The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller's School of Medicine not only was the first medical college in South Florida but the first one in the state when it was founded in 1952. The University of South Florida's College of Medicine in Tampa welcomed its first class of prospective physicians in 1971. The final entry in the South Florida medical college field occurred in August 2009 when the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University in Miami welcomed its first class of 43 students.
The Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is part of the University of Miami Health System. The school's faculty provide the staff physicians for the University of Miami Hospital and other health care facilities within the system. The School of Medicine is known for its patient care and research, as well as the education of future physicians. In addition to the degree program for medical doctors, the school offers PhD degrees in Biomedical Sciences and Epidemiology along with a Masters in Public Health.
As of 2011 the University of South Florida's College of Medicine has 477 students enrolled in the MD program. It also offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree that has 55 students seeking that advanced degree. The other part of the college, the School of Basic Biomedical Sciences, has 78 students in the Masters Program and 83 students working on their Ph.D.
The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine sprung from a plan in 1996 for the university to seek medical education. The school's Board of Trustees approved a medical school in 2005 and the Florida legislature followed in 2006. Dr. Herbert Wertheim donated $20 million in 2009, the largest donation in the history of Florida International University. A total of 3,332 students applied for the first class which began in August, 2009, following provisional accreditation of the college. The first class will graduate from the four year college in 2013.