Student Interviews:
Brian James, M2
Chetna Thawani, M2
Profile:
The University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine is located in north Tampa, Florida. The College of Medicine has a full-time enrollment of 709 students and 724 full and part-time faculty members. Each class consists of roughly 130 CORE students and 40 SELECT students. Affiliated hospitals include the Tampa General Hospital, All Children’s Hospital, and James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. The school offers MD/PhD, MD/MBA, and MD/MPH programs as well as a Pre-Health Scholars program educational enrichment program for sophomore undergraduates interested in developing skills within clinical investigation prior to matriculating to medical school. The University of South Florida is also home to a College of Public Health, a College of Pharmacy, a College of Nursing, and School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation.
Curriculum: The two cornerstones of Morsani College of Medicine’s curriculum are the CORE program and the SELECT program. The prior of the two is completed in Tampa and is a conventional four year program. Students in the CORE curriculum can choose Scholarly Concentration Programs to explore areas of personal interest within the healthcare field, such as Leadership, Health Systems Engineering, Innovation, or Entrepreneurship. The SELECT program consists of two years in Tampa and two years in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. In lieu of completing the Scholarly Concentration Programs, students complete the CORE curriculum and a graduate certificate program in Leadership, Health Systems, and Value Based-Patient Centered Care. The SELECT program focuses on developing leadership for medical students. The College also offers Honors undergraduate students at select Florida universities a 7 year accelerated BS/MD program.
Curriculum Highlights:
— Summer Scholarly Award Experience: The Summer Scholarly Award Experience allows students to conduct a scholarly project funded by the College of Medicine between Years 1 and 2. The findings from these scholarly projects are presented at the USF Health Research Day, an event held in the spring to showcase the research work completed by Morsani students. This also offers students an opportunity to conduct research under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
— Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation: The CAMLS facility is one of the largest simulation facilities in the world and offers medical students the opportunity to integrate cutting edge technology into some of their first clinical experiences. The facilities allow students to practice in a safe, but high-fidelity reenactments of clinical scenarios to develop both hard and soft skills they will use as medical professionals. Closely related is the Lehigh Valley Interdisciplinary Simulation Center that allows students from various professions to practice working in team settings that mimic real-world scenarios.
— USF Health Mentoring Group: Medical, nursing, public health, and physical therapy students from the University of South Florida mentor K-12 students interested in healthcare professions. Beyond career goals, students support the wellness of younger students and provide ‘near-peer’ guidance.
Location: Tampa Bay is large natural harbor located on the West Central coast of Florida. The University of Florida campus is home to over 40,000 students and is recognized as one of the top 40 most diverse campuses in the nation, reflective of its equally diverse residential population. Tampa is home to several professional teams including the Tampa Bay Rays, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tampa Bay Lightning, making the city an exciting place for many sports fans. The coastal environment lends itself to a wide variety of fishing, boating, and hiking opportunities for the outdoorsy-type. The lively Ybor city is known for its night life and offers young people a wide array of dining and drinking options.
Grading Scheme: 1st and 2nd Years: Letter grade (A-F + Incomplete) based on percentage + Professionalism Grade (Pass/Fail) , 3rd and 4th Years: Letter grade End of Rotation Examination + Clinical Competency (A-F + Incomplete)
Podcast Availability: All pre-clinical course lectures recorded
Match List: https://hscweb3.hsc.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Match1-2018-USF.pdf