Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, founded in 2011, is one of the newest public medical schools in the United States, located at the FAU campus in Boca Raton. The school's distinctive educational model is community-based — clinical training is distributed across small community hospitals and outpatient practices in Palm Beach and Broward counties rather than concentrated at a single academic medical center. FAU Schmidt emphasizes primary care, geriatric medicine, and serving South Florida's diverse and aging population.
What makes it 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.
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.
Research strengths
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) has notable research strength in Ageing and geriatrics, Community health, South Florida health disparities, Primary care research, Cardiovascular disease.
Interview
FAU Schmidt College of Medicine (MD) interviews via Traditional interview (faculty, community physician, and/or student interviewers). FAU Schmidt College of Medicine uses a traditional interview format, typically one or two one-on-one sessions of approximately 30–45 minutes each with faculty, community physicians, and/or current students. Interviews are non-blind and probe motivation for medicine, commitment to community-based care in South Florida, and understanding of the aging and underserved populations of Palm Beach County. The school's community-based model means interviewers look for candidates comfortable with distributed clinical training across multiple small-hospital and outpatient sites rather than a single large academic medical center.
Intake
Approximately 78 students per year.
At a glance
Founded in 2011, based in Boca Raton, FL. Programmes offered: Community Medicine, Geriatrics, Primary Care, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine.
