ORLANDO, Fla.,None — On Thursday afternoon, the University of Central Florida approved plans to open a dental school. They are going to build it in Central Florida's medical city. That could mean big money for the Orlando area. And with the board of trustees' approval, the University of Central Florida's medical school complex at Lake Nona hit another growth spurt.
"If you look around the country, there are no successful medical clusters that don't have medical schools. When they're enhanced with things like Sanford-Burnham and Nemours Children's Hospital, and now things like our dental school," said Rick Walsh, the board chairmen.
The new college of dental medicine will open its doors in 2014 with an initial class of 60 students that will grow to 100. The college will be built next to the college of medicine. It will serve as another accredited dental school, outside others in Gainesville and Fort Lauderdale, that already receive more applications than they can accept.
This local opportunity is what students have been looking for.
"I think it's a wonderful idea. We're trying to create a medical center here. We do need students. We need the jobs," said Suzanna Scionti, a student at UCF.
The dental college will be built with the help of a $10 million donation from an anonymous donor and a $40 million start-up loan. Leaders say the college will be self-sustaining through tuition estimated to be between $50,000 and $60,000.
"This is sort of a unique animal. This is going to the board of governors and is not requesting any state dollars to support it," said Walsh.
Leaders say the college will have an immediate impact of $73 million for construction. It will create 110 educational jobs and contribute $69 million to Central Florida annually.
Chairman Walsh said the money is there to begin construction and they have not even started fundraising yet.
The proposal now goes on to the Florida Board of Governors for its endorsement.
WFTV
