I am a rising Sophomore pre-med that just transferred out of the University of Miami this semester!
I was not accepted into the HPM program like many others, but I still enrolled at the U, as I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. As far as courses, it doesn’t make that much of a difference—HPM only adds Clinical Medicine and MCAT courses. The website says HPM students get access to HHMI labs, however, you can enroll in these even if you aren’t, I took them last semester. As far as pre-med requirements, there are other similar programs that can assist. The UM PRISM program creates a schedule for students in which they finish most of their pre-reqs by the end of their sophomore year.
What I did notice, and what eventually made me want to transfer out, were the non-course benefits not available if you aren’t in HPM. I found volunteering at the on-campus hospital to be near-impossible if you are not an HPM student. When I was looking for research with professors, during my first interview, the professor explicitly told me they typically only accept HPM scholars immediately, and if I were to join his team I would need a year or two of maintaining a 3.8+. Then of course there are other seminars, shadowing, clinical opportunities that just put me off to the idea of pre-med at UM.
You should by no means let this discourage you from applying/enrolling, as there are still many clubs that can help give MCAT advice, pre-med advice and many professors can help you on your journey, but it just wasn’t for me. I hope this helped!