Due to the number of medical schools in Florida with a great reputation (and the bonus of warm weather), many students consider the sunshine state. It’s also a great state to practice medicine and many students end up staying after school to start their careers!
In this guide, we cover the essential information about each Florida medical school so you can make an educated decision about where you want to apply.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University
- Location: Boca Raton, FL
- GPA: 3.79
- MCAT: 512
- Tuition: $31,750 In-state, $67,892 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Public
Located in Boca Raton, the community-based Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine offers an innovative, high-tech curriculum. As one of the 64 students accepted annually, you’ll have the option of pursuing an M.D., an M.D./Ph.D. or Ph.D. degree. If you prefer, you can choose from either thesis or non-thesis Biomedical Science M.S. programs. In addition, a new program in collaboration with the university’s College of Business allows you to complete both your M.D. and M.B.A. programs in just four years.
University-sponsored residency programs at the college include internal and emergency medicine, surgery and neurology. The college’s Department of Surgery offers instruction in general surgery, as well as in specialties such as neurosurgery, otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, urology, ophthalmology, and orthopedics.
Thanks to funding from the National Institute of Health, the college is able to commit to researching such challenging health issues as cancer, macular degeneration, and autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. This is definitely one of the most impressive medical schools in Florida.
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
- Location: Miami, FL
- GPA: 3.78
- MCAT: 512
- Tuition: $38,003 In-state, $69,503 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Public
Named for a prominent Florida International University benefactor, the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine is located in Miami-Dade County and is one of the university’s more than 20 schools and colleges. Focusing on 21st-century methods, the college emphasizes the social impact on health by utilizing both traditional and community classroom approaches.
If you’re looking for a practical, hands-on learning experience, you’ll find it in the college’s team-based curriculum through the Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program.
The college sponsors a number of residency programs in collaboration with such community hospitals as Broward Health, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, and Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart Institute. You have many choices of accredited residency programs, including internal, family and emergency medicine. If your preferred interest is in the field of research, you can participate in the college’s research program that focuses on the health needs of residents of southern Florida.
Florida State University College of Medicine
- Location: Tallahassee, FL
- GPA: 3.77
- MCAT: 507
- Tuition: $26,310 In-state, $60,861 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Public
Located in Tallahassee, the Florida State University College of Medicine has been ranked an exemplary third among the U.S. News & World Report’s top 10 medical colleges with the lowest acceptance rates. As far as Florida medical schools go, this is definitely the most competitive.
Only top-ranked Mayo Clinic and second-ranked Stanford University College of Medicine placed higher. If you’re a student who wants to enter this medical college, you’ll expect to be carefully vetted before you’re admitted. Once accepted, your learning environment will value mutual respect, open communication, and teamwork.
The college grants both M.D. and Ph.D. degrees and also offers physician assistant and biomedical sciences programs. Your first two years toward your M.D. degree will involve both traditional classroom instruction and simulated clinical training, which includes learning skills in interviewing and patient examination.
You can complete your final two years of hands-on clinical training either at regional campuses or a rural site. The FCU College of Medicine expects its graduates to focus on the health needs of the community, particularly the elderly, rural and underserved.
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
- Location: Davie, FL
- GPA: 3.71
- MCAT: 511
- Tuition: $55,164 In-state, $61,559 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Private
Having opened just last year with a diverse class of more than 50 students, the Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine offers an M.D. program that focuses on innovation and leadership.
If you’re considering this college, you’ll need to expect a strict admission process. Developed by an experienced team of 100 physicians, educators and researchers, the M.D. program emphasizes personal interaction, rather than lecture-based instruction. You’ll work in a highly personalized setting with a small group of no more than seven other students.
The college also offers a chance for you to participate in several areas of research. The research of population health focuses on preventable diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and heart and lung disease. Some areas of cancer research include breast and prostate cancers and sarcoma, as well as the study of drug-resistant cancers and alternative therapies. The college’s neuroscience research involves understanding such health issues as Alzheimer’s and opioid addiction.
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
- Location: Orlando, FL
- GPA: 3.84
- MCAT: 513
- Tuition: $29,680 In-state, $56,554 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Public
Located on the institution’s 50-acre Health Science Campus in eastern Orlando, the University of Central Florida College of Medicine’s campus includes two new structures, a new 170,000 square-foot education facility, and the 198,000 square-foot Burnett Biomedical Sciences Building. The facilities here stand out significantly among all the other medical schools in Florida.
The Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, the Medical Laboratory Science program, the Biomolecular Science Center and the Pre-Health Professions Advisement Office are all located in the Burnett Building. Here you can choose from among three undergraduate or two graduate degrees.
The college offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctor’s degrees in biomedical sciences, biotechnology, medicine, medical laboratory science, and molecular biology and microbiology. You can also choose from such joint degrees as an M.D./M.B.A., an M.D./Ph.D. or an M.D./M.S. in Hospitality.
Guidelines for entry into the college are strict, focusing on your GPA, your Medical College Admission Test score, admission essays, an interview, your work experience, volunteering and your history of leadership. The college’s four-year curriculum includes two years of classroom instruction in basic sciences, followed by two years of hands-on clinical rotation.
University of Florida College of Medicine
- Location: Gainesville, FL
- GPA: 3.87
- MCAT: 515
- Tuition: $37,124 In-state, $49,380 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Public
The highest-ranked medical school in Florida, the University of Florida College of Medicine campus consists of facilities in both Jacksonville and Gainesville. More than 1,400 faculty members comprise the staff at the Gainesville campus, teaching in 28 basic science and clinical departments.
More than 450 physicians and scientists staff the Jacksonville campus, providing an educational experience for students and conducting research in the health field. The college’s teaching hospital, Shands at the University of Florida, has been ranked nationally in seven adult and five pediatric specialties.
In addition to its M.D. and M.D./Ph.D. degrees, you can choose from programs in medical and biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, and physician assistant studies. The Master in Medical Science involves acquiring a basic understanding of cell and molecular biology, along with a quality research thesis presented and defended in public. The goal of the college’s biomedical sciences program is to provide students with a predoctoral experience by promoting biological literacy.
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
- Location: Miami, FL
- GPA: 3.8
- MCAT: 514
- Tuition: $41,711 In-state, $45,324 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Private
The oldest medical school in Florida, the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is located on a 153-acre campus in Miami’s Civic Center.
Three university-owned hospitals comprise the University Health System, including the University of Miami Hospital, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital, site of U.S. News & World Report’s top-ranked ophthalmology facility, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. The college’s main teaching facility, the affiliated Jackson Memorial Hospital, is one of the nation’s largest hospitals.
If you’re looking for a career in the field of medicine, this school offers you a wide choice of degree programs. Besides the traditional M.D. program, there are joint programs in conjunction with other disciplines, including the M.D./Ph.D. with the programs in Biomedical Sciences Public Health Services, the M.D./M.S. in Genomic Medicine, the M.D./J.D. with the UM School of Law, the four-year M.D./M.P.H. with the Department of Public Health Sciences and the M.D./M.B.A. with the UM School of Business.
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
- Location: Tampa, FL
- GPA: 3.76
- MCAT: 517
- Tuition: $33,726 In-state, $54,916 Out-of-state
- Public/Private: Public
Originally a community medical school, the University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine has become a nationally-recognized academic medical center known for its innovative curriculum and research. Located in Tampa, the accredited college offers an M.D. degree, along with both Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in the medical sciences from its School of Biomedical Sciences.
Its School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program. Its Athletic Training Education program awards both B.S. and M.S. degrees. If you’re interested in a joint degree, you can choose from the college’s M.D./M.B.A., M.D./M.P.H. or D.P.T./M.P.H. programs.
Research is a major focus at the college, which houses one of the world’s largest centers for brain disease research, as well as a globally-recognized diabetes center. This Florida medical school’s primary teaching facility is Tampa General Hospital; its pediatric training facility is All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. The college’s primary cancer affiliate is the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. Measuring four stories and over 101,000 square feet, the center is the state’s only comprehensive cancer center approved by the National Cancer Institute.
Osteopathic Medical Schools
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus
- Location: Bradenton, FL
- GPA: 3.5
- MCAT: 503
- Tuition: $32,530 In-state, $34,875 Out-state
- Public/Private: Private
Located in the master-planned community of Lakewood Ranch, the Bradenton Campus of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine consists of two building, one of which is the School of Dental Medicine.
The main building features two 210-seat lecture halls with convenient access to smart technology. There are also 24 smaller meeting-size classrooms in which students can participate in problem-based learning activities.
The college’s spacious multipurpose lab includes high-tech equipment for both basic science and anatomy instruction. For quiet study time, you can retreat to the school’s peaceful library, or you can opt for the more active student lounge or the cafeteria. Thanks to universal wireless access, you’re always connected anywhere on campus.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is the largest medical college in the United States. It’s also the world’s only osteopathic academic health center. As a Bradenton student, you’ll begin your four-year program with two years of basic sciences. You then enroll in clinical science courses in your third year, followed by an advanced practice experience during your fourth year.
Nova Southeastern University
- Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
- GPA: 3.62
- MCAT: 504
- Tuition: $59,385
- Public/Private: Private
Classified as a Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching “high research activity” university, Nova Southeastern University maintains several campuses, including those at Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, Tampa, and Miramar.
The nation’s largest private, nonprofit academic center classified as a U.S. Department of Education Hispanic-serving institution, NSU also maintains a campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You should have no problem finding a major that’s of interest to you, as NSU offers a diversity of programs through its 18 colleges, schools, and centers.
The Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctor’s programs in many specialized fields. NSU’s College of Medical Science grants a Master of Biomedical Science degree with an emphasis on instruction in basic science. If you prefer a career in nursing, you can earn your bachelor’s, master’s or doctor’s degree through NSU’s Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing.
Conclusion
Choosing between medical schools in Florida doesn’t have to be hard. With so many respected options with great facilities, you have a number of realistic options at your fingertips.
If you think you might need a little bit of help getting in, don’t hesitate to reach out. Over the years we’ve helped countless students get into their dream school and can do the same for you!
