South Miami-Dade is getting a new medical school. Here's what to know
Larkin University plans to open a new college of osteopathic medicine in the Naranja area of South Miami-Dade to address Florida’s worsening physician shortage. The school aims to train doctors who will stay and work in underserved South Florida communities.
FULL STORY: New medical school to open in South Miami-Dade. How it will impact jobs and care
Here are key takeaways:
• Location and timeline: The proposed 110,000-square-foot college will be built on a 48-acre campus at Southwest 145th Avenue and 276th Street, with plans to open in fall 2028 pending accreditation.
• Addressing a shortage: Florida is projected to be short nearly 18,000 physicians by 2035, making it difficult to provide care to an aging population as the U.S.’s entire baby-boom generation reaches age 65 or older by 2030.
• Honoring a legacy: The school will be named the Jacqueline Nicole Michel College of Osteopathic Medicine after the late 18-year-old daughter of Larkin’s chair and founder Dr. Jack J. Michel. Jacqueline died in a car crash on Oct. 25 while traveling to the University of Central Florida, where she was enrolled in classes.
• Whole-person care: Students will be trained to treat “the whole person, not just the disease,” with emphasis on prevention, primary care and serving underserved communities, said Larkin University President and CEO Rudi Ettrich.
• Local pipeline: Miami Dade College graduates will have a streamlined path to attend, and students can match into more than 40 residency programs through Larkin Health System.
• Economic impact: Ettrich called the project “an economic engine” for South Miami-Dade. A 2024 report found retention rates as high as 75% among physicians who graduated from a Florida medical school and completed residency in the state.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.