UCF med school students get ceremonial white lab coats

ORLANDO, Fla. — A record-setting class of medical students got their white lab coats at the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine.

The traditional white coat ceremony Monday morning welcomed 120 new medical students.  It was the first time the new class had reached full enrollment, officials said.

Courtney Mascoe isn't sure what she wants her medical specialty to be, but she now has four years to figure it out.

"Being a doctor is like the ultimate community service job," she said.

Mascoe is following in her father's footsteps. Maurice Mascoe is the head of emergency services at Health Central and knows what it takes just to get into medical school.

"Every parent wants their children to follow in their footsteps, so it's really an honor for me to watch her take over the baton," he said.

Officials said it means growth for Medical City at Lake Nona, where the school is located.

Developers have hoped to draw in thousands from around the country by making it a medical care and research hub.

This year, nearly 4,000 students applied.

Earlier this year, the college was granted full accreditation.  The school received a $7.6 million federal grant to help local doctors develop and use electronic health records.

The school was also able to offer full scholarships to an entire class for four years, which officials said was a first in U.S. history.

Channel 9 spoke with some very excited members of the class of 2017.

"Fantastic. This is one of the best feelings of my life. I worked so hard the last couple of years all for this one goal and I didn't even think about the day it would actually come. So, it's really an incredible experience," said student Austin Moats.

An independent study showed that in over 10 years, the school would bring in 30,000 jobs and $7.6 billion.

A total of 360 students are enrolled.

Last week, 40 students graduated from the school.

WFTV