Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University is one of the newest public medical schools in the United States. Founded in 2011, it sits at the FAU campus in Boca Raton. The school's distinctive educational model is community-based.
Clinical training is spread across small community hospitals and outpatient practices in Palm Beach and Broward counties, rather than concentrated at one academic medical center. FAU Schmidt emphasizes primary care, geriatric medicine, and serving South Florida's diverse and aging population.
What makes FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) different
FAU Schmidt's deliberately small class size (~78) is one of the smallest among public medical schools in the US, creating an unusually intimate and personalised educational environment. The community-based, distributed training model is genuinely distinctive — students train in the healthcare system they are likely to work in, rather than large academic referral centers.
Palm Beach County's large elderly and affluent-but-diverse population creates unusual training opportunities in geriatric medicine and concierge medicine alongside safety-net care.
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. 4-year MD. Clinical training uses a distributed, community-based model across Palm Beach and Broward county hospitals and outpatient sites. Intentionally small class size creates a close-knit learning environment. The geriatrics and aging medicine program is a particular strength given South Florida's demographics.
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) research strengths
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) is strong in these research areas:
- Ageing and geriatrics
- Community health
- South Florida health disparities
- Primary care research
- Cardiovascular disease
How the FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) interview runs
Format: Traditional interview (faculty, community physician, and/or student interviewers)
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine uses a traditional interview format. Expect one or two one-on-one sessions of roughly 30 to 45 minutes each, with faculty, community physicians, and/or current students. The interviews are non-blind. They probe motivation for medicine, commitment to community-based care in South Florida, and your understanding of the ageing and underserved populations of Palm Beach County.
The school uses a community-based model, so interviewers look for candidates comfortable training across multiple small-hospital and outpatient sites rather than at one large academic medical center.
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) intake
Approximately 78 students per year.
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) at a glance
Founded in 2011. Based in Boca Raton, FL.
Programmes offered:
- Community Medicine
- Geriatrics
- Primary Care
- Internal Medicine
- Family Medicine
