136 students join the UF medical school class of 2027
11 students began their studies as part of the MD-PhD Training Program
Members of the UF medical student class of 2027 gather for a group photo during their medical school orientation.
Photo by Jesse S. Jones
Aug. 8, 2023 — Last Friday, the 136 men and women comprising the UF College of Medicine’s newest class of medical students assembled in the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building, surrounded by tables representing some of the potential avenues for their future careers — emergency medicine, anesthesiology, community health and family medicine and more.
The career fair, a new addition to the UF medical school class of 2027 orientation, offered the incoming class of physicians-in-training a chance to speak with trainees and faculty who were once in their shoes.
“I asked the representatives about the paths they took and what they want to see from students so I can prepare for when I’m trying to make a decision on which specialty I want to pursue,” said first-year medical student Grace Kelly, who spoke with faculty and residents from the internal medicine and neurology departments at the event.
The students in the class of 2027 hail from 43 undergraduate institutions and include parents, a U.S. Army combat veteran, a muralist and a former professional soccer player.
“There have been many advances in medicine since I went to medical school, and today new technologies and artificial intelligence are evolving medicine further, but the core of the profession remains caring for the patient,” said Joseph Fantone, M.D., senior associate dean for educational affairs. “Stepping forward to be an advocate for your patients is critical and something we looked for in you as part of this selection process, and you’ve all exhibited these values and character traits. We’re really pleased you’re joining us.”’
This year also saw the greatest number of first-year students joining the MD-PhD Training Program, with 11 students beginning their journeys toward becoming physician-scientists this fall.
Medical students in the UF MD class of 2027 receive their very own stethoscopes during their first day of medical school orientation.
Photo by Jesse S. Jones
A fundamental tool
On their first day of medical school, the UF M.D. class of 2027 received a special gift — their first stethoscopes, funded through donations by alumni and friends.
UF Medical Alumni Board president Brian Taschner, M.D. ’98, shared a video message with the class, encouraging them to spend the next four years continuously learning from those around them.
“You will learn some of life’s most valuable lessons from your instructors, from your supervising physicians, from your peers and, most importantly, from patients,” he said. “You will learn to value those things that connect you to your patients. The great thing about the stethoscope is that you have to be close to your patient to use it. It is, after all, a physical bridge that conveys the very sounds of life itself into the physician’s ears.”
UF M.D. class of 2027 by the numbers
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73 women and 63 men
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74 students from undergraduate institutions outside of Florida
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10 students in the UF Medical Honors Program
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12% first-generation college students
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38% students self-identifying as disadvantaged or from a background underrepresented in medicine
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19 countries of birth
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65% nontraditional students
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10% pursuing dual degree
Meet a few faces from the class of 2027
Shruti Kolli
Photo by Emily Mavrakis
Shruti Kolli
“The medical field presents an exciting opportunity to integrate my community, research and patient care experiences to facilitate inclusive and comprehensive encounters with patients who may have previously felt discouraged or unheard in their care. I feel it is the highest honor when a patient trusts you with their health, and even more so given the medical mistrust that exists in many historically marginalized communities. Through my passion for advocacy and holistic health, I wish to honor the stories of my patients through patient-centered treatment. As I begin medical school, I cannot wait for our first anatomy class, meeting my med school ‘big’ and forming new class traditions. Lastly, I am looking forward to four more years of yelling across the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, ‘Go Gators!’”
Nicolas Abchee
Photo by Emily Mavrakis
Nicolas Abchee
“I want to become a physician because not only do I want to serve and heal, but I also want to listen and learn from those around me. This path is a journey of continued curiosity, but more importantly, I can use this curiosity to build trusting relationships by shouldering responsibility. Now that I am heading into my first semester of medical school, I feel tons of excitement that this part of my journey has finally arrived. One thing I am looking forward to is building on the close connections I have formed with the community as an undergraduate in a new capacity as a medical student. I can’t wait to meet my new colleagues and for us to all push each other one step at a time to accomplish what we came here to do. We have all come here from different places and for different reasons, and I think that’s what makes it so exciting to learn alongside each other.”
Brittany Shepard
Photo by Danielle Ivanov
Brittany Shepard
“Gymnastics was the lens through which I was first introduced to medicine. I shadowed a physical therapist, a physician assistant and multiple physicians in undergrad. While shadowing the physician assistant, I watched several orthopedic surgeries. I remember that being the first time I was really captured by the health care field. As I transition into my new role of student and mother, it’s important to me to be present in each aspect of my life. I’m excited to begin medical school with a baby; I think I will bring a unique perspective to my class and will be able to connect with patients who are also mothers.”
Bo Peng
Photo by Danielle Ivanov
Bo Peng
“I was blessed to participate in research in high school. This led me to be intertwined in the whole medical system, giving me early exposure to the importance of physician care. I’ve seen firsthand how the field has evolved and how the survival of patients with cancer has continued to dramatically increase throughout the years, and I want to be able to contribute to that in as many ways as possible. My goal with medicine since then has always been to be able to take new innovations to the bedside and take observations from the bedside back to the lab, and I’m excited to pursue that here at UF as an M.D.-Ph.D. student.”
