you must speak to the pre-medical or pre-health advisor on your campus.

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Q: What is the minimum gpa I need to apply?

A: Our average science gpa is 3.72, our average MCAT is 31.75. There are no minimum standards in these quanitative measurements. The further your gpa and/or MCAT score is below the average the more difficult it will be for you to considered for acceptance.

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Q: Can my AP/CLEP/dual enrollment credits fulfill prerequisites?

A: They can. However, applicants who have taken the courses in a traditional classroom at a four-year institution are considered more academically competitive. If you choose to earn college credit through AP/CLEP/dual enrollment you should earn them in non-prerequisite subjects. Oterwise you may find that to create a stronger academic record you will be retaking the courses once enrolled in an undergraduate institution.

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Q: What should my essay be about?

A: Each essay should be considered an opportunity to tell UF COM something about yourself. It is you chance to become dimensional, to flesh out. You should write in a style that is comfortable for you, despite the rumor that there is a special essay style we want to see. The essay expresses who you are. It is also your opportunity to explain something in your record or on the AMCAS application that may be questionable to us.

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Q: I applied last year, can I use my essays from the last application?

A: Sure, but we’ve already read them. We have them on file. You would be wasting an opportunity to say something about yourself we don’t already know. Besides, it looks really lazy on your part. So you can use them, but it is not advisable.

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Q: I graduated with a degree in .…/I am ….(career)/I had terrible grades as an undergraduate……………… Now I want to be a doctor, what do I do?

A: What UF COM prefers to see you do is to take two to three full-time semesters of core science (prerequisites if needed, or upper level courses in prerequisite areas) at the most competitive four-year institution you can gain acceptance. Most likely you will be classified as a post-baccalaureate. Graduate school is not preferable. Some institutions have pre-med post-bac programs, these too are helpful in trying to create a more academically competitive application. But, choose the institution carefully as there are some less competitive programs that will boast the results that you are seeking.

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Q: Is there a fee for applying to UF COM?

A: You will be charged a $30, non-refundable fee with your on-line application from the UF Admissions Office (STEP I instructions, sent upon our receipt of your preliminary AMCAS Application). The College of Medicine does not charge an application fee.

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Q: What is the UF Application with all those residency questions?

A: This is a form that all applicants to UF COM receive. It is the first step in the application process for the University of Florida.  It must be completed and sent with the $30 (non-refundable) fee. It has no bearing on the Medical Selection Committee’s decision on your AMCAS application. It is not a secondary application. It must be sent to the address on the form and any questions about it are to be directed to the Graduate Admissions Office, 352-392-1365.

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Q: How will I receive notification of my application status with UF COM?

A: All correspondence regarding application status is sent via e-mail using the address you provided on your AMCAS application. Decisions following interviews are sent via U.S. Postal Service. For the best results create an e-mail account that is only to be used by AMCAS and the medical schools to which you are applying and do not use a SPAM blocker. Anytime a decision is made on your application you will receive notification.

Q: I sent my Letters of Recommendation (LORs) in with my parent’s tax return/my $30.00/my last year’s activity statement??..Why don’t you have them?

A: Because you sent them to the wrong office. When applying to UF COM the UF Admissions Office is also requires a general application be filed with their office. This information is used by them to determine residency for tuition purposes. If you sent your LORs to that office it is very unlikely that they will be forwarded to UF COM Admissions during your application cycle. You must be very careful to send requested materials to the specific office that requires them.

Q: I know I turned all my formal materials in. Why do I keep getting e-mails from you stating that my file is incomplete?

A: Formal materials are: secondary application, three letters of recommendation and a peer letter. You really only have control of your secondary application. Therefore, if you know you have sent (to the correct office) it in, it is more likely that your LORs have not been received. But most likely your file is incomplete because we have not received your peer letter. Although your peer may be your best friend since kindergarten and have the best intentions for you, they may also be busy, etc. No peer letter is the most common culprit of the incomplete file. You will continue to get e-m notification from us every two weeks until your file is complete. Then you will receive notification when the file is complete and what you can expect from the rest of the cycle.

Q: My best friend’s parent/next door neighbor/Mom’s boss/etc. is a noted politician/alumni from UF COM/is a big-time judge/has big credentials after her name (M.D./PhD/J.D.)/has a impressive gold seal on their letterhead stationary?..I’m going to use her for my peer letter. Won’t you be impressed?

A: No. When we request a peer letter that is what we want. If you are not sure who a peer is check in your Webster’s dictionary, it is more helpful than you think. If you are choosing someone you think will impress us it probably won’t. Who you can get to write a letter for you with the biggest credentials will most likely; 1.) net a useless letter from someone who is not your peer (therefore holding up the process of your application until we get the required letter), 2.) net a letter that says absolutely nothing about who you are because they don’t know you well (campaign donations from parents don’t count) 3.) cause the committee to wonder if you don’t know what peer actually means or 4.) question your judgement as to the appropriateness of the letter author. —All not good scenarios!

Q: I know my file is complete, I’m sure everything has been submitted. These incomplete e-mails must be wrong so I’m going to ignore them.

A:Your call. However, if the deadline passes and your file is still incomplete your file will be canceled… period. After you have checked with your letter authors and you know you have submitted your secondary you would be wise to contact our office to assess what is missing. Sometimes letter writers are hesitant to tell students that they have been too busy to write the requested LOR. So be gentle when you check with them, you still need the letter, after all.

Q: What’s the deal with the pictures you request with the secondary? Does it really have to be a real passport picture? And what if I’m submitting electronically?

A: Well, OK, we’ll take what you send us. Just remember that these pictures are posted in public areas if you are selected for interview and again if you are accepted into the class. We really suggest going to your local photo shop and having real passport pics taken because the scale will be correct. You can submit your high school prom, your “I cut my boyfriend out of my Disney World shot but it’s a great pic of me” pic, “look at sweaty me running a marathon” pic, or your Glamor Shot pic, and although amusing (sometimes very) remember that they are used for identification and will be posted where currently enrolled students and interviewers will view them.
If submitting electronically, we prefer a square, cropped photo of you and in those cases attaching a single picture file is fine.

Q: I took Organic I and Organic II. You have a Biochemistry requirement. Can’t I substitute Orgo II for the Biochem?

A: There are no substitutes for the prerequiste courses. You can apply, be sent a secondary application, interview and even be accepted without taking the Biochemistry. However, you will not matriculate without the course. Many a European-vacation-before-medical-school dream has been dashed on the rocks by having to take Biochemistry the summer before medical school begins in the fall. Try to schedule wisely, you will really appreciate having a vacation once medical school starts! It may be your last for quite a while.

Q: I am really smart. I have perfect grades and a great MCAT. How important is getting health-care experience really?

A: Very, if you want to enroll at UF COM. You need as much ‘hands-on’ patient care experience as you can get. Consistently over a long period of time is best. Also, community service (not health-care related) working with the underserved is a big plus. Again consistency is key.

Q: Aren’t the health-care and community service activities I did in my pre-med organization enough?

A: Usually not. Remember that consistency over a long period of time is important. Do as many, as much as you can in these experiential areas, more is better, but typically the activities are spotty and not consistent. Incorporate these experiences into your life so that no matter where your are (in school, at home over the summer, etc.) you are motivated to learn as much as you can about the profession you are entering.

Q: Aren’t you impressed that I’m a member of the XYZ pre-med organization?

A:Not really. Almost anyone can join organizations. What is impressive to us is being more than a fee-paying member. Lead the group, organize a program, direct an activity, chair a committee, be more than a member. Remember leadership skills are important characteristics of a physician.

Q: Why haven’t I heard a decision regarding my application from UF COM, I’ve already heard from all of the other programs I’ve applied to this year?

A:More than likely that is because UF COM only reviews verified AMCAS applications. Some schools review preliminary or unverified applications, but we do not. If it has been more than six weeks since you filed your AMCAS application and you have not been notified that your application information is verified, you should contact AMCAS. Typically an application’s verification is delayed due to AMCAS not receiving all post secondary transcripts for their review.

Q: I haven’t taken the April through September MCAT, wont you use the January administration of the exam?

A:Selection of applicants for the medical school class entering in a given calendar year will be based, in part, on MCAT scores achieved during the previous three years from the date of matriculation. MCAT scores achieved during the same calendar year as matriculation may be considered as additional information during the selection of alternates, but will not be considered valid MCAT scores for application/admission purposes.

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