UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 College of Medicine graduated its 1,000th physician Friday with streamers, cheers, tears and military salutes.
麻豆精品 S淵ou are my 1K graduates, 麻豆精品 S� Deborah German, vice president of health affairs and founding dean, told the Class of 2023. 麻豆精品 S淚 couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be prouder of the work you have done. When I came here in 2006 to build this medical school, it was hard to even imagine graduating 100 UCF-trained physicians. And look where we are now. 麻豆精品 S�
In deciding how to recognize the milestone, medical school leaders didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to analyze lists of graduates to pick one individual as the thousandth, German says, because with few exceptions, everyone in the class had gone through their medical education journey together.
麻豆精品 S淵ou received your white coats together 麻豆精品 Sou entered your clerkships together where you delivered your first baby, participated in your first surgery, counseled your first psychiatric patient, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淭ogether you cared for others during a worldwide pandemic 麻豆精品 Sur community is healthier today because of the work you did together.
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After the last of the 123 new Physician Knights received their diploma, German asked for a round of applause and then 麻豆精品 S� unbeknownst to the students 麻豆精品 S� black and gold streamers fell from the ceiling.
After that celebration, the ceremony included the military promotion of , the 39th UCF military officer to become a Physician Knight.
The new physicians will go onto residency training at top hospitals around the city, state and nation in specialties that include pediatrics, internal, family and emergency medicine, OB-GYN, surgery and anesthesiology. A record 12 graduates matched into psychiatry, saying they want to help address the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 mental health challenges.
Asked why they had chosen the and the graduates 麻豆精品 S� answers were remarkably similar: the people. They talked about the medical school 麻豆精品 S檚 collaborative, supportive, engaging 麻豆精品 S渧ibe, 麻豆精品 S� how faculty and staff were committed to helping students achieve their dreams. They talked about the unique opportunity to build a young medical school and a growing Medical City at Lake Nona.
Amy Morrison did her undergraduate work at Cornell and after graduating from UCF, she will enter a general surgery residency at Orlando Health.
麻豆精品 S淚 felt like I fit in from the first time I walked in the building, 麻豆精品 S� she says of UCF. 麻豆精品 S淚 met my best friend during my admissions interview. And I was inspired to be part of growing a Medical City. 麻豆精品 S�
Sarah Baker entered medical school at age 41, after having three children and working in public health in Florida 麻豆精品 S檚 Lee County. With her M.D., she is returning home to Southwest Florida to do her residency in internal medicine at NCH Healthcare System. As part of commencement, she gave her children certificates of appreciation for their love and support during her journey. 麻豆精品 S淭his diploma belongs to them and my husband as much as it does to me, 麻豆精品 S� she says. Baker says the medical school 麻豆精品 S檚 culture supported her as a student with more life experience than most. 麻豆精品 S淚 never felt nontraditional at UCF, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淓veryone in this class is my family. 麻豆精品 S�
Yanisa Del Toro is medical director of , the College of Medicine 麻豆精品 S檚 clinical practice, and as a UCF faculty member, she leads internal medicine clerkship training at the clinic and also is an advisor and mentor to students. She served as grand marshal for commencement and helped hood each of the doctoral candidates before they received their diplomas. As she did, many of the graduates stopped and hugged her. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 because so many have passed through my hands, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
