UCF College Of Medicine Unveils New Building

The University of Central Florida will officially open its new medical school building Monday. The $65 million facility is the center of Orlando's Medical City in Lake Nona.

For the first time, the University of Central Florida College of Medicine took WFTV inside its new building Wednesday. It is one of the largest facilities and certainly the latest.

"We’re thrilled. We can't wait!" UCF Dean Dr. Deborah German said.

Dr. German is dean and tour guide of UCF's 170,000 square foot school of medicine, featuring smaller classrooms with live patients.

"And what we're gonna do is show you Lawrence's heart. So, I'll get my knife. Ha, ha, ha," Dr. Loren Nelson, Professor of Surgery, said jokingly.

There are hospital examination rooms with simulated patients.

"We can control it and, if the student makes a mistake, you reset the mannequin," Simulation Medical Director Dr. Juan Cendan said.

Also, there is a library that is 98 percent electronic.

"A lot of my colleagues around the country are actually dumping their print books into dumpsters," Library Director Nadine Dexter said.

An anatomy lab on the fourth floor, where students will work with cadavers, is also available.

"And usually the ventilation is horrible, it smells bad, and you feel like you're living in the underworld," Dr. German said.

Dr. German said these features improve upon what the nation's best schools are doing and students said that's one of the reasons they enrolled there.

"Being a new school is one thing. But I think we'll really be able to build a reputation for UCF and make this a leading medical school in the country," Student Body President Keith Connolly said.

"And I'll be watching. So, when classes start I’ll be watching to see how the building works," Dr. German said.

The medical school is not far from Orlando International Airport and jets are constantly flying over. It's loud outside, but inside, you can't hear them; administrators said the building's architects included features to keep things quiet.