<p>Currently I reside in Florida and am a resident of Florida. I have also been residents in Arizona and Maine also. I'm looking to transfer out of my CC and I'm looking into University of Florida and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Clearly it would be more cost effective for me to attend U of Florida. UNC-CH is though a more recognized school when it comes to health sciences. It's also ranked higher overall I think anyway, I've visited both and love both. I think I'm slightly more partial to UNC but not terribly. I'll be a history major but because I started out at a CC I do want to be at the school that is going to give me the best opportunities to do what I can to somewhat stand out to admission committees. I know I'm at a slight disadvantage or great disadvantage (depending on who I talk to) about having started out at a CC. I'll be taking my science courses at the four year school though. For medical school purposes since I've read that OOS and IS makes a difference should I just attend U of Florida? I would eventually be a resident in NC though if I attend there (just not for as long as Florida). What are your opinions on this? I hope this is somewhat clear. It makes sense in my head.</p>
<p>The way I see it, you have three options.</p>
<p>1.) Go to UF and retain your FL residency.
2.) Go to UNC and retain your FL residency.
3.) Go to UNC and become a UNC resident.</p>
<p>Options #1 and #2 have the appeal of retaining your FL residency, which will help at UM, UF, USF, and FSU medical schools. Option #3 makes you an NC resident, which will help at UNC (which will still be hard) and ECU.</p>
<p>Option #1 has you at UF, a marginally inferior school, perhaps.</p>
<p>Option #2 requires you to pay out of state tuition as an undergrad for two years, but it places you at UNC.</p>
<p>Option #3 requires you to work full-time (or at least most-time) for a year to acquire your residency.</p>
<p>I honestly don't think that the difference between the reputations of the schools is that big of deal. Given the increased number of schools in FL, residency there is more advantageous.</p>
<p>Go to the place where you can accomplish the most...where that's at, only you know. I tend to feel that having to work full time to pay your way through school is a sizable hurdle to you academic and co-curricular success. Certainly not at all impossible to overcome, but a hurdle nonetheless in my opinion. However this is a question that only you can really accurately judge. You have to know your personality. Are you going to resent yourself if you go to UF and be unhappy, perhaps to the point where it impacts your school work? What would happen if you go to UNC and still don't get into med school, how would you feel?</p>
<p>Remember that Florida will be opening two new med schools in the next 1-2 years (FIA and UCF) and U of M has a new program via its partnering with FAU. And FSU is expanding its program that used to feed students to UF, converting over to a full med school. If you finish in the state of Florida, you may have an easier time getting into a state med school. Now, the new programs are new, and have little in the way of "reputation," but will open up total number of slots in the state. And with Scripps coming to Florida (Abocoa in Jupiter and it has signed agreements with 4 univeristies re: research ventures) and Burnam following shortly, it wont be long before there is a new research triangle in Florida--probably between Gainsville, Orlando and West Palm/Jupiter. OK, a funny shaped triangle, but a triangle none the less. There will be lots of opportunity in Florida. Scripps is looking to partner with a hospital, Burnam is being wooed heavily by UCF and the area where the new med school will be build. </p>
<p>Stay tuned.</p>
<p>I was unaware of everything that is coming to Florida so thank you sunnyflorida for the information. I'm going to stay in Florida; it is much more cost effective and will give me the best shot at getting into a medical school. Since I'm a history major I probably won't finish my pre-requisites by my junior year, since I'm waiting to take my science courses at U of Florida. This will delay me taking the MCAT's and I won't be able to apply to medical school until probably my senior year. Will this be seen as a set back by med school admissions or won't it be that big a deal? I realize there will be gap between me graduating and starting med school which won't be that big a deal. I was just curious if admissions will see that I took the MCAT's later and if they will look down on it?</p>
<p>Florida State has a fully accredited allopathic medical school. The old PIMS program hasn't been around for years.</p>
<p>See: <a href="http://www.med.fsu.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.med.fsu.edu/</a></p>
<p>Scripps Institute has just signed on with Florida State as well.</p>
<p>See: <a href="http://www.fsu.edu/news/2006/07/24/biomedical.research/%5B/url%5D">http://www.fsu.edu/news/2006/07/24/biomedical.research/</a></p>
<p>and: <a href="http://www.scripps.edu/florida/story2a.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.scripps.edu/florida/story2a.html</a></p>
<p>Another thing I was wondering....I've essentially ruled out going out of state because it's cheaper to stay here. I'm a CC transfer student looking for the fall 2007. Chances are I'll end up at U of Florida but I was looking at USF also. I know USF does not have the reputation U of F has. USF does have a two year honors program, and a post bachelors program (interests me because I'm an anthropology major looking to go to med school). U of F is more of a "recognized" name and is a better institution in some regards. I like the environment at U of F a little better but it's not a huge difference for me. Do you think that attending USF and enrolling in the honors program being able to take the post bachelor's program -VS- attending U of F no honors and pursuing pre-med requisites on my own: which is going to look better if either would at all. Does this not matter all that much and I am just over analyzing this whole thing way too much. I know what the feeling is about USF from people here it's a school that is too big and not really that great (personally I think that view is skewed), people don't necessarily think U of F is Harvard but it is looked at as being a better school than USF. I would only be applying to med schools in Florida also. I'd really appreciate any advice or comments. Thanks so much.</p>
<p>youre overanalyzing in my opinion. If you do well in both places it's not going to matter. Especially b/c you are aiming for FL med schools. </p>
<p>Go where you feel most comfortable that you'll be able to achieve the most.</p>
<p>One thing I would reccomend though is that you do open up your med school application process to more schools. Use the USNWR data and the MSAR info to find some schools at which you'd be competitive for based on gpa and grades. Applying to more schools just hedges your bets a little.</p>
<p>I should of expanded more on that. I'm a Florida resident so my chances will probably be better here. I am certainly going to also look at other school which will be a match for me and give me a high chance at acceptance. Thank you though for reminding me.</p>