FAU's new medical school closes application process for second round of admissions

Florida Atlantic University's Charles E.Schmidt College of Medicine recently closed its application process for the second round of admissions to its new medical school. The college has received nearly 3,000 applications from prospective students in Florida and throughout the country for 64 positions in its next class, doubling the number of applications received from the previous year for the inaugural class.

"Our new medical school has an incredible combination of advantages that we are able to provide to our current students as well as prospective students," said Dr. David J. Bjorkman, M.D., M.S.P.H., the new dean of FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. "Our great faculty, a state-of-the-art facility, personal attention from having a smaller class size, and an innovative curriculum that gives them hands-on experience with patients very early in their training, are just some of the key benefits that are attracting students from all over the state and country who want to come here for our student-centered medical program."

Demographics of the applicants show that 57 percent are Florida residents (nearly half of these applicants are from South Florida - Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties) and 43 percent are from out-of-state. Fifty-four percent are male and 46 percent are female. Qualified students from groups currently underrepresented in medicine are included in the applicant pool—21 percent are Asian/Asian Indian; 16 percent are Hispanic; and 13 percent are African/American.

"The near doubling of applications we have received this year is a testament to the popularity and desirability of the innovative educational program we have put in place at the College of Medicine," said Robert Hinkley, Ph.D., associate dean for admissions in FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. "The academic credentials and personal accomplishments of the members of our first class admitted in 2011 were competitive with those of classes admitted to older, more established medical schools and our second class promises to exceed our first class."

One of America's newest medical schools, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU welcomed its inaugural class of 64 students in August 2011. The college has developed a new and innovative curriculum, which features early and continuous community-based clinical experiences and problem-based learning with emphasis on small-group and self-directed learning. The curriculum includes a student-centered and patient-focused approach and clinical experiences with local physicians, health departments and hospitals, and a state-of-the-art simulation center. A key component of the innovative curriculum is early exposure to patients and the actual practice of medicine. To that end, the college has established relationships with several prominent area hospitals that are serving as sites for clerkships, hospital-based electives and residencies. During clinical trainings, students have the opportunity to work side-by-side with physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, applying knowledge learned from the first two years of study to real-life situations.