Imagine the person you love most in the world is gravely ill. What traits would you want your beloved’s physician to possess? That’s a question I ask every new medical student on their first day of class at the UCF College of Medicine.

Their answers include traits like compassion, courage, intelligence, commitment and integrity. And this year’s Class of 2020, which joined us August 1, was no exception. They were the latest to participate in a UCF Tradition we call “The Good Doctor.” It’s their first official class in medical school before they receive their white coats in a traditional ceremony welcoming them as colleagues in health care.

The Class of 2020 was the eighth class in our young history to share with me the traits they would want to see in a doctor treating the person they hold most dear. As they told me the traits, I wrote their words on a blackboard that will stand in our atrium for the entire year. The words become the students’ contract with their faculty, each other, their community and me.

This year’s White Coat ceremony had special meaning because with it, our young medical school reaches full enrollment – 480 students. It’s hard to believe that in 2009, we began with the charter class of just 41. We have grown at warp speed just as Lake Nona’s Medical City continues to emerge on its way to becoming a global destination for medical education, research and patient care.

Each class brings individuals with unique experiences and unexpected talents. The Class of 2020 includes athletes in sports, including football, baseball, soccer and swimming. One of our students was an Olympic wind surfer, another a competitive equestrian.

They are military officers, including a Green Beret medic who served in Iraq and Lebanon and an Army chaplain. They are humanitarians who have served their communities in hospice programs and free clinics. One of our new students fought Ebola in Africa.

They are artists and entertainers, including two ballroom dancers, a ballet dancer and an improv comedian. And they are trained scientists. Fifty-two of our students conducted formal research across the globe before ever entering medical school. They have created new knowledge on topics including Alzheimer’s disease, autism, voice therapy and adverse reactions to medication.

These students are part of our growing Lake Nona. And they have many reasons for choosing UCF for their medical training. Chief among those reasons: They were excited to be part of a booming Medical City and to create a legacy at a young medical school. They want to leave their mark on their college, their patients and their Lake Nona community and create something bigger than themselves. A new community and a new college give them unparalleled opportunities to dream, lead and grow.

I couldn’t be more excited to welcome them.