With its second full class, the College of Medicine now has an enrollment of 415 鈥� a 10-fold increase in the five years since its charter class enrolled.
In opening Monday鈥檚 event, 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt described how far the new medical school has come. 鈥淎t this time in 2007, we had yet to break ground on the medical college that has made possible this morning鈥檚 White Coat Ceremony,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it was just four years ago that we moved into a facility that anchors a thriving Medical City that will transform Central Florida鈥檚 healthcare, economy and lifestyle in the coming years.鈥�
The incoming class was selected from a pool of 4,171 applicants based on their academic excellence and passion for medicine. The Class of 2018 has 67 men and 53 women and includes five military veterans. Twelve of the incoming students have master鈥檚 degrees, one has a doctoral degree, and more than a dozen published scientific research before ever entering medical school. The new medical students include:
One of the first-year students in Luke Pearson, a National Merit Scholar who graduated from the College of Medicine鈥檚 Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. 麻豆原创 was the only place Pearson applied for medical school. Minutes after getting his white coat, Pearson said he was speechless. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so exciting,鈥� he said, 鈥淚鈥檓 so fortunate to be in this position, to become a doctor and serve our community.鈥� As his mother Rosy looked on, she said Luke had announced in kindergarten at the age of 5 that he was going to be a doctor. 鈥淭oday is a day of dreams coming true,鈥� she said.
Before she 鈥渃oated鈥� the students, Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the 麻豆原创 College of Medicine, taught their first class 鈥� The Good Doctor, A 麻豆原创 Tradition. In the class, Dr. German asks students to envision the person they love. That person is sick with an undiagnosed ailment. What traits do the students want their beloved person鈥檚 doctor to have? she asks. As students provide traits, Dr. German writes them on a blackboard that stays on display at the medical school for the students鈥� entire first year.
The Class of 2018 came up with traits including 鈥渄edicated,鈥� 鈥渂rave,鈥� 鈥渢rustworthy,鈥� 鈥渒nowledgeable,鈥� 鈥渋ntelligent,鈥� 鈥渆nthusiastic,鈥� 鈥渂enevolent鈥� and two that drew some chuckles from the crowd 鈥� 鈥渁ffordable鈥� and 鈥渨ell-rested.鈥�
When she was done writing the 37 traits on the board, Dr. German explained why she does The Good Doctor class each year. 鈥淚 want to show you and the community that you know what it takes to become The Good Doctor,鈥澛� she said. 鈥淭hose traits live and breathe inside of you. It is why you are here. This is your contract with me, your faculty, friends, family, community and each other. With the guidance of the faculty and your own hard work, you will become The Good Doctor.鈥�
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