| College of Medicine | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2006 |
| Type | Public |
| Dean | Deborah C. German, M.D. |
| Academic staff | 1,100+ |
| Undergraduates | 2,358[1] |
| Postgraduates | 51 PhD[1] 180 MD[1] |
| Location | Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Campus | Suburban 50 acres (.2 km2) |
| Website | Official Site |
The UCF College of Medicine is an academic college of the University of Central Florida located in Orlando, Florida, USA. The dean of the college is Deborah C. German, M.D.[2]
The college consists of a public medical school located on the UCF Health Sciences Campus in the Lake Nona neighborhood of Orlando. As of the 2009-2010 academic year, the UCF Medical School is the most selective medical school in the United States.[3][4][5]
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On March 23, 2006, the Florida Board of Governors voted 15-1 in support of UCF's proposal to build a medical college. The medical college will constitute a new UCF medical campus that is being constructed at Lake Nona, located on the eastern edge of Orlando near the Orlando International Airport. Upon completion of the first phase, the base of this medical college will include a 113,000-square-foot (10,500 m2) building for the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, a 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m2) medical college instructional building and a 60,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) library.
In October 2005, a local Orlando investment company, the Tavistock Group, donated $12.5 million and 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land to UCF to help establish the UCF Medical School at Lake Nona, and issued a challenge to the Orlando community to help the university raise an additional $12.5 million to boost the total amount of raised funds to $25 million. This $25 million would be eligible for a matching state grant, thus giving UCF the needed $50 million to create the medical college. UCF received well over $100 million in donations, state-matching funds, and land value for the medical college's establishment. Lake Nona will also house a VA Hospital, Nemours Orlando Children's Hospital and the UCF College of Dental Medicine.[6] The Burnham Institute for Medical Research and many other companies are also planning on building major medical research facilities in the area, with over $2 billion worth of projects beginning construction in 15 months.[7]
The new College of Medicine offered an unprecedented full scholarship package to every member of its charter class, 41 students entering in Fall 2009.[8] The scholarship, financed by various donors, amounts to $40,000 per year, half going to tuition (out-of-state fees being waived) and the other half for living expenses. Dean German spearheaded the effort to secure these scholarships, having herself received a similar scholarship at Harvard Medical School.[9] The new school received over 4300 applications, some with perfect MCAT scores, making it at that time the most selective medical school in the United States.[8]
| Avg MCAT | 32 |
|---|---|
| Avg GPA | 3.8 |
| Out-of-State | 25% |
| Male/Female | 43/57% |
The medical school's curriculum began clinical education in Fall 2009, and the college is expected to produce about 120 medical graduates a year, starting with 41 students in the first class and increasing in subsequent years.[11] Preliminary accreditation has been granted to the medical school, and the college is currently accepting applications for the fourth class of 100 students for Fall 2012 enrollment.[12]
The four-year medical program will capitalize on UCF's existing strengths in biomedical sciences, modeling and simulation, and optics and photonics. Other programs in materials science, psychology, chemistry, film and digital media, and nursing will support the program.
The Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences houses the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, the Biomolecular Science Center, the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program and the Pre-Health Professions Advisement Office. The school offers three undergraduate degrees: a Bachelors of Science in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, a Bachelors of Science in Biotechnology, and a Bachelors of Science in Medical Laboratory Science. Two graduate degrees are also offered: a Masters of Science in Molecular Biology and Microbiology and a Ph.D. program in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Science. In addition to these, the school also offers an accelerated Bachelors to Medicine program, in conjunction with the University of South Florida. Students complete three years at UCF, before matriculating into the University of South Florida College of Medicine. At the end of the program they are awarded a bachelors in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, and a Medical Doctorate.
The school was named after Al and Nancy Burnett after receiving a $10 million donation from them. The current director of the school is Dr. Pappachan E. Kolattukudy.[13] In August 2007, the program was converted to a school under the newly formed UCF College of Medicine from being an independent college. The goal of the school is to build a nationally recognized biomedical research and education enterprise, and become part of UCF's College of Medicine upon accreditation. The Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences is housed in a 198,000-square-foot (18,400 m2) building on the health sciences campus which opened in 2009.[14]