FAU College of Medicine

The FAU College of Medicine is a public medical school located in Boca Raton, Florida, operated by Florida Atlantic University, with major clinical training and residency activities in West Palm Beach and the surrounding Palm Beach County area. Established in 2011, the college was created to address documented physician shortages in South Florida and the broader state. It offers the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and graduate medical education through residency training programs affiliated with regional teaching hospitals. The college serves the educational and healthcare needs of Palm Beach, Broward, and Indian River counties.

History

The Florida Legislature authorized the founding of Florida Atlantic University's College of Medicine in 2008, responding to documented shortages of physicians across Florida and a demonstrated need for increased medical school capacity in South Florida. The Association of American Medical Colleges has documented persistent physician shortages in Florida, particularly in primary care specialties and in underserved communities, creating the underlying policy rationale for expanding medical school capacity in the state. Planning and initial accreditation processes occupied the years between 2008 and 2011. In December 2010, the college received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), clearing the way for the enrollment of its first class. Forty students enrolled in 2011 as the inaugural cohort.

The early years required substantial infrastructure development, including dedicated educational facilities and clinical teaching partnerships with community hospitals throughout South Florida. The institution's founding educational philosophy emphasized primary care medicine and training physicians to serve diverse and underserved populations. Faculty recruitment proceeded alongside the development of teaching relationships with affiliated hospitals and the creation of residency programs across multiple specialties. By 2015, the college had achieved full LCME accreditation, making its graduates eligible for licensure examination and residency placement across the United States. Expansion continued after that, with additional clinical training sites in Broward County and Indian River County extending the college's geographic reach.

Enrollment has grown considerably since the founding class. In 2026, the college celebrated its largest class of M.D. graduates in its history, a milestone reflecting the institution's steady expansion in both student capacity and clinical training infrastructure over its first fifteen years of operation.

Geography

The FAU College of Medicine's primary educational and administrative operations are situated within Florida Atlantic University's main campus in Boca Raton. The main facility houses administrative offices, lecture halls, laboratory facilities, and clinical simulation spaces, positioned within the broader FAU university system to give it access to shared academic infrastructure and research partnerships across the institution.

Beyond Boca Raton, the college operates clinical training sites throughout the tri-county region. Major clinical training and residency activities are centered in West Palm Beach and the surrounding Palm Beach County area. A presence in Broward County, centered in Fort Lauderdale, expanded educational capacity and extends training opportunities to the northern portion of South Florida. Training sites in Indian River County reach into the Space Coast region, supporting residency training and medical education beyond the immediate metropolitan area. Key affiliated teaching hospitals include HCA Florida JFK Hospital, Bethesda Hospital, and St. Mary's Medical Center, among others across Palm Beach County. These dispersed clinical sites reflect the college's mission to address healthcare workforce shortages across a broad geographic range and to expose students and residents to varied clinical environments, patient populations, and healthcare systems.

Education

The FAU College of Medicine offers a four-year Doctor of Medicine degree program designed to prepare physicians for residency training, independent clinical practice, and specialization. The curriculum integrates foundational science coursework, clinical skills development, and direct patient care experiences through structured rotations. The first two years emphasize core biomedical sciences, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and pathology, combined with early clinical exposure through simulation-based learning and standardized patient encounters. The final two years shift toward clinical rotations, requiring students to complete core experiences across major specialties and elective rotations aligned with their professional goals.

The college's educational philosophy centers on primary care and the preparation of physicians to serve diverse and underserved populations in South Florida and beyond. This mission is reflected in curriculum design, clinical placement priorities, and residency program development. It's also visible in the college's partnerships with safety-net hospitals and community health centers across the region. Parvathi Perumareddi, D.O., a faculty member recognized as Teacher of the Year, exemplifies the college's commitment to physician educators who combine strong clinical backgrounds with a dedication to training the next generation of doctors for underserved communities.

Graduate medical education is a core function of the institution. Residency programs have been established in family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and other specialties, many developed in partnership with affiliated teaching hospitals including HCA Florida JFK Hospital and Bethesda Hospital. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredits these residency programs, and the LCME accredits the MD degree program, both ensuring compliance with national standards. Students and residents also have access to research opportunities through faculty-led clinical investigations, health services research projects, and translational research initiatives based across the university system.

Jaclyn Klimczak, a graduate of the FAU College of Medicine, has drawn recognition for work that connects the study of human anatomy to visual art, an example of the college's graduates pursuing careers that cross disciplinary boundaries. Her profile as a distinguished alumna reflects the college's interest in producing physicians with broad intellectual formation alongside clinical competence.

Research

Research at the FAU College of Medicine spans clinical investigation, health services research, and population health. Faculty affiliated with the college have conducted nationally recognized work on chronic disease, cardiovascular health, and adolescent health outcomes. A recent study from FAU researchers examined trends in teen obesity across the United States and found concerning rises in obesity rates among adolescents, with the research receiving coverage from major national outlets. That work was based in Boca Raton and represents the kind of population-level research that FAU College of Medicine faculty have pursued in collaboration with partners across the university.

Lea Sacca, Ph.D., a faculty member in public health and preventive medicine, has drawn attention for her work on the gap between health knowledge and health behavior, examining why people don't act on what they know about their own wellbeing. Her research reflects the college's broader interest in behavioral and preventive medicine as complements to clinical training. That combination of clinical and research responsibilities is by design. Faculty maintain active research programs while holding clinical duties, a model intended to keep medical education grounded in current scientific knowledge and patient care realities. Students and residents are encouraged to participate in ongoing studies and contribute to the scholarly output of their departments.

Accreditation

The MD degree program holds full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States and Canada. Full accreditation was achieved by 2015, following preliminary accreditation granted in December 2010. The college's residency training programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which sets and enforces national standards for graduate medical education across all specialties. Both accreditation bodies conduct regular reviews to confirm that programs meet standards for curriculum quality, faculty qualifications, student support, and clinical training.

Notable People

The college's faculty includes physicians, researchers, and educators recruited from medical centers throughout the United States. Many hold board certification in their specialties and maintain active clinical practices alongside teaching and research responsibilities. Maria Mejia, M.D., received the University Faculty Service Award, recognizing her contributions to the college's academic community and her sustained commitment to faculty service beyond clinical and research duties. Parvathi Perumareddi, D.O., was recognized as Teacher of the Year for her work combining clinical practice with a commitment to training physicians for underserved communities. Lea Sacca, Ph.D., has received recognition for her public health research on the gap between health knowledge and health behavior, work that has shaped how the college approaches preventive medicine education. Visiting scholars and adjunct faculty contribute expertise in emerging areas of medicine, health policy, and medical education methodology.

Graduates of the FAU College of Medicine have entered practice across Florida and the United States, pursuing careers in primary care, subspecialty medicine, and academic medicine. Jaclyn Klimczak has been recognized as a distinguished alumna for work bridging anatomy and visual art, reflecting the range of paths graduates have pursued since the college's founding. The college maintains alumni networks and continuing education programs to support the professional development of its graduates throughout their careers. As the college has matured, its alumni cohort has begun establishing itself in clinical practice and leadership roles within healthcare organizations across the region.

Economic Impact

Establishing and operating the FAU College of Medicine represents a significant economic investment in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and the surrounding region. The institution generates employment for faculty physicians, educators, administrators, and support staff across multiple campuses. Payroll and operational expenditures contribute directly to the local economy, supporting economic activity across South Florida. Equipment procurement, facility maintenance, and operational contracts all circulate money through regional vendors and service providers.

The college also creates indirect economic benefits through healthcare workforce development. Physician shortages in primary care and certain specialty areas have been documented across Florida, and the college's training programs address that gap by producing graduates who practice in or near the region. The presence of affiliated residency programs has strengthened the medical infrastructure of South Florida, supporting the growth of healthcare systems and teaching hospitals that depend on graduate medical education pipelines. Research activity at the college also contributes to the economic foundations of healthcare delivery, attracting grant funding and supporting innovation in clinical practice and health services.