College of Medicine The College of Medicine, a unit of the Health Science Center, began operations in 1956 and is located on the south end of the campus. This location, in direct proximity to university facili- ties, offers many opportunities to utilize and complement resources of the university in the educational and investigative programs of the College. Joint programs exist with the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Education, and Engineering, the Institute of Food and Agricul- tural Sciences, and the other colleges of the Health Science Center. Also, computational and statistical services are available through univer- sity resources and facilities. The College of Medicine is responsible for several major educational programs. Foremost is the four-year program leading to the M.D. degree. After graduation, physicians enter resi- dency programs. At present, the College of Medicine offers some 470 positions in accredited residency training programs. The basic medical science departments also offer the Ph.D. degree in the Medical Sciences with specialization in Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Neuroscience, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pharmacology and Thera- peutics, and Physiology. The College of Medicine also offers a two-year undergraduate Physician Assistant Program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Medicine degree. Further training is offered through a number of positions for postdoctoral research fellow- ships in all basic science and clinical depart- ments. The clinical departments conduct frequent seminars as part of a continuing educa- tion program for practicing physicians. In addi- tion, some of the clinical departments have assumed responsibility for community medicine programs in communities surrounding Gainesville. The faculty is dedicated to a teaching pro- gram of high quality. The design of the four-year curriculum encourages a close faculty-student relationship. The educational program is struc- tured to enable the graduate to choose any career offered in medicine. Therefore, emphasis is placed on fostering understanding of funda- mental biological principles and their relevance for the practice of medicine. Undergraduate Preparation For Medicine Students intending to apply for admission should complete the requirements for a bache- lor's degree. Pre-professional students at the University of Florida may major in a program offered by any department or college in the uni- versity. The Office of Pre-professional Educa- tion, described in this catalog, offers a variety of resources including the university's Pre-profes- sional Handbook. An applicant to the College of Medicine must have personal qualities of the highest order--character, integrity, intellectual honesty, responsibility, maturity, initiative, and aptitude. In addition, students must have demonstrated superior academic achievement during under- graduate work and completed the Medical Col- lege Aptitude Test (MCAT). SPECIAL PROGRAMS A Junior Honors Program exists for under- graduate students who have chosen a career in the medical profession and who have demon- strated both superior scholastic ability and per- sonal 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 arts and sciences courses and one-third College of Medicine credit. The latter is offered in a seminar form. The fourth year consists of first year preclinical courses in the College of Medicine. Since the College of 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 BS degree and completes one year of medical school in a total of four years. The program is limited in size to a maximum of 12 students per year in order to retain the discussion seminar format. Unusually gifted students may enter a com- bined M.D.-Ph.D. program which offers a unique opportunity of integrating clinical expe- rience with competence in basic biomedical research. This program reflects the increasing dependence of the practice of medicine on scien- tific advances in the biological sciences. The Program in Medical Sciences (PIMS), an inter-university approach to medical education, began in 1971 at the Florida State and Florida A & M universities in Tallahassee. In this pro- gram the two universities in the state capital along with the University of West Florida in Pen- sacola have combined efforts to provide instruc- tion in the preclinical medical sciences parallel with the first year curriculum of the University of Florida. From among those students accepted into the PIMS program after satisfactory comple- tion of the required curriculum, an evaluation committee, with the approval of the College of Medicine dean, selects those students that may transfer to the University of Florida College of Medicine at the second year level. Those who make satisfactory progress complete the remain- ing three years of medical education at the Uni- versity of Florida College of Medicine. TEACHING HOSPITALS Shands Hospital, a modern tertiary care facility, is part of the Health Science Center complex and is the teaching hospital of the Col- lege of Medicine. The College of Medicine has responsibility for patient care, teaching and research at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, located next to the Health Science Cen- ter. A formal affiliation was established with the Jacksonville Health Education Program, Inc. in 1969 for the purpose of providing combined educational and clinical resources. In addition, the college is involved in several projects con- cerned with community health care. Further detailed information will be found in the College of Medicine or the Graduate School catalogs. Copies may be obtained by writing to the Office of the University Registrar, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-2058. The Physician Assistant Program The Physician Assistant Program is designed to prepare health care professionals who will perform certain functions traditionally per- formed by licensed physicians. The physician assistant will typically provide comprehensive health care under the supervision of a licensed physician to family members at various points along the age continuum. The curriculum of this program offers the student in-depth content in the basic and medical sciences. The Physician Assistant Program consists of ten months of didactic instruction in Gainesville and fourteen one-month clinical rotations in medical and surgical specialties at the hospitals and clinics of the University of Florida Health Science Center in Gainesville and Jacksonville and at hospitals, clinics and physicians' private practices throughout Florida. As part of the program's support for the pri- mary care health needs of rural populations, all students will take at least one of their clinical rotations in a rural area. The program is fully accredited by the American Medical Association's Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation. Graduates are eligible to take a national certify- ing examination conducted by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assis- tants. ACADEMIC POLICIES Health Policy The Physician Assistant Program requires evidence of sound physical health, mental health, and emotional stability for admission. Personnel of the Department of Student Health will test students for sensitivity to tuberculosis. The Department of Student Health will verify immunization against diphtheria, rubella (Ger- man measles), and tetanus. Students are required to be immunized against the Hepatitis B virus. Each student is required to have some form of hospitalization insurance. Students are eligi- ble for the health insurance plans sponsored by Student Government which may be purchased at the time of registration. This provides 12- month coverage. Financial Aid Information about financial aid and all deci- sions about it are handled entirely by the Office for Student Financial Affairs, 103 Criser Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611. Expenses In addition to the usual university tuition and fees and necessary medical equipment, stu- dents are responsible for their transportation, housing and living expenses during their clini- cal year. Costs will vary depending on the loca- tion of their clinical rotations.,