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Admission Process and Timeline

About the Process

The Admissions Committee at the Florida State University College of Medicine (FSU COM) is comprised of approximately 50 members and includes faculty from all FSU COM departments, fourth year medical students, and community physicians.

When considering applicants for admission, the Committee utilizes all appropriate information including academic, personal, experiential, and demographic data in the selection process. Personal qualities such as motivation, sensitivity to the needs of others, excellent oral communication skills, and maturity receive particular attention along with strong academic credentials. In addition, personal attributes such as compassion and altruism that are, in the view of the committee, essential to the art of good medical practice are of special interest in the selection process.

The Committee is especially interested in applicants who have demonstrated through their lifestyle consistent motivation for service to others. Applicants from underrepresented minority groups, applicants from rural and inner city backgrounds, women, and non-traditional applicants are of particular interest.

Early Decision Process

Consideration by the Office of Admissions for applicants participating in Early Decision begins as soon as an application is complete. Interviews for Early Decision applicants are held each year on the Mondays and Fridays in early September.

Applicants selected for an interview will be interviewed by two members of our Admissions Committee. The interviewers present the candidates at an Admissions Committee meeting on Tuesday following the Friday and Monday interview sessions. The Committee then makes a recommendation on each applicant to the Admissions Selection Committee which meets the following Tuesday afternoon for a final decision as to whether the applicant is immediately accepted, or placed on hold and deferred to the regular MD pool.

Applicants on hold may remain in that status until the class is filled. Applicants not selected for admission will be notified by early June.

Those applicants not chosen for Early Decision interviews are notified (and AMCAS informed) that their files have been deferred to the regular MD pool and will be reconsidered during the regular admission cycle.

All Early Decision notifications of acceptance and deferrals to the regular MD pool will be made by October 1^st.

Regular Admission Process

Consideration of applicants by the Admissions Office for Regular Admission begins in July and continues until late April. Interviews are conducted most Mondays and Fridays from September through April, and typically about 350 applicants are interviewed each admission cycle.

Applicants selected for an interview will be interviewed by two members of our Admissions Committee. The interviewers present the candidates at an Admissions Committee meeting on Tuesday following the Friday and Monday interview sessions. The Admissions Committee makes a recommendation on each applicant to the Admissions Selection Committee which meets the following Tuesday afternoon for a final decision as to whether the applicant is immediately accepted, placed on hold, or not accepted.

Applicants placed on hold may remain in that status until the class is filled. Applicants not selected for admission will be notified by early June.

Admission Decisions

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, throughout the admissions cycle. Following the interview, applicants will be notified of the decision reached by the Admissions Committee concerning their status. The applicant will be notified that they are either accepted, placed on hold, or not accepted:

• Acceptance - An offer of acceptance is made for the applicant to join the incoming FSU COM class. To accept the offer, applicants must submit a signed Acceptance Offer Letter, FSU Graduate Application and $30 application fee, and a Residency Form.
   
• Hold - The decision was made to place the applicant on hold and no offer of acceptance or notice of non acceptance is made. Final decisions of acceptance or non acceptance will be made by early June. Applicants in this category are encouraged to submit important and significant updates to the Admissions Office throughout the cycle, as updates may increase the likelihood of applicants from the Hold list being offered acceptance during the cycle. At the end of each cycle, applicants on the Hold list may be offered acceptance as withdrawals occur.
   
• Non-Acceptance - After careful evaluation, the applicant is informed that the Admissions Office will not be offering a position in the incoming class.

Timeline

Below is the timeline for the 2011-2012 FSU COM Admissions Cycle.

Due to the nature of our holistic admissions review process, particularly our focus on applicants who meet our mission, as well as our unique Master of Science Bridge to Clinical Medicine program, applicants may not hear from the Admissions Office until a final decision about their application is made, usually by early June.

Applicant Status Updates

Application status may be checked using the online admissions status page. To view the status all applicants must login with an AAMC ID. Other correspondence concerning applications, including updates to applications, must be sent via e-mail to medadmissions@med.fsu.edu. 

The application status should be checked regularly. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the submission of the primary AMCAS application and all secondary materials by the application deadline.