Revolutionizing the Healthcare Industry
As a leader in advanced medical care, research and education, Orlando is gaining global recognition in a number of health services and treatments. With more than 20 million residents and the addition of 300,000 new people every year, Central Florida’s healthcare industry impacts people from their early years through adulthood and into retirement. As an educational leader in healthcare, UCF is committed to helping our community live life to the fullest — in medical and health professions within our colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions and Sciences.
Central Florida Healthcare
In Southeast Orlando, Lake Nona is home to a number of groundbreaking medical innovations. Here, some of the nation’s leading hospitals, research institutions, and health and sciences companies, come together to improve healthcare in our community. These networks and collaborative efforts have led to medical advancements from treating drug-resistant breast cancer to battling Alzheimer’s disease and healing diabetic wounds to understanding how HIV damages the heart.
New technologies and the way we approach patient care as a nation continues to transform the healthcare industry as we know it. Using a forward-looking approach to research and development, Florida is considered a pioneer in healthcare — an industry that makes up roughly 12% of all employment statewide and is expected to increase 25.6% through 2026. In turn, medical and wellness startups are making their way to the area, creating a need for a qualified workforce.
Leading the Charge in Healthcare Innovation
The UCF Academic Health Sciences Center is leading the way in healthcare education by bringing together various disciplines where faculty and students can focus on academics, research and practice. Home to the UCF Lake Nona Hospital, the UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center, the College of Health Professions and Sciences, the College of Nursing, and UCF Health, the center is a model for medical education in the 21st century. From nursing and biomedical sciences to athletic training and physical therapy, students have an opportunity to fulfill a number of careers within healthcare.
Our healthcare programs not only look at what students learn, but also how they learn. Through interprofessional education, students from each discipline collaborate together — gaining a better understanding of the various roles and scopes of practice within healthcare. This allows them to practice hands-on communication skills, develop mutual trust and respect, and provide quality patient care. For instance, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists and social workers may work as part of a team to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to the real world. Upon completing their programs, each student will be prepared for the future of healthcare and serving the community through their work.
Medical school in U.S. to provide full scholarships to an entire class
Match rate of medical students in 2022 — significantly higher than the national rate of 93%
Clinical site affiliations where students earn clinical experiences
First-time pass rate on national RN licensure and nurse practitioner exams
in the nation for first-attempt pass rates on the National Physical Therapy Examination
Residents and fellows currently training with UCF and HCA to help alleviate the state’s physician shortage
A New Era for Cancer Research
Conquering cancer. The UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center and its partners from around the community are committed to making this goal a reality. Students and faculty researchers alike have focused their efforts on finding new and better treatments for cancer, including a novel therapeutic that slows pancreatic cancer, a therapy to target childhood cancer and an innovative software to fight cancer.
Cancer patients from around Orlando and surrounding areas benefit from our one-stop research and treatment center. The center houses cancer researchers, clinical trials and treatment for patients. About half of the building is filled by UCF, while the other half is a clinical side for private entities including Sarah Cannon Research Institute and Provision Healthcare. One building, same team — from diagnosis to treatment to clinical research — all in the fight against cancer.
Building a Healthier Community
A little over a decade ago, the UCF College of Medicine opened its doors to train new doctors, advance medical research and improve the health and economic well-being of Central Florida. In 2021, the next phase of that mission came to life. UCF Lake Nona Hospital, a joint venture teaching hospital of UCF and HCA Healthcare, brings many of the university’s health-related programs to one area and provide care to the surrounding community.
The three-story hospital spans 204,079 square feet and start with 64 beds. As it grows, there is space and the ability to grow to 500 beds. The hospital includes a 20-bed Emergency Department open 24/7/365, four operating rooms, six delivery suites, cardiac catheterization lab, comprehensive imaging and laboratory services, a medical office building and a destination café. Serving as a clinical research center and learning environment for medical students, residents and fellows, the hospital aims to inspire scientific discovery.
Our students are scoring in the top quartile and above nationally in all measurements. We are gaining a national and worldwide reputation for innovation and academic excellence. The best part is we are just getting started.”
Alumni Spotlight: Blake Lynch ’14
Understanding first-hand the pressures nurses face, Blake Lynch ’14 wanted to provide comedic relief to those on the front lines. His first YouTube video, called “Scrub Romper,” went viral. Today “Nurse Blake” has 2.5 million followers and a national comedy tour — giving an inside look at the lives of healthcare workers both on and off the clock. He uses his voice to create change – leading a national effort for the FDA to end the lifetime ban on gay men donating blood, and formed an online community to support nurses. Helping care for those who care for us through one of the best forms of medicine: laughter.
Caring for Our Community in Action
Get a first-hand look at our healthcare impacts around Central Florida in the videos below — from the latest research initiatives to the newest technologies making a difference in the lives of those around us.
Healthcare News
Healthcare Degrees
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve and change over time, UCF healthcare programs keep students current with the latest techniques and curriculum — ensuring they are prepared from day one.
Bachelor’s Degrees
In-demand healthcare bachelor’s degrees
Graduate Degrees
Best master’s healthcare programs for advancement
Alternative Degrees
Various disciplines needed in the healthcare industry
UCF Online Degrees
Nationally recognized fully-online healthcare degrees
Rankings and Accreditations
Top 20 Most Innovative University in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF as one of the most innovative in its annual list of best colleges.
Top Sport and Exercise Science Program
UCF’s Sport and Exercise Science doctoral program ranks 9th nationally by the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK).
Best Online Nursing Programs
U.S. News & World Report ranked UCF No. 14 in Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs in the nation.
Top School Filling the Talent Shortage
UCF is ranked No. 16 in Medical Schools with the Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Area by U.S. News & World Report.
Advancing Healthcare Through Collaboration
The Academic Health Sciences Center brings together all of UCF’s strengths in research, clinical practice and community partnerships through its health-related academic programs. Our Health Sciences Campus, located in the heart of Medical City, is surrounded by top-notch hospitals, research facilities and other institutions. Our neighbors include Nemours Children’s Hospital, Orlando VA Medical Center, VA SimLEARN National Simulation Center, and Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute.
We partner with hospitals, nonprofits and even college football to find better treatments and advance patient care. Through combining all of our health-related disciplines, we can stronger serve our mission: improve health for everyone. The newest UCF Lake Nona Hospital and UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center were both made possible through our partnership with HCA Healthcare, a leading provider in healthcare services across 21 states and the United Kingdom. Our work together builds residency and fellowship programs to help address Florida’s physician shortage.
Healthcare Companies Employing UCF Graduates
- AdventHealth
- Brooks Rehabilitation
- HCA Florida Healthcare
- Health First
- Heart of Florida
- Moffitt Cancer Center
- Nemours Children’s Hospital
- Orange County Health Department
- Orange County Public Schools
- Orlando Health
- Parrish Medical Center
- Select Medical
- Seminole County Public Schools
- Southern Healthcare Management
- United Cerebral Palsy
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Institutes, Associations and Affiliations
- NCH Healthcare System
- Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute
- Legacy Pointe
- Provision Healthcare
- McCormick Research Institute
- Aphasia House
- HCA Healthcare
