University of Central Florida College of Medicine

UCF College of Medicine Overview:

The College of Medicine of Central Florida University is situated in Orlando, Florida, USA. The UCF College of Medicine was founded in 2006 and is among the first U.S. medical colleges to be established from the ground up in years. UCF’s curriculum as a modern medical college exemplifies creativity, high-tech educational resources, and creative energy to train aspiring doctors and researchers in a modern and improved way for the 21st century.

The college is distinguished nationwide because of its Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, which has extensive undergraduate and graduate departments in biomedicine. The Burnett School has nearly 3,000 Majors — making it the third most widely known major at UCF. The medical college even presents combined diplomas, such as an M.D./Ph.D., an M.D./M.B.A and an M.D./M.S. degree in hospitality.

The University of Central Florida College of Medicine is a medical college premised on research, with partnership-based cultural values and collaborative effort. Medical and biomedical courses at the college concentrate on the core capabilities of UCF in the areas of medical sciences, modeling, simulation, engineering, optics and photonics, psychology, chemistry, film and electronic media, business, and medicine.

UCF Medical School Mission:

The University of Central Florida College of Medicine educates and inspires individuals to be exemplary physicians and scientists, leaders in medicine, scholars in discovery, and adopters of innovative technology to improve the health and well-being of all.

Their patient-centered mission is achieved by outstanding medical care and services, groundbreaking research, and leading-edge medical and biomedical education in an environment enriched by diversity.

Vision:

The University of Central Florida College of Medicine aspires to be the nation’s premier 21st-century college of medicine.

The UCF College of Medicine will be a national leader in education, research, and patient care, recognized for supporting and empowering its students and faculty to realize their passion for discovery, healing, health, and life, and for its ability to create partnerships to transform medical education, health care, and research.

UCF Medical School Goals:

• Goal 1: Excel in medical and biomedical education.
• Goal 2: Excel in research and discovery in biomedical sciences, medical education, and health care.
• Goal 3: Provide outstanding, innovative, patient-centered care while transforming health care delivery.
• Goal 4: Be America’s leading partnership college of medicine.
• Goal 5: Achieve a diversified, self-sustaining infrastructure to support future operations.

UCF Medical School Values:

UCF Medical School values the individual worth, dignity, and well-being of those with whom they teach, study, work, and serve. The core values that guide their conduct, performance, and decisions are:

• Excellence—to achieve the highest standards in everything they do
• Integrity—to be honest, ethical, and consistent in their actions
• Patient-centricity—to focus on the health and wellness of patients in all that they do
• Knowledge-centricity—to discover, create, value, evaluate, and share knowledge
• Creativity—to be curious, open, and innovative
• Collaboration—to work together regardless of organizational boundaries
• Communication—to listen and be open and transparent with students, patients, and colleagues
• Diversity—to be inclusive and value differences
• Reverence—to treat each person with respect and dignity and value his, or her, being
• Compassion—to treat others with kindness and empathy
• Dedication—to maintain a commitment to the mission
• Service—to understand and respond to the needs of individuals and the community

UCF Medical School Contact Information:

• College Phone: 407 266 1000
• UCF Health Practice Phone: 407 266 3627
• Main Campus Phone: (407) 823 2000
• Physical Address: UCF College of Medicine, 6850 Lake Nona Blvd, Orlando, Fl 32827
• Mailing Address: University of Central Florida, P.O. Box 160000, Orlando, FL 32816

University of Central Florida College of Medicine Departments:

• Biomedical Sciences
• Clinical Sciences
• Graduate Medical Education
• Internal Medicine
• Medical Education
• Population Health Sciences

UCF College of Medicine Programs:

Currently, the college offers baccalaureate, masters, and advanced degrees in the following different programs.

• Biomedical Sciences
• GME Program
• D. Program

UCF College of Medicine Academics:

The Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences:

The Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences is one of the leading colleges of the state when it comes to subjects relating to biomedicine. The undergraduate programs offered here are

Bachelors of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences:

The Medical Laboratory Sciences Program’s quest is to gear up students to be competent, specialist professionals of medical laboratory discipline. The MLS curriculum has limited applicability needing segregated application and admission in licensed associated clinical laboratories out of the university premises. The curriculum is 2 + 2 based at the university with vast academic laboratory training in a highly specialized college laboratory, and clinical assignments in clinical laboratories extending over a period of 18 weeks. This program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

Bachelors of Science in Biotechnology:

The main objective of this educational curriculum is to deliver highly skilled working people in Florida, and the world to address the employment demands of the rapidly expanding biotechnology sector. The degree provides its students “hands-on” experience and research opportunities while being provided with an industrial perspective throughout the degree. They contribute in areas of infectious disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neuroscience. Furthermore, students gain education experience in a field related to biophotonics, nanomedicine, bioinformatics, and structural biology in collaboration with other UCF departments.

Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Sciences:

The undergraduate program provides biomedical science subjects that include anatomy, molecular biology, cell biology, neurobiology, physiology, microbiology, and immunology. About 3,000 students are enrolled in Biomedical Sciences undergraduate major at the department. The coursework prepares students for schools of medicine, dentistry, veterinary, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, chiropractic practice, or to train to be a physician assistant. The course promotes and strenuously endorses undergraduate engagement in fields like cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and infectious disease research.

Admission Prerequisites

• BSC 2010C – Biology I Credit Hours: 4 (GEP)
• CHM 2045C – Chemistry Fundamentals I Credit Hours: 4 1 (GEP)
• CHM 2046 – Chemistry Fundamentals II Credit Hours: 3
• CHM 2046L – Chemistry Fundamentals Laboratory Credit Hours: 1
• MAC 2311C – Calculus with Analytic Geometry I Credit Hours: 4 (GEP)
• STA 2023 – Statistical Methods I Credit Hours: 3 (GEP)
• CHM 2210 – Organic Chemistry I Credit Hours: 3
• CHM 2211 – Organic Chemistry II Credit Hours: 3
• CHM 2211L – Organic Laboratory Techniques I Credit Hours: 2

Graduate Medical Education Program:

The UCF College of Medicine Graduate Medical Education Program sponsors many fellowship and residency courses throughout the state of Florida. Following is a list of all residency and fellowship programs available.

• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Program
• Obstetrics and Gynecology Program
• Transitional Year Residency Program
• Surgery Critical Care Fellowship Program
• Orthopedic Surgery Program
• Internal Medicine Residency Program
• General Surgery Program
• Family Medicine Residency Program
• Emergency Medicine Residency Program
• Anesthesiology Residency Program
• Hospice and Palliative Care Fellowship Program
• Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program
• Transitional Year Residency Program
• Psychiatry Residency Program
• Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Program
• Internal Medicine Residency Program
• Family Medicine Residency Program
• Emergency Medicine Residency Program
• Vascular Surgery Fellowship
• Meet our TY Residents
• Transitional Year Residency Program
• Rheumatology Fellowship
• Psychiatry Residency Program
• Obstetrics & Gynecology Residency Program
• Neurology Residency Program
• General Surgery Residency Program
• Endocrinology Fellowship Program
• Emergency Medicine Residency Program
• Internal Medicine Residency Program

MD Program:

Throughout this program, instructional environments are structured to improve the learning atmosphere, promote student-centric learning, implementation, and knowledge integration, as well as encourage understanding of lifelong learning.

It consists of P-1 and P-2 Community of Practice modules; clinical experiences are embedded during the first two years. Students must operate in a number of environments, at least twice a month, with group preceptors to learn techniques and adapt the lessons learned in the applied basic science program to actual patients.

The first two years of the curriculum are organized into modules, with the first year focused on rudimentary knowledge as to how the different domains of fundamental science related to the human body. The second-year starts to take a model based on the organ system and applies the basic first-year knowledge to the study of clinical disease, pathological processes, and treatment. The third and fourth years of the curriculum are devoted to clinical experience through clerkships, selective, and electives.

Furthermore, students are allowed to take dual degree programs listed below.

• D./M.B.A. Program
• Master of Science in Hospitality & Tourism Management (M.D. Track)
• D./Ph.D. Program
• D./M.S.B.M.E. Program

Admission Requirements:

• Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA-3.00
• Minimum Science (Biology Chemistry, Physics, Math) GPA-3.0
• Minimum MCAT (best single test composite score in 2018, 2019, 2020)- 500
• Significant and meaningful medical clinical activities
• Applicants are required to submit at least three, but no more than five recommendations.
• Consistent service to the community
• Physician Shadowing
• Teamwork and leadership skills
• Demonstrated interest in research
• Perseverance or excellence in an activity (sports, research, or other endeavors) at a very high level

Admission Prerequisites:

To be considered for an interview, an applicant should have completed or been in the process of completing the following course work:

• Biology – 2 Semesters (with labs)
• General Chemistry – 2 Semesters (with labs)
• Organic Chemistry* – 2 Semesters (with labs)
• General Physics – 2 Semesters (with labs)
• College English** – 2 Semesters
• College Math – 2 Semesters

UCF College of Medicine Tuition Fee:

Residents of Florida pay an annual total price of $22,548 to attend the University of Central Florida on a full-time basis. This fee is comprised of $4,478 for tuition, $10,010 room and board, $1,200 for books and supplies, and $1,890 for other fees.

Out of state residents are charged a total cost of $37,880 which is 68% higher than Florida residents. The tuition charge is $19,810 while room and board are $10,010, books and supplies are $1,200 and other fees come in at $1,890.

UCF College of Medicine On-campus Facilities:

• Anatomy Lab:

  Anatomy is practiced in an 8,100 square foot high-tech facility with 22 dissection tables, 2 rooms for planning, cold storage, demonstration area, and space for future study. Throughout dissection, ceiling-mounted monitor/computer terminals adjacent to the dissection tables provide convenient access to a textbook of digital dissections and provision of educational material on the web.

• Biomedical Sciences Building:

  The 198,000 square-foot Burnett Biomedical Sciences building, which opened in autumn 2009, is five floors of facilities for biomedical researchers. The facility also houses a large transgenic animal laboratory and three labs at Biosafety Level 3, which is an excellent setting for students engaged in enhancing medical science.

• Clinical Skills and Simulation Center:

  The state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Center situated on 7,500 square feet offers a number of medical settings for participants to acquire hands-on experience and understand and develop critical competencies. The Medical Training and Simulation Facility is fitted with training simulators and surgical mannequins to demonstrate clinical examination and intervention techniques, such as pulse, lung, and bowel noises, venipuncture, and catheterization. In particular, the center offers rooms specifically for research and development in virtual simulation technology.

• Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library:

  The Lake Nona Health Sciences Library at Harriet F. Ginsburg is a modern state-of-the-art 12,300 square-foot building with 8,000 square feet reserved for study rooms. It includes research areas for small to medium teams, reading rooms, eight public computers, and areas for reference to special displays. The library is housed on the second floor of the four-story Medical Education building which offers resources for health services, schooling, which science on the Health Sciences campus and throughout the surrounding area.

• Safety services:

  Police and public services officers patrol the Health Sciences Campus regularly at the UCF Campus. In the event of an emergency, please call 911 on your cell or call authorities using one of the campus-located “Blue Light” Police Mobile Phones.

• Microscopy Laboratory:

  The Microscopy laboratory is the lab of tomorrow. Using simulated digitized slides, students discover the mysteries of the cell and its anatomy and are able to evaluate normal and unhealthy tissues. The laboratory also facilitates conventional histology and pathology slide analysis with a ten-headed microscope complete with automated image capture and several camera displays.

• UCF Bioskills Lab:

  The lab features the following facilities
• 3500 Square foot sub-dividable bioskill/cadaver laboratory
• Lab stations overlook a nature preserve
• Demo station for instructors with a camera and surgical lights
• Flat-screen monitors at each station with an internet connection
• Specimen preparation room, cooler and freezers for cadaver storage
• 4 lecture halls accommodating 60-370 participants
• Streaming available from lab to lecture halls
• Restrooms inside lab
• Dining area inside and outside

How to get successful in a Medical School?

Our bodies are nature’s beautiful machines. They need fuel to operate, and if overworked they get exhausted and often malfunction. Usually, the chief reason behind exhaustion is multi-tasking. Furthermore, procrastination towards a certain task that should have ended days ago due to distractions is another factor that quietly leads us to mentally being exhausted due to continuous tension of incomplete work. Students and especially medical students need to train their minds to not only avoid procrastination but also stay ahead of the curve so as to not fall from the sheer exhaustion of the workload.

Getting into medical school is a level accomplished, but there are many more hard and frustrating levels ahead. Adapting to the excessive amount of work that a medical student needs to do while in training is a task in itself. But how to adapt to achieve success? Following are a few tips that will help you attain success in medical school while remaining mentally and physically healthy,

Always prepare beforehand:

What topic is going to be discussed in class tomorrow? Every day, try to read the topics that will be the focus of your lecture the next day. This will not only help you stay prepared but you will be able to retain your lectures more effectively. If you did not understand a certain topic on your own, you can ask about it the next day in class. This way, your concepts will strengthen over time. It is a hard technique, but if a student remains consistent it will help them effectively learn all their courses.

Have a Schedule:

Medical school education does not tolerate haphazard routines. You will need to map out all your activities weekly to fit in all your coursework and your extracurricular activities. Keep a diary or have a schedule on your mobile/laptop. Students tend to remain in an advantageous position if they maintain a schedule because it helps them do everything on time. A schedule keeps us organized.

You will surprise yourself:

Often students find that although they are unable to retain each and every lesson, they know much more than they realized, especially when they enter their clinical years in med schools. They find that they could comfortably assess patients, obtain histories, conduct examinations, and generate appropriate care plans. So, don’t worry too much about knowing everything about everything, just focus on doing your best and everything will work out in the end.

Always have Copies of Previous Tests

Make absolutely sure that you have copies of past tests if you can. Several medical teachers use the same kind of questions on their exams. They can change the terms; however, they are essentially the same. If you can grasp the meaning of the problems that they have used, then you’ll have a fair probability of passing the exams.

Look beyond your books:

You may feel like you need to study 24/7, but if you barely exit the library, you might lose on a ton of opportunities your medical college offers to you. Join societies, actively engaged in a student organization, register for a council. You would not only add to your medical school’s culture and help make it a more enriching environment for other medical students, you never know what contacts you will make. By being involved, you will be learning how to network and establish connections that will serve you throughout your career.

Give Back

All medical students ended up in their pre-med days scuttling around volunteer work in an effort to be a better candidate, and to give back to the world. But you should not conclude doing volunteer work with the acceptance note. Medical school offers plenty of opportunities; you have a shot to contribute to society, establish contacts, acquire new skills, and, yes, they will go on your residency.

Dr. Najeeb’s Lectures:

Medical students often need access to lectures in off-hours. You can have your professor with you all the time to tend to your queries. In such cases, students start hunting for online resources. There are many perks to having access to online pre-recorded lecture, you can pause and process a something that feels a little bit tough to understand, you can rewind the lecture multiple times until you are satisfied you get the message and you can watch these lectures any number of times.  If you are looking for a good online resource that covers all topics included in your curriculum, you need to check Dr. Najeeb Lectures. They are what you call a medical student’s dream.

Every student has a different approach towards learning, and this online resource takes that into consideration. They cover almost every topic included in modern curriculums from Neuro-anatomy, Embryology, Histology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology. These lectures are as good as classroom lectures but without any of its their limitations.

At the end of the day, your success if is your hands. Work hard, stay focused and your effort will bear fruit soon.