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Nancy Fuleihan Nancy Fuleihan was a member of UCF's first graduating class (UCF yearbook)

5:53 p.m. EST, February 11, 2013

UCF's College of Medicine has received full accreditation from the agency that accredits medical schools nationally.

Officials at the University of Central Florida made the announcement this afternoon at a news conference held just months before UCF's first class of medical students will graduate.

UCF President John Hitt and Dean Deborah German, standing in front of a small group of students who were wearing white coats, praised the medical school's staff and supporters for their hard work helping the fledgling program achieve its goal.

Earning accreditation, a rigorous process that takes years to complete, is critical. Medical students have to graduate from an accredited institution to qualify for medical residencies to complete their training and acquire their medical licenses.

"This achievement is a credit to the efforts of our outstanding College of Medicine staff members and faculty members," Hitt said, adding that it also is a testament to the generosity of community members, including scholarship donors.

The medical school opened with 41 students in 2009 in temporary facilities near the main UCF campus. Today, 280 students learn in a state-of-the-art building that is the centerpiece of Lake Nona's emerging Medical City.

In 2011, the medical school received provisional accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical schools in the United States and Canada.

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UCF medical school earns accreditation