Tampa-based University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine has seen a dramatic increase in the number of applicants, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Since 2014, the number of applicants has risen 40 percent, and this year, a staggering 6,200 students are competing for 170 positions. "Frankly, I'm stunned," said Charles Lockwood, MD, dean of the college and senior vice president of Tampa-based USF Health, according to the report. "It's staggering, actually. And the caliber of students is also very, very high."
Why the ever-increasing number of applicants? The reasoning more than likely has to do with the medical school's future home in downtown Tampa. The new $157 million, 11-story facility will be completed by the time classes start in the fall of 2019, though this year's incoming class will spend some time in the building.
USF Morsani is also repurposing its USF Center for Advanced Medical Learning & Simulation, as well as revamping its curriculum to include programs in public policy, population health and administration.
The heavy student debt load that usually accompanies medical education isn't as terrible at USF Morsani, either. Tuition hasn't increased since 2012, scholarship funding has gone up and fewer than 15 percent of students finish school with over $200,000 in debt.