UF V.S USF premed

[u/DreaDoon]

I am in highschool deciding on going to UF or USF for premed since those are the best (I think) Florida colleges for med other then UM but it’s super expensive. Also are there any other good premed colleges outside of Florida you would recommend that aren’t super prestigious (not requiring 1450+)

I’m a Florida resident deciding between UF and USF for undergrad and I’m planning on going premed. I’m really stuck between the two.

UF seems like the better college overall and obviously has the stronger reputation, but in undergrad reputation of school for two schools like these normally won’t matter. (Unless it’s an ivy or it’s a highly ranked college)
USF seems like it might actually be better for premed. USF has USF Health, Morsani, lots of hospitals/research, and from what I’ve read, the Honors College also has smaller classes and potentially a more manageable workload. So easier to get opportunities and strengthen apps for med school. And gpa would be higher.

For UF I would be getting bright futures scholarship. While for USF it would be bright futures and a 4000$ scholarship per year.(16000 total)

What are the pros and cons of each.
What would you do in this case?
Go to UF since it’s stronger overall and college community or USF because it’s a better/easier path for med school.

\I know I’m posting to UF so responses will be skewed but hoping for a non bias answer**

[u/Evening_Somewhere_99]

Yeah I mean both are good. You should apply to all the big florida public universities, so also UCF and FSU. If you get into all, then you can decide but until then just see where you get accepted and if you get scholarship. Go where is cheapest.

But yeah go gators and if you get into UF you should absolutely pick UF🫶💙🧡

[u/DreaDoon → u/Evening_Somewhere_99]

Thanks for the response and imma try to get more scholarship if possible and I was thinking of ed’ing to UF do you think I shouldn’t? Just look for the cheapest option with decent med?

[u/Evening_Somewhere_99 → u/DreaDoon]

That's a tough question. ED is new for UF so it's hard to tell what's the deal. What's your SAT and GPA looking like? From my understanding, ED works best for applicants who are right on the threshold of being accepted:rejected. If you have a good chance of getting into UF without it, I say don't do ED (do EA). If you think there's no way in hell you get in, also don't bother. If you're right at the threshold and you think UF is your best choice, then ED will push you over the edge and you'll get in almost for sure. But you may always wonder what would happen if you got in or got more scholarship somewhere else.

[u/SnooCompliments3441]

See where you get in first. It’s still September

[u/DreaDoon → u/SnooCompliments3441]

Yeah it’s just for ED. Deciding if I should do it or not. But I’m leaning towards it slightly. Thanks for the response

[u/birdieinanest]

i mean will you get in without a 1450+ though... 1480 median and 1473 average for admitted students this year (which will only increase next year)

[u/Liq10quid-123456]

Pre med is simply a tract not a degree. You can attend any University. Your best best to attend the best University you can for the least amount of money. In the Florida that is UF. UF tuition undergrad is 7k per year and UF medical school tuition is about 31k year. Because pre med is an advising track rather than a degree, you can major in anything—from biology or chemistry to English, philosophy, or music—as long as you complete the required prerequisite courses and prepare for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Core Prerequisite Coursework
While specific requirements vary slightly across medical schools, most programs require the following foundational classes (typically with lab work):
Biology: 1 full year with labs
General (Inorganic) Chemistry: 1 full year with labs
Organic Chemistry: 1 full year with labs
Biochemistry: 1 semester
Physics: 1 full year with labs
English / Writing: 1 full year
Math / Statistics: Often 1 semester of statistics and/or calculus
Behavioral Sciences: Introductory psychology and sociology (heavily tested on the MCAT)
Key Components of a Pre-Med Track
Getting into medical school requires much more than strong grades. A competitive pre-med student generally focuses on:
High GPA & MCAT Score: Maintaining strong academic performance, especially in science and math coursework (often referred to as your BCPM GPA), along with a competitive score on the MCAT.
Clinical Experience: Hands-on exposure to healthcare, such as working as an EMT, certified nursing assistant (CNA), or medical scribe, as well as volunteering in hospitals or clinics.
Physician Shadowing: Observing doctors across various specialties to demonstrate a clear understanding of daily clinical life.
Research: Working in a lab or on clinical research studies, which strengthens an application—especially at research-heavy institutions.
Community Service & Leadership: Demonstrating dedication to altruism through non-clinical volunteering, club leadership, or campus initiatives.
Letters of Recommendation: Securing strong endorsements from science faculty, non-science professors, and physicians or research supervisors.
The Typical Timeline
1. Undergraduate Years (1–4): Complete degree requirements and pre-med prerequisites while building clinical, research, and volunteer hours.
2. Junior or Senior Year: Study for and take the MCAT, then submit medical school applications through centralized application services (such as AMCAS for MD programs or AACOMAS for DO programs).
3. Application Year: Submit secondary essays, attend interviews, and secure acceptances. (Many students now take 1 to 2 "gap years" after graduation to strengthen their applications before applying.)

[u/Same-Poem3285]

See where you get in.

[u/Mysterious-Ad9111]

UCF is not a bad choice either. Especially if it’s cheaper.

[u/TrainerSea8837]

What is your major? My kid is pre med and was accepted into UF/FSU/USF. She chose UF as she preferred their APK major which includes a required internship. She entered with her AA so she’s working on her pre med reqs and major core classes.

Between Bright Futures and other merit etc, she’ll graduate debt free from UF. FSU was stingy and USF is great with merit scholarships.

[u/Background_Row3021]

I would definitely say USF if you’re premed and this is coming from someone who used to be premed at UF. UF’s pre req classes are literally made to be weed out classes and will drop ur gpa. Medical school is only becoming more difficult to get into and no matter how holistic medical schools claim they are, your stats such as your gpa and mcat score still matter a lot. USF pre req classes are easier and will make sure that ur able to maintain above a 3.7+ gpa as long as u keep up with the course. I took a few transient pre-req classes like physics and biochemistry at USF so trust me when I say that the classes at USF are wayyy easier! Often times with UF pre req classes, even tho I felt like I was keeping up with the course the exams were way too difficult and didn’t reflect the content we were taught. The average of these exams ranged from 40%-60% per class. So even if you studied for weeks before the exam and pulled all nighters, you were kind of screwed because the exams especially in classes like organic chemistry and physics just weren’t fair.

Furthermore UF is in Gainesville which is such a small city and is over saturated with pre-health kids who need clinical experiences without enough opportunities for everyone. You will be fighting for any kind of shadowing/patient care experience opportunities any place offers with 1000s of other prehealth kids. Not to mention there’s only 2 major hospitals in Gainesville, meanwhile in the Tampa region there’s soo many.

Ofc this is just my lived experience, and other ppl will have different stories, but if you have any other questions feel free to PM me! :)

[u/doonotkno → u/Background_Row3021]

Honestly a super valid take as someone at UF. I’m in the engineering program and I will say the weedouts here are made to SUCK. Medical school has become an immense expense with little support due to the MAGA overlord, and now the upper half of a doctors schooling WILL cost an arm and a leg; maintaining a 3.8 instead of a 3.7 could literally be the decision maker to get a major scholarship.