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This week, I had the honor of celebrating the graduates of Florida Atlantic’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine during their commencement ceremony. Having led a multi-year effort to establish the medical school during my time in the legislature, it was a full-circle moment for me to congratulate our MedOwls as Florida Atlantic’s eighth president.

Among the Class of 2025, 61 students received M.D. degrees, one student received a Ph.D., 31 students received master’s degrees, and six received a genomics and predictive health certificate. Of them, 14 graduates were hooded by family members, demonstrating a commitment to medicine that transcends generations. In line with the Schmidt College of Medicine’s mission, 36 percent of the class will conduct their residency in Florida, and 25 percent will specialize in primary care. Many graduates also matched in highly competitive specialties, including orthopaedic surgery, dermatology, vascular surgery, neurological surgery, interventional radiology, and others.

The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Joe G. N. Garcia, M.D., the Herbert Wertheim Endowed Professor of Molecular Medicine and associate vice president of research at the University of Florida. Dr. Garcia is also the founding director of the Center for Inflammation Sciences and Systems Medicine for UF Wertheim Scripps Research Institute, located on Florida Atlantic’s John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter. We were honored to hear from Dr. Garcia as he inspired our graduates to forge a path of service and innovation in medicine.

The Schmidt College of Medicine Class of 2025 represents a future of excellence and leadership in the medical field. Our graduates’ achievements helped place Florida Atlantic at the forefront of medical discoveries, and we look forward to the lasting impact they will continue to have in our region and beyond. I wish them all the best in their next chapter as alumni. Congratulations, MedOwls!