General Questions

• Can I get an application by writing directly to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine? No. You must initiate the application process by filling out and submitting an AMCAS (American medical College Application Service) application on line. Click here to go to the AMCAS web site.
• I heard that the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is increasing the number of students it accepts from states other than Florida. Is that true? Yes. This change from reflects the growing national prominence of the Miller School of medicine and our goal of becoming a truly national medical school. Up to 35-40 residents of other states may be accepted to each entering class. Right now, our total class size is 182 students; 150 at the Miami campus, 32 at the regional campus in Boca Raton.
• I thought the Miller School of Medicine had an early decision program but I can not find any mention of it on your web site. Do you have an EDP? No, we discontinued our early decision program several years ago.
• Does the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine accept international students? No. Applicants must be US citizens or unconditional permanent residents of the US with an alien registration receipt (green) card in their possession when they fill out the AMCAS application.
• My application for citizenship has been approved but my immigration lawyer has informed me that I will not get my green card for several months. Can I still apply? No. You must have your green card in your possession at the time you fill out the AMCAS application.
• What is the best source of information about applying to medical schools? That is an easy question. Get a copy of Medical School Admissions Requirements published by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). To order a copy on line, click here. Alternatively, you may find this book in your university bookstore or at a commercial bookseller such as Barnes and Noble or Boarders. The MSAR is the only guide fully authorized by all medical schools and contains the most accurate up-to-date information of any book about medical schools. It contains information about every accredited allopathic medical school in the US and Canada, including how their individual application processes work, even their selection factors. This book is required reading if you are a serious applicant for medical school.
• They told me at the University of Florida that I would have to learn Spanish to go to medical school in Miami. Is that true? Nuestros Buenos amigos en la Universidad de Florida no saben de lo que hablan.

 

UMMSM@FAU Questions

• I have heard you have a regional medical campus. Where is it? It is located on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, about 60 miles north of Miami. Starting in 2007 the students admitted to our regional campus will complete all four years of the medical curriculum in Boca Raton. Hospital affiliates include Boca Raton Community Hospital, Bethesda Memorial Hospital, and JFK Hospital.
• Are there any differences between the curriculum at Miami and at the regional campus in Boca? Yes, there are some differences in emphases. See the pages about the MD Curriculum located at this web site.
• Is the regional campus accredited? Yes, it is accredited under the umbrella accreditation awarded to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the oldest, continuously accredited medical school in Florida.
• Which institution will grant my MD degree, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine or Florida Atlantic University? The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine will grant all MD degrees.
• Is there a difference in tuition between the two campuses? No. The tuition structure is exactly the same whether you attend medical school at the Miami campus or at the Boca Raton Campus of the Miller School of Medicine.
• How many students do you enroll at the regional campus each year? The class size at the regional campus is currently 32, but will grow to as many as 64 students per year in the near future.
• How do I apply to the regional campus? When you fill out your supplemental application for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine you will be asked to indicate whether you prefer to attend the regional campus in Boca Raton, the Miami campus, or that you have no preference. Applicants who choose the Boca Raton Campus will be considered only for admission at the regional campus. Those who list the Miami campus will be considered only for admission to the campus in Miami. Those applicants who list no preference will be considered independently for admission to either campus.
• Are the admissions standards different at the two campuses? No, they are exactly the same.

 

AMCAS Application Questions

• When is the deadline for applying through AMCAS to UMMSM? The deadline for submitting your AMCAS application to AMCAS in Washington, DC, is December 1.
• Can I get a deadline extension? No. Deadline extensions are not granted for any reason.
• Should I send a printed copy of my AMCAS application directly to the Office of Admissions to speed up the process? No. We will begin the application process and make decisions only on electronically-transmitted, verified files sent to us from AMCAS. So the best thing you can do is to stay in touch with AMCAS and make sure your file is verified in a timely fashion. Most delays are caused by schools not sending your transcripts to AMCAS so be sure to check with the registrar at your school to make sure your transcripts have been sent.
• My address and phone number have changed since I submitted by AMCAS application. Should I send the new information directly to the Office of Admissions? No. we will accept changes to your application only when they are transmitted to us by AMCAS. Therefore, you must make all changes in contact information through AMCAS. AMCAS will then relay the changes to all the schools to which you applied. You also should inform AMCAS when you change email accounts. This is extremely important because more and more schools are relying on email almost exclusively to communicate with applicants.

 

Secondary Application Questions

• Is your secondary application on-line? Yes, it is hosted by a commercial organization.
• How much is the application fee? It is $65, about the average for all private medical schools. The application fee is non-refundable and is charged to all applicants who complete a secondary application.
• Do all applicants get to complete a secondary application? No. If you are a Florida resident you must have at least a 3.2 undergraduate GPA. If you are a resident of another state you will need to have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.6. All applicants must have a minimum composite MCAT score of at least 24.
• My cumulative GPA is only 2.9. Is there still a chance I can get a secondary application from the Miller School of Medicine? There is if you are a Florida resident and have subsequently done post-bac or graduate work (at least 15 credits of either must appear on your AMCAS application) and have a GPA of at least 3.5. Post-bac and graduate work is not considered when sending secondary applications to non-Floridians.
• Will I be informed if anything is missing from my file? Not unless you call the Office of Admissions (305-243-6791). We do status checks Monday-Thursday between 2-5PM. Call us during those hours and we will tell you what you need to send us to make your file complete. Most applicants forget that a recent passport sized photograph is required. Next year you will be able to check on-line for any items missing from your file.
• Is there a deadline for submitting my secondary application? We ask that you submit your secondary within two weeks after you are invited to complete the application. But clearly understand that we will not process secondary applications that are received after January 15.
• Are all applicants interviewed if they complete the secondary application and submit the necessary supporting documents? No. But only those who complete the application are considered for an interview. Getting invited for an interview is a competitive process in which the admissions committee ranks the strength of each completed application and invites those applicants with the highest rank.

 

Curriculum and GPA Questions

• Can I take all of my premed courses at a junior college near my home? Most admissions committees feel that there are differences between junior college courses and senior college courses. Whether this view is justified or not, you should contact medical schools in which you are interested to see how they view coursework taken at the junior college level. The Miller School of Medicine will accept junior college courses but much prefers that the premed courses be taken at the senior college level. Perhaps a more important question to ask yourself is how these courses are going to prepare you to take the MCAT and to survive in medical school.
• I did all of my undergraduate work in a foreign country. Will you accept those credits? No. The only credits earned at foreign institutions that we accept are those earned while the applicant was studying abroad under the auspices of an accredited college or University located in North America. In that case, the credits earned abroad must be recognized by your home university and appear on your transcript.
• I have been out of school for some time and some of my premed courses such as chemistry were taken 10 years ago. Will you accept those credits? Yes, we will accept them but this is something that any admissions committee is going to look at very carefully when making a decision. Better questions to ask yourself are: 1) will those 10-year old courses give the necessary foundation in the sciences that I will need in medical school, and 2) am I going to be prepared to take the MCAT with knowledge that is 10 years old.
• My freshman GPA was low because I had a sub-human roommate. After that, my GPA steadily improved. Does the Committee look at trends in GPAs? Of course they do. Everybody understands that unpleasant roommates, adjustment to college, girl-friend/boy-friend problems, problems at home and a myriad of other things can lead to a disastrous academic performance. Hopefully, it is a temporary problem. Be prepared to discuss any poor academic performance in your personal statement or in an interview.

 

MCAT Questions

• Do I have to take the MCAT exam? Yes, you must take the MCAT exam and have your scores released to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. MCAT scores are required to make your application complete. Therefore, you must take the exam no later than the August, 2006, test date if you are applying for entry in 2007.
• Will taking the MCAT in August hurt my chances of getting accepted to medical school? Admissions offices get this question all the time and for us the answer is no. Scores from the August test usually reach medical schools in the first half of October. Most schools are just beginning the interview process at that time. If you are going to take the MCAT in August, the best thing to do is to send in everything else needed to complete your application way before October. That way, when your MCAT scores arrive in October your application will become complete instantly.
• I took the MCAT in 1993. Is that OK? Check with the schools to which you are applying. Most, like the Miller School of Medicine will not accept MCAT scores that are more than three years old at the time of application.
• What is the most important part of the MCAT? Does anybody look at my writing sample? All parts of the MCAT are important. Committees look particularly carefully at the verbal reasoning score because that is something that is not taught in medical school and medical school involves tons of reading and fast comprehension. The admissions committee here looks at your score on the writing sample as only a tertiary factor in the admissions decision.
• I have taken the MCAT three times. Do you see all of my scores? Yes. The AMCAS application will show your testing history and include the date of every MCAT you have taken since 1991.
• I retook the MCAT and my scores went down. How is that going to affect my application? It all depends on the size of the decrease and the nature of extenuating factors, if any, associated with the second test. Be prepared to discuss why your score went down, either in your personal statement or in an interview.

 

Application Related Questions

• My GPA is good and my MCAT scores are competitive, but I am 45 years old. How does that affect my admissibility? First, it is illegal to base admissions decisions on age. Second, if anything, being an older (some people say non-traditional) applicant usually works to your advantage because, rightfully or wrongfully, admissions committees generally consider older applicants as having had more life experiences and therefore, more mature.
• My GPA and MCAT scores are on the low side but I have been very active in community activities and volunteering. Will these offset my numbers? Community service and volunteer experiences, particularly patient contact experiences, can only strengthen your application but they generally do not offset basic numerical credentials. Applicants should look at community activities and volunteer experiences as a way of demonstrating to an admissions committee what kind of person they are and their motivation to study and practice medicine. These are things that admissions committees look at right after they look at GPAs and MCAT scores.
• I have had to work at two jobs while I have been in school and I have not had a chance to volunteer in the community or at the local hospital. Is that going to hurt my application? Committees realize that some applicants have to work and they generally look at such candidates as having those things that one gets from having a job?being punctual and resourceful, dependable, being able to get along with co-workers, etc. Do not forget, everybody on the admissions committee has a full-time job and they are basically going to be sympathetic.
• I have heard that it is necessary to do research of some kind to get into medical school. Is that true? It all depends on the program and the school to which you are applying. At UMMSM it is not essential unless you are applying to the MD-PhD program. In that case, one of the selection factors is the extent, value, and productivity of your research experiences. For general admission to MD programs, however, research experiences can be undervalued by admissions committees.

 

Letters of Recommendation Questions

• When should I have my letters of recommendation sent to UMMSM? Do not, under any circumstances, have letters sent until you are requested to send them (after you have submitted your secondary). Sending letters before you complete the secondary application is risky because they can get filed away and often can not be found again to be added to your file in a timely way. If at all possible, have them sent electronically through VirtualEvals.
• How many letters of recommendation do I need? You need to submit either 1) a composite evaluation from your schools premed advisory committee, or 2) three letters from individual faculty members, two of whom must be science faculty who have taught you. Admissions committees greatly prefer composite letters because they are arrived at by consensus and are often more thorough and insightful.
• What sorts of information should be included in letters of recommendation? The best letters are from faculty members (and others) who know you well enough to comment in some depth not only on your academic performance, but also on your personal qualities for a career in medicine. Both things are equally important. They should mention how long they have known you and in what capacity, and how well they know you. They should also put their remarks about you into some kind of comparative context with others for whom they have written letters.
• I plan to send letters from the governor, several alumni of the medical school, and physicians whom I have known. Will that help my application? Tehre are few letters that are more disadvantageous than letters from elected officials who do not know you personally. It looks like you are trying to pull strings and impress the committee with whom you or your parents might know. Letters from physicians you have shadowed have a tendency to be uniformly positive and do not offer the committee any really solid way of distinguishing among applicants. Letters from alumni can be helpful, especially if the alumni is known to members of the admissions committee.
• I have been out of school for five years and I can not get letters from my old professors. Are there any substitutes for these required letters? Contact each medical school to which you are applying. Some may accept substitute letters, some may not. Military commanders (for military personnel) and immediate supervisors (for applicants with lengthy employment histories) may be good people to write such letters. But contact each school to see if such letters are acceptable.

 

Interview Questions

• Who will interview me and what is the interview format? At UMMSM applicants are interviewed exclusively by members of the admissions committee. At the present time, applicants are interviewed by one committee member and the interview lasts for approximately one hour. The interview is open-file and the format is relaxed and is meant to be a forum for information exchange.
• What kind of things are they trying to assess in an interview? Basically, they are trying to assess all of those things that are almost impossible to put down on paper?interpersonal skill level, maturity, depth of motivation, soundness of decision, experiences, and the like. In general, they are trying to find out what kind of person you are and how motivated you are to study medicine.
• So how do I prepare for a medical school interview? Some sources will tell you that you can not prepare and that you should just be yourself. There are some common sense things you can do, however, to make a better presentation. First, do your homework about the school you are visiting. You can make points with your interviewer if you know something about the school. Second, there are a lot of books in the library on interviews. Check one out and read it. Third, some students find that mock interviews are helpful. Sometimes, however, mock interviews are far tougher than the real thing. Finally, there are many web sites for medical school applicants that are full of information about interviews, including sample questions you might be asked at a particular school. One of these sites is www.studentdoctor.net. The bad thing about all these sites is that, since the entries are anonymous, anyone can write anything about a school or the interview day. So take everything you read at these sites with a proverbial grain of salt!

 

Florida Residency Questions

• Why do you give preference to residents of the State of Florida? We give preference to Florida residents because the Miller School of Medicine is subsidized by the State Legislature for each Florida resident enrolled.
• What is the definition of a Florida resident? The definition of a Florida resident for tuition-paying purposes is outlined in State Statute 240.1201 and is pretty complex. In general, you (if independent) or your parents (if you are dependent) must have lived in Florida for 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the first day of medical school. If you came to Florida to attend an institution of higher learning, then the time you have spent in school does not count toward the 12 month requirement. Just owning property in Florida is insufficient for purposes of establishing residency.
• What kinds of documents are necessary to support my claim to Florida residency? ?Again, this is a complex issue. In general, you need a paper trail covering at least the 12 months immediately before the start of medical school. Federal income tax returns, W-2 forms, lease agreements, rent receipts, homestead exemptions and fee statements from Florida colleges and universities that you attended showing that you were a Florida resident for fee-paying purposes are acceptable documents. Drivers licenses and voters cards by themselves are insufficient documents to claim residency.
• So what happens if I get accepted as a Florida resident but I can not come up with the required documentation to support my claim to Florida residency? In that case, you will be assessed a non-resident tuition for each of the years of medical school in which you are enrolled. Currently, the non-resident tuition is about $8,000 more than the resident tuition. Remember, your best chance of getting into medical school is in the state in which you are a bona fide resident.
• I think I am a resident of two states. Can I apply as a resident of say, New york, on my AMCAS application and still be considered as a Florida resident for admissions purposes by the Miller School of Medicine? No. Because this issue has caused problems and misunderstandings before, we require that applicants list Florida as their state of residence on their AMCAS application to be considered by us as a Florida resident. We will not entertain requests to do otherwise. Other medical schools in Florida have the same requirement.
• If I get accepted as a resident of a state other than Florida, can I change my residency to Florida after a year in medical school? Do not forget: if you came to Florida for the purposes of higher education, you can not accrue time toward residency while you are enrolled in school. While it is theoretically possible to change your residency, very very few of our students have been able to develop the substantial ties to the State of Florida that this requires. Substantial ties include, for example, buying a home (in your name) and living in it for at least a year and being employed in Florida (in addition to such things as getting a drivers license, registering to vote, and registering your car in Florida, etc.