Welcome Class of 2015 and DPT 2014!
Congratulations on your acceptance to the University of South Florida College of Medicine and School of Physical Therapy! On behalf of the COM Class of 2014 and DPT 2013, we welcome you and are excited for you to start a new journey with us at the University of South Florida COM/PT!
We are the USF College of Medicine Peer Advisory Committee (USF COMPAC), a peer group of 14 COM students elected by our classmates whose role it is to make your transition into medical school and your first year a successful one. However, what’s a little bit of success without some fun welcoming events to go along with it? We look forward to meeting you and welcoming a new class of student-doctors, and are available all summer to answer any questions you may have. Seriously, we are here for anything and everything that we can help with, so please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Note: Please make sure to review the "Supply Order Form", "To Do", and "Events" pages ASAP. Please take a minute to follow these links as DEADLINES ARE FAST APPROACHING.
Our housing/apartment guide is available to you. It is a compilation of comments from our class and those before us based on where they have lived and if they would recommend them or not. One thing is for certain…AVOID APARTMENTS LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF BRUCE B DOWNS BLVD, FROM BEARS AVE TO BUSCH BLVD. This area is just not a good place to call home. South Tampa is not a bad decision; many students live south of I-4, and find that the 15-20 minute drive to class everyday is worth it for close quick access to TGH, bars, and restaurants that Hyde Park and SoHo provide. In North Tampa/New Tampa, it's suburban sprawl with plenty of apartments and condos available, slightly larger and slightly cheaper, with around a closer (5-15 min) minute drive to school, but obviously farther away from TGH, and some of the entertainment options in S. Tampa.
We also need you to fill out the Little Sibling Questionnaire. Please take a minute to fill it out! Next year you will have an assigned Big Sibling, and this helps us know you better as well as pair you with your Big Sib. You can abuse your Big Sib for advice, guidance, hand me down books, reviews, etc. This is informal, so enjoy it! Only the COMPACers will see it, so there is no need to censor your responses.
During the weekend before the start of your classes, and your first couple weeks of school, this motley crew has organized tons of fun stuff to do. This way, you can become familiar with the school, Tampa, and more importantly, your colleagues. We hope that you will make it to these; they are definitely fun and a great way to start the year and get to know your classmates. Feel free to bring any significant others or family members to any and all of these events!!
Disclaimer: COMPAC IS A SELF-FUNDED STUDENT ORGANIZATION. We raise our money for these events by selling shirts and equipment to incoming first year students. In addition to class shirts and Scavenger Hunt shirts, we also sell physical diagnosis kits that you will need for PD class. These kits include the necessary (REQUIRED) tools at prices lower than those offered by the bookstore on campus and are very competitive to local prices. We also sell scrubs that you will need for the anatomy lab.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCE TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. NOW GO HAVE FUN THIS SUMMER AND RELAX! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us via phone or email. Seriously, we mean it, we’d love to hear from you. Be sure to keep checking the COMPAC website for updates throughout the summer.
To the MD class of 2015 and the DPT class of 2014, welcome to the University of South Florida!
