As young UCF scientists, Simeon Thibeaux and Kristen Hosang discovered how fats harm the heart and cause Alzheimer 麻豆精品 S檚 disease. On Monday, the couple took the next step in their medical journey together 麻豆精品 S� receiving their white coats on the first day of medical school.
Thibeaux and Hosang were among 120 first-year students recognized at the College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 Class of 2021 White Coat Ceremony, a med school tradition that recognizes newly enrolled students as colleagues in healthcare. They, like many in the new class 麻豆精品 S� 109 of 120 麻豆精品 S� did research before they came to medical school. The College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 focus on research, its location in Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 emerging Medical City and its innovative teaching and learning tools were reasons both decided to continue their medical training at UCF.
麻豆精品 S淭oday is almost surreal, 麻豆精品 S� Thibeaux said moments after receiving his white coat. 麻豆精品 S淪even years of studying in undergrad and for my Masters 麻豆精品 Sed school is finally here for us. I 麻豆精品 S檓 ready to make a difference. 麻豆精品 S�
Making a difference is a theme of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 White Coat Ceremony. Each year, Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean, conducts the students 麻豆精品 S� first class, called 麻豆精品 S淭he Good Doctor. 麻豆精品 S� In it, she asks new students to imagine the person they love most in the world is seriously ill with a disease doctors can 麻豆精品 S檛 diagnose. She asks them to imagine being at the clinic with their beloved person, waiting to see another physician. What traits do they want that doctor to have?
Students suggest characteristics that Dr. German writes on a blackboard that remains on display the entire year. This year 麻豆精品 S檚 list of 48 traits included altruistic, resilient, empathetic, humble, brave and affordable 麻豆精品 S� a term that generated strong applause from White Coat attendees in the Pegasus Ballroom in the UCF Student Union.
麻豆精品 S淭his is your聽contract聽with聽me, your聽faculty,聽friends,聽family, community聽and聽each other, 麻豆精品 S� Dr. German said, pointing to the words. 麻豆精品 S淲ith the聽guidance of the faculty聽and聽your own hard work, you will become The Good Doctor. 麻豆精品 S�
Maryam Zeinomar said The Good Doctor class made her think of her father. Mohammad, a pediatric gastroenterologist. Ever since she was a child, Zeinomar said she was struck by her father 麻豆精品 S檚 commitment to caring for others. 麻豆精品 S淚t is his passion, something he really goes after, 麻豆精品 S� she said. 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 not a job. 麻豆精品 S� Zeinomar did her undergraduate work at Case Western Reserve and her passion is women 麻豆精品 S檚 health. After med school, she hopes to improve medical access to other women who share her Muslim faith.
Zach Helm knows first-hand what it means to have one of The Good Doctors. As a junior at Oregon State University, he collapsed from Wolff 麻豆精品 S揚arkinson 麻豆精品 S揥hite syndrome, a disorder of the heart 麻豆精品 S檚 electrical system. Hospitalized and requiring surgery, he met 麻豆精品 S渢he coolest dude in the world. He was just a kind, charismatic doctor. I had known that I wanted to be in healthcare, but I thought maybe I wanted to be a physician 麻豆精品 S檚 assistant. After that experience, I said 麻豆精品 S業 want to be that guy 麻豆精品 S� — the guy who was able to walk into the room and make me feel comfortable and I want to be able to do that for other people. 麻豆精品 S�
He 麻豆精品 S檚 been in Orlando for 11 days and is focused on the next four years. 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 looking forward to putting my nose to the grindstone, going in and working and trying to make a difference, helping patients and helping my classmates, 麻豆精品 S� said Helm, who worked as a scribe in an emergency room for two years in Portland. 麻豆精品 S淭he journey itself through these next four years and all the unique experiences that we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to have, I 麻豆精品 S檓 just excited for it all. 麻豆精品 S�
Monday 麻豆精品 S檚 White Coat Ceremony was the ninth in the UCF College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 young history. The Class of 2021 is the fifth at full enrollment of 120. So far, UCF has graduated 376 physicians, with students scoring in the top quartile nationally in all measures of performance.
In welcoming attendees, UCF President John C. Hitt talked of the medical school 麻豆精品 S檚 accomplishments in such a short time. 麻豆精品 S淎t this time 10 years ago, we had yet to break ground for the medical college, 麻豆精品 S� he said. 麻豆精品 S淎nd it was just seven years ago that we moved into a facility that anchors a thriving Medical City that is transforming Central Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 health care, economy, and lifestyle. 麻豆精品 S� He also noted that the medical school just received state approval to create the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, an academic hospital in partnership with the Hospital Corporation of America.
He told new students they were joining 麻豆精品 S渁 bold young medical college that aspires to be a 21st Century model for medical education. 麻豆精品 S� He noted that the 59 women and 61 men were selected from a pool of 4,823 applicants based on their academic excellence and passion for medicine. They graduated from institutions including
Stanford, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Duke, the Air Force Academy, Wake Forest, University of Florida and UCF. Nineteen have master 麻豆精品 S檚 or doctoral degrees, and they speak 29 languages in addition to English.
Matt Sasaki came to the White Coat Ceremony from California, with his grandmother, parents and aunt. He joked that the family is sharing hotel space with his Ikea furnishings because he hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 moved into his Orlando apartment yet. As his family beamed, he talked about preparing for med school 麻豆精品 S� an undergraduate degree in biology from UCLA and a master 麻豆精品 S檚 degree in public health from USC. He described by name the orthopedic specialist who had helped him with sports-related knee injuries as a child and inspired him to seek a career in medicine. 麻豆精品 S淭oday is amazing, 麻豆精品 S� he said, sporting his white coat. 麻豆精品 S淚t was a long time coming and now it 麻豆精品 S檚 happening. 麻豆精品 S�
For聽a video version of this story, please visit