Medical Honors Program
Medical Honors Class of 2029!
A New Era
In 1972, the University of Florida College of Medicine began an early decision BS/MD program then called the Junior Honors Program, now the Medical Honors Program. This program has been the path to admission for over 500 of our graduates who have served the college, the medical center, and the medical community for these five decades. Graduates have served as class leaders, matched in superb programs, and gone on to every kind of successful practice, including leadership positions in patient care, research, and administration. Many of our College of Medicine faculty and leaders, including department chairs, came to UF through this program. In short, it has a long history of successes we all celebrate, and its participants have brought honor to the College of Medicine and the medical profession.
Over the past several years, trends nationwide in medical admissions have led a growing number of institutions to end their early decision programs. One of the main reasons we are seeing this trend can be traced to changes in how prospective students prepare to apply to medical school. Specifically, an increasing number of applicants are taking gap years to gain medical experience, explore areas of service or research, and prepare themselves for the challenges of medical training. With so many students now applying to medical school at an older age and with more life experience, we needed to rethink the added value of our program.
After years of deliberation involving the senior associate dean for education, assistant dean for admission, educational leadership, members of the Medical School Admissions Committee and the Dean of the College of Medicine, we have unanimously concluded we will discontinue the Medical Honors Program after we welcome members of the incoming UF COM class of 2029, our last cohort, selected from the recently concluded final admissions cycle for MHP. All educational activities for the group will continue as for previous classes, ensuring they will have the same excellent educational experience we have provided for many years.
Please join with us in celebrating the accomplishments of this program and its contribution to the UF College of Medicine.
James W. Lynch Jr., MD
Assistant Dean for Admissions
Professor of Hematology/Oncology UF College of Medicine
Shelley W. Collins, MD
Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
Professor and Associate Chair of Pediatrics UF College of Medicine