Uninsured patient navigation, Florida Medicaid gap, FQHC referral, medication assistance programs.

PTSD, TBI, VA system navigation, moral injury in combat veterans.

Role-play with standardized nurse, pharmacist, or social worker from USF Health campus.

Spanish-speaking Tampa Bay patient, interpreter ethics, Latino health beliefs.

Florida ties, community health commitment, veteran or underserved community experience, why USF.

Florida is one of the largest states that has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA. Millions of working Floridians earn too much for traditional Medicaid but too little to afford marketplace insurance.

Hospitality workers (Disney, Universal, hotel chains) are a major affected population — visible in Tampa Bay clinics and emergency departments.

Know the FQHC network in Tampa, medication assistance programs (PAP), and Florida KidCare as partial solutions — and their limitations.

James A. Haley VA in Tampa is one of the largest VA hospitals in the US — USF students rotate there extensively. Veteran health is not a peripheral topic.

Know the difference between PTSD, TBI (traumatic brain injury), and moral injury — three distinct but overlapping conditions common in combat veterans.

VA system navigation can be complex — know that many veterans fall through gaps between VA eligibility and civilian insurance.

Tampa Bay is one of the most hurricane-vulnerable metropolitan areas in the US. Hurricanes Ian and Idalia caused significant health system disruptions.

Extreme heat, flooding, mold exposure post-hurricane, displacement, and mental health consequences of repeated disasters are clinical realities.

Discuss climate and health not as future concern but as present emergency — USF faculty research and treat climate health impacts daily.

"Since 2011 I've sat on MMI panels across Canada, the USA, and the UK — scoring thousands of candidates across medicine, dentistry, PA, and nursing. Universal MMI is built on everything I've learned sitting on the other side of that table."

No. Florida is one of ten remaining states that have not expanded Medicaid under the ACA as of 2026. This creates a coverage gap for adults earning above the traditional Medicaid threshold but below the marketplace subsidy eligibility level.

James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa is one of the largest VA medical centers in the US and a major USF clinical training site. USF students rotate extensively in VA medicine, making veteran health a core component of the curriculum.

Moral injury is the psychological damage caused by participating in or witnessing actions that violate one's moral code — distinct from PTSD. In combat veterans, it may involve guilt about orders given, civilians harmed, or comrades lost. It is increasingly recognized as a clinical entity requiring specific therapeutic approaches.

As a Florida public university, USF strongly preferences Florida residents, admitting approximately 80% in-state students. Out-of-state applicants with strong Florida ties or compelling health equity backgrounds are competitive.

Recent entering classes have median MCAT around 512 and median GPA around 3.72. USF holistically values community service, Florida ties, and interprofessional experience.

USF Health brings together medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, and physical therapy students on a shared campus. Interprofessional simulation and clinical experiences are integrated into the MD curriculum.

Tampa has historically large Cuban American and Spanish immigrant communities in West Tampa and Ybor City. East Tampa has significant Puerto Rican and Central American communities. Language access and cultural competence are clinical priorities at USF.

Tampa Bay is one of the most hurricane-vulnerable metros in the US. Health impacts include storm-related injuries, displacement trauma, mold exposure post-flooding, extreme heat illness, and disruption to chronic disease management. USF researchers study these impacts actively.