ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βs College of Medicine graduated its 1,000th physician Friday with streamers, cheers, tears and military salutes.
βYou are my 1K graduates,β Deborah German, vice president of health affairs and founding dean, told the Class of 2023. βI couldnβt 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 ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½-trained physicians. And look where we are now.β
In deciding how to recognize the milestone, medical school leaders didnβt 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.
βYou received your white coats togetherβ¦You entered your clerkships together where you delivered your first baby, participated in your first surgery, counseled your first psychiatric patient,β she says. βTogether you cared for others during a worldwide pandemicβ¦Our community is healthier today because of the work you did together.
βYour entire class β each and every one of you β are the thousandth graduate in my heart.β
After the last of the 123 new Physician Knights received their diploma, German asked for a round of applause and then β unbeknownst to the students β black and gold streamers fell from the ceiling.
After that celebration, the ceremony included the military promotion of , the 39th ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ 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 nationβs mental health challenges.
Asked why they had chosen the and the graduatesβ answers were remarkably similar: the people. They talked about the medical schoolβs collaborative, supportive, engaging βvibe,β 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 ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½, she will enter a general surgery residency at Orlando Health.
βI felt like I fit in from the first time I walked in the building,β she says of ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½. βI met my best friend during my admissions interview. And I was inspired to be part of growing a Medical City.β
Sarah Baker entered medical school at age 41, after having three children and working in public health in Floridaβs 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. βThis diploma belongs to them and my husband as much as it does to me,β she says. Baker says the medical schoolβs culture supported her as a student with more life experience than most. βI never felt nontraditional at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½,β she says. βEveryone in this class is my family.β
Yanisa Del Toro is medical director of , the College of Medicineβs clinical practice, and as a ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ 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. βThatβs because so many have passed through my hands,β she says.
