Applying
to a professional health graduate program is competitive. The successful
candidates for medical and other professional schools have to bring much more to
the table than good grades in the pre-requisite courses and entrance exam for
his/her chosen field. The student’s portfolio should include clinical
experience, research experience and evidence of leadership. The University of
West Florida has several special programs to assist students in attaining their
goals. Students should meet with the Pre-professional Advisor early in their
career at UWF to establish a path for success.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRE-PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS
The University of West Florida is dedicated to promoting the success
of our pre-professional students seeking admission to medical, dental,
veterinary, pharmacy, and physician assistant programs as well as other health
professional schools. We offer a
plethora of opportunities to assist pre-professional students in achieving this
goal and we continue to develop new platforms to prepare students for admission
to professional school.
Pre-Professional Advisor and the Advisory Committee
The Pre-Professional Advisor and Pre-Professional Advisory Committee
serve students from all majors on campus who are seeking admission to
professional schools. The Advisor
provides guidance for students and evaluation of their credentials in their
efforts to apply for professional schools. Students should meet with the
advisor in their sophomore year to establish a path to success in their
application to a health professional program.
The Advisory Committee conducts “mock” interviews and writes the letters
of recommendation for students seeking admission to professional schools. For
contacts and additional information go to: www.uwf.edu/biology/preprofessional
Pre-Professional Student Organizations
Five student organizations focusing on pre-professional areas are
available for pre-professional students. These organizations establish an
atmosphere of camaraderie and provide opportunities for students to engage in
health-related community service, support net-working opportunities that assist
students in understanding and assessing the profession of their choice and in
applying to professional schools, sponsor talks by recruiters from professional
schools, as well as create a foundation for mutual support among
pre-professional students regarding academic issues. These organizations
include:
Alpha Epsilon Delta, the American Medical Student Association, the
Pre-Pharmacy Society, the Pre-Dental Society, and the Pre-Veterinary Society.
Clinical Experience in Health Care Course
Pre-professional students
must show evidence of clinical experience as part of the criteria for
application to some professional specialties. At most schools each student has
to identify and solicit permission to engage in a clinical experience
opportunity in the health care community in order to fulfill this obligation.
The UWF Department of Biology has designed a course entitled “Clinical
Experience in Health Care” as an upper division elective providing clinical
experience for the pre-professional student. This three credit hour course
places students in clinical settings within the region to provide them with the
kinds of experience that is required for application to professional schools as
well as to allow them to get the feel of the real-world setting they have chosen
to enter.
Research Opportunities
Some professional schools require that applicants have engaged in
scientific research. Our faculty provide
many opportunities for students to engage in research and are happy to have
students participating in research projects for credit (Directed Independent
Studies), as paid assistants or through an Honors’ Program thesis project.
Agreements
Between UWF and Professional Schools
Several
agreements are currently in place between the University of West Florida and
professional schools that promote admission of qualified UWF graduates into the
targeted professional programs.
The
College of Medicine at the University of South Florida
If you are entering the UWF Honors Program as a freshman and are interested in
attending medical school, you have an opportunity to receive admission to The
University
of South Florida College of Medicine and complete a medical degree in seven
years, provided that you meet all the requirements of the program. You will do your first three years of study
as an Honors student at the University of West Florida, and the fourth year
at USF College of Medicine as part of your first year of medical school.
You will receive your Bachelor’s Degree following successful completion of the
Honors Program requirements (typically after the fourth year). You will receive
the Doctor of Medicine Degree after the successful completion of the medical
program.
The College of Medicine at Florida State University
If you are entering the
UWF Honors Program as a freshman and are interested in attending medical
school, you have an opportunity to receive admission to Florida State
University College of Medicine provided that you meet all the requirements of
the program. FSU COM will be recruiting and advising our students, and a close
relationship between the FSU COM campus and faculty will allow interaction with
prospective applicants from UWF.
Alabama
Medical Education Coalition
The goal of AMEC is to train osteopathic
physicians who will work in underserved regions of Alabama. Students interested
in Family Practice, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology are encouraged to
apply.
AMEC is a dynamic partnership between The University of West Florida,
20 Alabama Colleges and Universities and 10 Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
AMEC is a clearing house for admissions for qualified graduates from these
schools into the osteopathic schools listed below. AMEC has dedicated 10 slots for
qualified UWF students at partner osteopathic schools. Based on ACT and grades, students
who are identified as potential applicants in their freshman year are eligible
for early admission into a 7-year program in DO school.
American
University at Antigua
AUA offers admission to its medical school to qualified UWF graduates,
culminating in the Doctor of Medicine degree.
In addition to completing one of the Approved Programs, a student also
must meet the following minimum requirements in order to be admitted to AUA.
a. An overall Grade Point
Average of 3.25 or higher;
b. A Grade Point Average
of 3.00 or higher in pre-requisite courses required by AUA;
c. No “F” or “D” grade in
any pre-requisite course required by AUA;
d. A score of 24 or
higher on the Medical College Admission Test; and
e. A recommendation for
admission by an AUA Admission Officer who has interviewed the applicant in
person.
This program affords students who for a variety of reasons may not
have been able to achieve the GPA and MCAT scores required for admission to
most U.S. Medical schools, an opportunity to realize their goal of earning an
M.D.
P4 Program
The
Post-baccalaureate Pre-professional Preparation Program (P4 Program) is for
students who hold a baccalaureate degree but do not have the science courses
necessary to qualify for admission to a professional school. They now
have a platform at UWF for taking the courses necessary to make successful
application to medical, dental, veterinary, pharmacy, physical therapy and
other professional schools in the health sciences arena. This is called
the P4 Program. The P4 opens a broad mosaic of support for these students which
include the Pre-professional Advisory Committee and Pre-Professional Advisor
and the five pre-professional student organizations.
Argo-Noles
Medical Mentors Program
In
cooperation with the medical students at FSU College of Medicine- Pensacola
campus, we have created the Argo-Noles Medical Mentors program. There are no dues for membership in this
program and once each semester the med mentors will meet with all of the UWF
members of the program to provide “tips” for applying to medical school, on
what was most useful to them once they entered medical school, on what to
expect in the clinical setting, etc. UWF
program members may attend grand rounds with their med mentors, will be invited
to attend lectures and case discussions at the medical school, and be provided
with mock interviews by the med mentors.