Medical Schools in Florida: How to Get In (2025)
/Learn how hard it is to get into the best medical schools in Florida and strategies to make it happen
There are 10 medical schools in Florida, 8 of which are allopathic
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: List of medical schools in Florida: 2024 rankings & admissions statistics
Part 3: Florida medical school profiles
Part 4: Florida medical school admissions strategies
Appendix A: Florida medical schools by degree type
Appendix B: Florida medical schools by institution type
Appendix C: Florida medical schools by region
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Part 1: Introduction
Florida medical schools are an attractive option for many premed hopefuls, given the perennially warm climate, rich cultural diversity, and affordable tuition for in-state students.
Florida also has the fourth-largest number of medical schools (10) of any state in the nation, following the 17 medical schools in New York, 16 medical schools in California, and 15 medical schools in Texas. Whether you are interested in serving marginalized communities through the University of Miami DOCS program or participating in cutting-edge research at the University of Florida, chances are there’s a medical school in Florida that has what you’re looking for.
Our goal for this guide is to answer the question, “What is the best college for medicine in Florida?,” and to discuss what it takes to get into Florida medical schools so you can submit an application that maximizes your admissions odds. We’ll cover admissions statistics, detail short profiles of each Florida med school, and include strategies you can use so that adcoms take notice.
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Part 2: List of medical schools in Florida: 2024 rankings & admissions statistics
We did some research on your behalf, gathering the most relevant information about each school to help paint a picture describing admissions throughout Florida medical schools.
Whether you’re a nontraditional applicant, Florida resident, or any other combination of unique demographics, it’s important to know the similarities and differences between medical schools in Florida and programs across the United States.
While gathering this data, we noted the following trends:
Nine Florida medical schools appeared in the 2023 U.S. News Best Medical Schools: Research ranking, with three in the top 50. Three Florida medical schools were awarded Tier 2 in the 2024 U.S. News Best Medical Schools: Research ranking.
Tuition and fees to attend Florida medical schools are comparable to schools outside Florida. In-state residents enjoy significantly reduced tuition at public institutions.
While out-of-state students must pay more than in-state students at nearly all of the schools, many Florida medical schools will allow you to reclassify your residency status after a year for tuition purposes.
Florida has a mix of schools that have considerable in-state resident preferences, but also several that admit as many out-of-state students as in-state students.
Numbers in parentheses reflect each medical school’s national ranking, whereas numbers outside parentheses reflect each Florida medical school’s relative rank. We use relative rankings to determine which are the “best” medical schools in Florida.
(Note: We strongly advise you to sign up for MSAR for the most up-to-date and comprehensive data on individual MD programs and to sign up for Choose DO for DO program data.)
Note: U.S. News and World Report moved to a tier-based ranking system in fall 2024, in part due to a number of schools declining to participate. Schools who declined to share sufficient data with US News are now unranked, which is reflected in the table below with ‘UR.' Schools that did participate are given ‘tier’ rankings by U.S. News. We’ve reported rankings from both the prior and current cycles to more accurately reflect where the top medical schools in Florida stand.
| Florida Medical Schools | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Florida College of Medicine* | Tier 2 (Research) - 2024 |
$52,098 OOS |
2.7% OOS |
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| University of Miami Miller School of Medicine | Tier 2 (Research) - 2024 |
$59,455 OOS |
|||||||
| University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine* | Tier 2 (Research) - 2024 |
$54,916 OOS |
|||||||
| University of Central Florida College of Medicine* | Tier 3 (Research) - 2024 |
$60,094 OOS |
|||||||
| Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine* | Tier 3 (Research) - 2024 |
$70,328 OOS |
1.9% OOS |
||||||
| Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine* | Tier 3 (Research) - 2024 |
$73,070 OOS |
4.1% OOS |
||||||
| Florida State University College of Medicine* | UR - 2024 |
$68,619 OOS |
0.3% OOS |
||||||
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus | Tier 4 (Research) - 2024 |
$39,545 OOS |
NA |
||||||
| Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine | Tier 4 (Research) - 2024 |
$69,870 OOS |
NA |
||||||
| Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine | Tier 4 (Research) - 2024 |
$75,936 OOS |
|||||||
| Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine | $66,249 OOS |
(This number is the total students at both the New Mexico and Florida campuses.) |
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Part 3: Florida medical school profiles
Now that you’re familiar with the admissions landscape for Florida medical schools, we’ll discuss what makes each school unique beyond its statistics. When creating your med school list, you’ll certainly want to consider how difficult a school is to get into, but you’ll certainly also want to take into account factors such as a school’s location, curriculum, culture, focus, and resources. Keeping all of these considerations in mind will help you select schools that align with your interests and talents.
(Suggested reading: Do Medical School Rankings Matter?)
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
One of the newer medical programs in Florida, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is a community-based medical school committed to training physicians who will serve Florida, particularly its diverse and aging population. Established in 2010, FAU has rapidly developed into a well-respected institution known for its innovative, patient-centered approach to medical education.
FAU boasts an integrated curriculum that it describes as “high-touch, high-tech”—this includes developing supervised doctor-patient relationships with patients as early as first year. FAU’s curriculum also includes threads such as “Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice” and “Ethics, Professionalism and Professional Identity.”
FAU is known for its small class sizes and individualized attention, providing a highly supportive learning environment. The school follows a pass/fail grading system, which reduces stress and promotes collaboration among students. Additionally, FAU offers “white space time” in the third year, allowing students to pursue individualized projects, electives, or research in areas of personal interest, such as global health, biomedical innovation, or public health initiatives.
Students at FAU complete their clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals throughout Broward and Palm Beach Counties, gaining experience in diverse healthcare settings. FAU students also have access to prestigious research affiliations, including partnerships with the Scripps Research Institute Florida and the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, providing opportunities for cutting-edge biomedical and translational research.
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) was founded with a mission to prepare socially accountable physicians dedicated to serving the diverse populations of Miami, South Florida, and beyond. Since its establishment in 2006, FIU has focused on training future physicians who understand and address the social, economic, and biological determinants of health, particularly in underserved communities.
FIU’s integrated curriculum blends foundational medical sciences with early clinical exposure, ensuring that students begin interacting with patients within their first month of medical school. The curriculum emphasizes interprofessional teamwork, preparing students to collaborate with other healthcare professionals to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care. FIU’s educational model includes the Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP), a nationally recognized initiative that provides students with real-world, longitudinal experience caring for underserved families in Miami-Dade County.
To promote student well-being and collaboration, FIU recently transitioned to a pass/fail grading system, reducing academic stress and fostering a more supportive learning environment.
FIU students complete their clinical rotations at a variety of affiliated hospitals across Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, gaining exposure to different healthcare settings.
Florida State University College of Medicine
Florida State University College of Medicine was established with a mission to address physician shortages in medically underserved communities, including rural areas, inner-city neighborhoods, and Florida’s aging population. As such, FSU places a strong emphasis on training students in primary care, equipping them with the skills needed to serve diverse and vulnerable populations across the state.
FSU offers a Rural Education Program, which provides specialized training for students interested in practicing medicine in rural communities. Additionally, FSU’s Department of Geriatrics—one of the few dedicated geriatrics departments in the country—ensures that students receive extensive training in caring for older adults, an essential skill in Florida, which has one of the largest elderly populations in the U.S. The college also emphasizes community-based medical education, where students gain hands-on experience in outpatient settings.
FSU’s unique distributed medical education model ensures that students receive real-world, patient-centered training throughout Florida. During the first two years, all students study at the main Tallahassee campus, building a strong foundation in medical sciences through small-group learning, case-based discussions, and hands-on anatomy labs. Following this, students are assigned to one of six regional campuses—located in Daytona Beach, Fort Pierce, Orlando, Pensacola, Sarasota, or Tallahassee—where they complete their clinical training in community hospitals, private clinics, and physician practices rather than in a single academic medical center.
FSU also provides an early start to medical school, requiring students to begin coursework over the summer with an intensive anatomy component, helping them build a strong foundation before diving into the full curriculum. Another unique aspect of FSU’s medical education is its Learning Communities, which consist of small groups of around 30 students who share study and lounge spaces.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) is the largest medical school in the United States, offering a diverse range of medical education pathways across its multiple campuses. While LECOM’s original campus was established in Erie, Pennsylvania, the increasing demand for primary care physicians and the rapid population growth of Florida led to the creation of its Bradenton, Florida campus in 2004.
LECOM Bradenton is unique among LECOM’s campuses in that it exclusively offers a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum. This student-centered, self-directed approach replaces traditional lectures with small-group, case-based discussions, where students collaboratively work through patient cases to develop their diagnostic reasoning, clinical decision-making, and research skills.
In the third and fourth years, LECOM Bradenton students complete their clinical rotations at a wide network of over 90 affiliated hospitals, clinics, and private practices across the country. That said, LECOM Bradenton has faced criticism for an inconsistent availability of high-quality rotation sites, particularly in the local area. Thus, some students must complete rotations in the Northeast or set up their own rotation sites.
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Though Nova Southeastern University has a long-established osteopathic medical school, it recently expanded its medical education offerings by launching the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine in 2018. This makes NSU one of the few universities in the country to offer both DO and MD programs, providing students with two distinct pathways to becoming a physician.
NSU-MD is designed to be a highly selective program, admitting a small entering class each year to ensure individualized attention, mentorship, and close faculty-student interactions. The school follows an innovative, problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum, which emphasizes active, small-group learning, clinical reasoning, and early patient exposure.
NSU-MD’s core clinical rotations take place within the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) East Florida system of hospitals, providing students with extensive hands-on experience in both community and hospital-based settings. In addition to the HCA network, students also complete rotations at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center, which offers exposure to veterans’ healthcare and the unique medical challenges faced by this patient population.
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) is committed to training compassionate, community-focused physicians, with a strong emphasis on primary care, interprofessional collaboration, and serving medically underserved populations. Established in 1979, NSU-COM is one of the largest and most established osteopathic medical schools in the country and was the first osteopathic medical school in the southeastern United States.
With campuses in both Fort Lauderdale and Tampa/Clearwater, NSU-COM students begin clinical exposure in the first month of medical school and complete a mandatory, three-month clinical rotation in a rural environment. In addition, students have the opportunity to participate in international medical outreach programs in Cuba, Ecuador, India, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
NSU-COM’s clinical rotations are well-established and take place at a variety of large hospitals and medical centers in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as other locations throughout Florida and beyond.
However, NSU-COM has faced criticism in past years due to a decline in first-time COMLEX pass rates. Recognizing this challenge, the school has implemented curriculum adjustments, enhanced academic support, and improved board preparation resources, leading to a recent upward trend in pass rates.
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
The University of Central Florida College of Medicine offers students a research-driven medical education that leverages the strengths of UCF’s extensive biomedical and engineering programs, including the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. Since its establishment in 2006, UCF College of Medicine has rapidly grown into a competitive and innovative medical school, attracting students who are interested in integrating research, technology, and patient care into their medical training.
UCF’s integrated curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and early clinical exposure. A distinctive feature of the curriculum is the individualized research project, which requires every student to design and complete an original research study.
Another unique aspect is the Community of Practice program, a longitudinal clinical experience that pairs students with practicing physicians early in medical school.
Although UCF faced challenges in recent years, including the loss of two major affiliated hospitals as rotation sites, the school made a significant investment in its future by opening its own teaching hospital, UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, in 2021. This hospital provides students with on-site clinical training, advanced simulation experiences, and access to cutting-edge medical technology. Additionally, students continue to rotate at other affiliated hospitals and clinics across Central Florida, ensuring a diverse and well-rounded clinical education.
University of Florida College of Medicine
The University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine is widely regarded as the top medical school in Florida, known for its strong academic reputation, cutting-edge research, and tight-knit, supportive community. As part of UF Health, one of the state's largest academic health centers, UF provides students with exceptional clinical training, world-class research opportunities, and exposure to a diverse patient population.
A defining feature of UF’s medical education is its collaborative and friendly environment, where students benefit from small class sizes and a built-in first-year mentoring program.
The curriculum follows a pass/fail grading system and UF also prioritizes early clinical exposure, integrating patient care experiences early in medical school. By three months into the first year, students leave Gainesville for a 2.5-week immersive primary care experience, working directly with physicians across Florida.
In addition to strong clinical training, UF offers outstanding research opportunities, including the Discovery Pathways Medical Student Research Program, which allows students to engage in faculty-mentored research across various fields, including biomedical sciences, clinical research, and healthcare innovation. UF also boasts numerous NIH-funded research initiatives, providing students with the chance to contribute to groundbreaking medical discoveries and translational research.
Students also get access to a diverse array of patient care experiences through student-run free clinics, international medical outreach trips, and rotations at UF’s large teaching hospital, Shands Hospital.
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
The University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine (UMMSM) is both the oldest medical school in Florida and the top-ranked private medical school in the state, known for its innovative curriculum, cutting-edge research, and world-class clinical training. Located in Miami’s vibrant and diverse medical hub, UMMSM provides students with unparalleled exposure to a wide variety of patient populations and healthcare challenges, preparing them to become leaders in medicine and research.
Miami offers an integrated curriculum that: makes use of small group and team-based learning opportunities; has a shortened, one-year pre-clinical phase; and allows students to develop a personalized pathway towards the end of medical school, such as a scholarly project or an early transition to residency.
Miami boasts both excellent research and top-notch, diverse clinical opportunities via free clinics and the UM-Jackson Memorial Hospital Medical Center, the second-busiest medical center in the U.S.
With its accelerated curriculum, premier clinical training, and research excellence, UMMSM consistently attracts high-achieving students and prepares graduates for competitive residency placements nationwide.
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
The University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine is a highly respected medical school in Florida, known for its strong research programs, innovative curriculum, and extensive clinical training opportunities. USF offers students two distinct pathways to earning their MD degree: its Tampa-based CORE program and its SELECT program in which students spend the first two years in Tampa and the final two years in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.
Both the CORE and SELECT programs utilize an integrated, systems-based curriculum that emphasizes small-group learning, early clinical exposure, and advanced simulation training. The CORE program stands out for its scholarly concentrations, which allow students to pursue focused study in areas such as biomedical research, public health, medical education, and global medicine. Meanwhile, the SELECT program prioritizes the development of leadership, health systems thinking, and patient-centered care.
USF offers strong research and clinical opportunities—students rotate primarily at Tampa General Hospital, the region’s only Level 1 trauma center. USF recently completed a new medical school facility close to Tampa General, allowing for greater synergy between the two.
Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
The newest addition to medical schools in Florida is the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine campus at Florida Tech. Its inaugural class of students was welcomed in the fall of 2024.
Currently, BCOM offers only a single degree program, the Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). This private, four year institution was granted the highest accreditation level possible by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) in 2024.
Burrell’s curriculum begins with students engaging in preclinical experiences and studying foundational biomedical sciences in the first two years while during years three and four, you’ll engage in core rotations and take on clerkships in specializations of interest. Their DO program is organized around seven key educational objectives, namely:
Foundational knowledge in biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social science
Osteopathic philosophy
Professionalism, integrity, and empathy
Communication with patients, families, and colleagues
Patient care and research
Individual- and community-focused patient care
Community-specific healthcare needs
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Part 4: Florida medical school admissions strategies
In this section, we’ll discuss a few strategies—beyond achieving high stats and selecting all the right extracurriculars for medical school—to help maximize your admissions odds.
Strategy 1: Take a data-driven approach to decide which Florida medical schools to apply to
Though the majority of the medical schools in Florida hover around an average matriculant GPA of 3.8, average MCATs vary widely. For example, on the lower end of the spectrum lies Lake Erie’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (average MCAT 503) and on the upper end of the spectrum lies University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine (average MCAT 518).
(Recommended reading: Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School)
It’s easy to spontaneously add another school to your list, thinking “it can’t hurt” to apply. However, this thinking can actually do more harm than good. By spending time on applications for schools where your odds are quite low, you may be compromising the quality of other applications for schools where your odds are significantly higher.
For instance, let’s say you’re an out-of-state applicant with a 506 MCAT score. You might be interested in adding Florida State University College of Medicine to your school list, given that their average MCAT score is a 507. However, upon closer inspection, you can see that this school’s first-year class was made up of around 97 percent in-state students! Why waste time and money applying when your chances of receiving an acceptance are slim to none?
While we’re not against applying to a few reach schools, we don’t subscribe to the “let’s just apply and see what happens” philosophy when it comes to schools where you have little to no chance of getting in.
Know that “just applying” requires you to write high-quality secondary essays which is time-consuming. The medical school application process is long and arduous; even the most dedicated applicants will feel exhausted at some point. The less time you spend focusing on long-shot schools, the more time you can spend on improving your application for schools within reach.
In short, use a data-driven approach to develop a quality school list. Not doing so can hurt your admissions odds significantly.
(Suggested reading: Picking Your State of Residency for Medical School)
Strategy 2: Demonstrate alignment with each Florida medical school’s mission
Often, medical schools are conveniently bunched together because they all have missions to serve the community, be academically productive and train the world’s next generation of excellent clinicians. While that may be true, as we noted in the profiles above, individual Florida schools—like all medical schools—place more importance on certain aspects of their mission.
For example, Florida State University’s website spends considerable real estate discussing their service to elder, rural, minority, and other underserved populations. Their goal is to recruit a culturally diverse class of future clinicians who will serve these communities. On the other hand, the University of Florida’s homepage emphasizes their strong research orientation.
To be explicit, it’s not that Florida State University doesn’t pour resources into conducting research; they do. In fact, they have dedicated research programs built into their curriculum. Rather, the takeaway is that each program has a specific focus and looks for certain qualities in each candidate that align with it.
Therefore, when answering the secondary prompts for each school, make sure that you intimately understand the school’s mission and demonstrate fit.
The same advice applies outside the written application and during medical school interviews in Florida or elsewhere. While MMI interviews may give you less of a platform to explicitly demonstrate your dedication to a certain community within Florida, or to the academic community, you can still provide thoughtful responses that will make you an attractive candidate to admissions officers.
Strategy 3: Identify the unique aspects of each Florida medical school and connect them to your own skills and experiences
Considering where to spend your time and energy when applying to medical schools can be further narrowed down by researching the unique qualities of schools on your list. This way, you can tailor your essays to specific opportunities at each school.
Adcoms love to see specificity in applications as this shows a candidate who has taken initiative to really learn about the school. Additionally, it offers you the chance to demonstrate how you will contribute to the campus community with your skills and experiences.
For example, if a school has a distinctive research program or investigates something of interest to you such as Alzheimer’s or cancer, make a case for why you should be admitted by stating what you’ve done in that regard. Mentioning extracurriculars and research activities you participated in as a premed are a fantastic way to do this.
Strategy 4: Consider the MMI interview
The multiple mini-interview (MMI) format has been growing in popularity in recent years and is currently in use at two medical schools in Florida. This format differs from a traditional interview in a number of ways.
First, you’ll be given two minutes to consider a question before giving your answer and discussing it with interviewers. Usually, you will have 7 minutes to engage with them before moving on to the next question. You’ll be given another question and have another 2 minutes to think about what you will say before doing it all again.
The rapid fire structure is meant to test your critical thinking skills and ability to think on your feet. The questions diverge from a typical interview in that you’ll be asked to consider ethical issues and how you would cooperate with teammates.
If you’ve been invited to an interview with a school that uses this format, you can prepare by practicing with a friend or family member and timing yourself to stay within the flow of the questions. This simple strategy can make all the difference on interview day when your nerves are running high. Currently, Florida Atlantic University and NSU Florida for Osteopathic Medicine use this format, conducted virtually.
Invited to a med school interview? Congrats! There's no need to land in waitlist purgatory or the rejection pile. Learn how to craft memorable, acceptance-worthy responses using the resource below.
Gain instant access to the most common traditional and MMI interview questions, plus sample responses for each, to help you craft responses that lead to acceptances. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
Strategy 5: Structure your work on applications around the number of secondary essays
GPA and MCAT scores are important but the personal statement and secondary essays are where you really shine as a candidate. To ensure that’s the case, organize your time around the number of essays you need to write for each school.
The number of essays you’ll need to write will be different for each school. Some will require 5 or 6, some only 1. Some schools want 500-word essays and some much less.
Look over this information before you begin writing and make a plan. With a plan in place, you’ll be aware of how much work is ahead of you and can choose how best to tackle it via your own work style. We’ve put the number of essays for each medical school in Florida into the table below, but if you’re looking for the prompts themselves, check out our guide here.
Suggested Reading: Medical School Secondary Essays: The Complete Guide
| Florida Medical Schools | |
|---|---|
| University of Florida College of Medicine | |
| University of Miami Miller School of Medicine | |
| University of Central Florida College of Medicine | |
| University of South Florida Health Morsani College of Medicine | |
| Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine | |
| Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | |
| Florida State University College of Medicine | |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus | |
| Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine | |
| Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine | |
| Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine |
Looking for secondary essay examples? Click below to access sample secondary essays for every prompt required by every MD and DO program in the United States and Canada. 1500+ essays and counting.
Gain instant access to med school secondary essay examples for every single prompt required by every medical school in the United States and Canada. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.
Part 5: Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to go to medical school in Florida?
There are many factors to consider when determining the final cost of attending medical school in Florida. As noted in the table above, your tuition can range from $29,680 for in-state residents up to $67,513 for both in-state and out-of-state residents at a private university.
However, this alone doesn’t take into account the varied cost-of-living across the state, whether you choose to live on or off campus, whether you will need to purchase and maintain a car, as well as books and supplies.
It’s worth researching the cost of attendance at the schools you’re interested in applying to to get a fuller picture of what you’ll need to pay. For example, the University of Miami estimates the total cost for the first year of their MD program to come in at $103,916. Their tuition is on the higher end of med schools in Florida and Miami itself is a pricer metropolitan area.
Is the University of Miami med school hard to get into?
We often get asked questions such as “Is X school hard to get into?” because students want to have as complete a picture as possible of their chances of acceptance before going through all the work it takes to craft a compelling application.
Keep in mind that getting into medical school is no easy feat and in 2023 only about 43% of applicants matriculated into any MD program across the country. When it comes to the University of Miami Miller, we know that they received 10,106 applications for a total of just 201 seats. That would be a matriculation rate of just under 2%.
We believe this points to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine being difficult to get into even compared to the overall med school admissions process in the U.S. You will ultimately need fantastic stats, a robust extracurricular profile, and great interview skills to get in.
Suggested reading: (How Hard Is It to Get into Medical School?)
Is Florida a good state to be a doctor?
If you’re considering med school in Florida, you may also be thinking that’s where you’d ultimately like to practice. If so, you’d be wondering whether Florida is a good state in which to practice medicine.
Florida has a warm, sunny climate and generally lower cost of living outside of the densely populated urban areas compared to other areas in the U.S. It also has a large retired population meaning demand for health services will remain high.
However, according to WalletHub’s rankings of the best states to be a doctor, Florida comes in at 37th. You won’t necessarily earn the highest wages in Florida, but without any state income tax, you will keep more of your money in your pocket.
Final thoughts
By taking a data-driven approach and tailoring your responses to each school’s mission, getting into Florida medical schools is possible. With the right qualifications and a well-crafted application, you can convince admissions committees that you’re an excellent fit for their program.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
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Appendix A: Florida medical schools by degree type
Allopathic medical schools in Florida (MD)
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Florida State University College of Medicine
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
Osteopathic medical schools in Florida (DO)
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
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Appendix B: Florida medical schools by institution type
Public medical schools in Florida
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Florida State University College of Medicine
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
Private medical schools in Florida
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
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Appendix C: Florida medical schools by region
Medical schools in North Florida
Florida State University College of Medicine
Medical schools in Central Florida
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
Medical schools in South Florida
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
