ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of Central Florida officially opened its new medical school building Monday. This will be the school's second year, but the first year in the new building.
The $65 million building is attracting students from all over the country. The stunning 170,000 square-foot building nestled in the heart of Lake Nona's Medical City opened its doors to students after years of planning and construction.
"I'm just thinking about the long road that I'm sure all of us have traveled just to get here," student Pouya Arneli said.
UCF President John Hitt was on hand as 60 new students received their lab coats during a ceremony Monday morning. They were chosen from nearly 4,000 thousand applicants, and the new students have a grade point average of 3.7.
"I'm a little nervous, I'm not gonna lie, but excited. Going to med school is a huge deal. I've been working towards this for about six years now," student Margaret Kozak said.
The facility is high-tech, boasting classrooms with simulated patients and a library that's 98 percent electronic. On the fourth floor, students will work with cadavers in the school's anatomy lab.
The latest class of medical students came from all over the country, from prestigious universities like Cornell, Yale and UCLA, telling WFTV it was the focus on technology that drew them in.
"That's the great thing about this program, that it's so high-tech, that it's so cutting edge," Kozak said.
Dr. Deborah German, dean of the UCF College of Medicine, said she was proud of the hard work the students put in to get there.
The class will join last year's charter class to bring the total enrollment to 101 students. The school says they will let in 80 more students next year.
The school said it was able to provide some students with grants to pay for classes. Last year, UCF became the first medical school in the country to provide its charter class with full scholarships.
Previous Stories: July 28, 2010: UCF College Of Medicine Unveils New Building
WFTV
