History of the USF College of Medicine

Quick Facts

Education

Established by the Florida Legislature in 1965, the college enrolled its charter class in 1971. The college awards doctorates in Medicine (MD) and Medical Sciences (PhD) and is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education. The College's School of Physical Therapy, established in 1998, offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. Specially designed programs are also available, including combined MD/MBA, MD/MPH, DPT/MPH programs and an Honors Research program.

Community Impact

Tampa Bay has been enriched by the health professionals who've graduated from USF, and from the patient care and outreach programs of the health colleges. Most USF graduates remain in the state to care for its citizens. USF's presence has generated a network of highly specialized teaching hospitals, including the James Haley Veterans' Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, Shriners Hospital, and specialty units at All Children's Hospital and Tampa General Hospital. USF physicians made 273,122 inpatient and 276,122 outpatient visits in 1999-2000.

Research

College faculty run interdisciplinary research programs on brain disease and repair, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and stroke; aging studies; cardiovascular disease; children's health; patient safety; cell therapy; and infectious diseases and biodefense. The USF campus is home to two major research facilities. A research building adjacent to the College provides 50,542-square-feet of laboratory, research, classroom and office space. The Moffitt Research Center, a four-story, 101,352-square-foot building, was dedicated in October 1995. In 2003, Moffitt opened its doors to the new Moffitt Clinic and Vincent A. Stabile Research Building, dramatically increasing research and outpatient clinical space.
The USF Children's Research Institute, opened in 2000, is a $12 million research building in partnership with All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

Patient Care

The USF Physicians Group, the college's multispecialty group practice, includes 429 physicians and 69 nurse practitioners who see patients throughout the Bay area. Patient care is offered in multiple specialties, including pediatrics, family medicine, surgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, anesthesiology, cardiology, cancer, neurology, dermatology, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynecology, and allergy and immunology. In 2002, 114 USF physicians and 46 College of Medicine graduates were named to the prestigious Best Doctors in America list.