Academic Policies and Procedures

Undergraduate Preparation

Students intending to apply for admission to the College of Medicine should complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree. Preprofessional students at the University of Florida may major in a program offered by any department or college in the university. The Office of Health and Legal Professions Advising offers a variety of resources, including the university's Preprofessional Handbook.

Joint Programs

A Junior Honors Program exists for undergraduate students who have chosen a career in the medical profession and who have demonstrated both superior scholastic ability and personal development during their first two college years. Students are chosen for the program at the end of their sophomore year. The third year consists of two-thirds undergraduate courses and one-third College of Medicine courses. The latter are offered in a seminar form. The fourth year consists of first-year preclinical courses in the College of Medicine. Since the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences grants academic credit for all of the third-year work and part of the fourth-year work, a participating student receives a B.S. degree and concurrently completes one year of medical school while still an undergraduate student (in a total of four years). The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences also participates in this program through their Food Science and Human Nutrition major (nutrition specialization) and provides information regarding completion of the degree in their college. The program is limited in size to 12 students per year in order to retain the discussion seminar format. Preference is given to Florida residents.

Unusually gifted students may enter a combined M.D.-Ph.D. program that offers a unique opportunity for integrating clinical experience with competence in basic biomedical research. This program reflects the increasing dependence of the practice of medicine on scientific advances in the biological sciences and seeks to produce clinician scientists.

The College of Medicine in conjunction with the College of Business Administration and the Levin College of Law also offers the MD/MBA and the MD/JD. A complete description of these programs can be requested in the College of Medicine Admissions Office.