Sixty years ago, Florida lawmakers made a visionary decision that reshaped Tampa Bay’s health and economic landscape. In 1965, they founded what would become the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. That small community-based medical school, which opened in 1971 and graduated its first class in 1974, has evolved into a nationally ranked, research-intensive academic medical center—and one of Florida’s greatest public assets.
From Regional School to National Leader
Over the past decade, USF Health has undergone a remarkable transformation. Ranked 80th among U.S. medical schools just 11 years ago, we are now recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Top 16 research-intensive medical schools in the country—the only top-tier program in Florida. Our medical education program was recently named #1 in the nation by the Center for Accountability in Medicine’s Medical Excellence Index, the only U.S. medical school to earn a perfect score for merit-based admissions, academic rigor, and student outcomes.
Our partner hospitals — Tampa General Hospital (TGH), Moffitt Cancer Center, and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital — have advanced in national prominence alongside us. Together, we are building the Tampa Medical and Research District, generating thousands of jobs, attracting biotechnology startups, and expanding access to high-acuity care.
USF Health faculty now deliver some of the nation’s most advanced care. This year, TGH surgeons performed https://www.usf.edu/health/news/2025/usf-tgh-perform-worlds-first-bloodless-heart-liver-transplant-surgery.aspx. USF-FOI orthopedic microsurgeons at Florida’s only Level 1 trauma center reattached the hand of a 9-year-old shark-attack victim, restoring full motion. Such stories capture how academic medicine saves lives through teamwork and innovation.
To read the entire article in The Bulletin of the Hillsborough County Medical Association, click here.