From students hoping to spend careers in operating rooms to those training to perform leading-edge laboratory research, the UF College of Medicine’s newest classes are not only some of the largest to enter the classroom but also some of the most diverse.

A total of 163 medical students in the class of 2025 began their training this summer, hailing from 56 undergraduate institutions and 22 countries. More than a third of the students are disadvantaged — having grown up with insufficient access to social, economic and educational opportunities —or identify with a group that is underrepresented in medicine, and 13.5% are first-generation college students.

The college’s graduate program also introduced its largest class this year, with 281 master’s students and 70 PhD candidates.

About a third of the PhD candidates come from a background that is underrepresented in medicine, women make up about 3/4 of the class and three
students are McKnight Doctoral Fellowship awardees. About 18% are international PhD candidates who come from countries including Bangladesh, China, France, India, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

“We are honored these students chose UF to do their graduate studies, and we are excited to play a role in their training and development as biomedical scientists,” said Thomas Rowe, PhD, associate dean for graduate education.

The School of Physician Assistant Studies accepted 60 students into the class of 2023 out of more than 2,300 applications. Five veterans are part of the class, and 13% of students come from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine.

This story originally ran in the Winter 2021 issue of the Doctor Gator newsletter.