{"id":146844,"date":"2025-05-19T10:55:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T14:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=146844"},"modified":"2025-05-19T10:55:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T14:55:03","slug":"ucfs-college-of-medicine-celebrates-commencement-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucfs-college-of-medicine-celebrates-commencement-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF’s College of Medicine Celebrates Commencement 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vasiliki Beleri ’21 ’25MD<\/strong> wiped tears from her eyes moments after graduating as a UCF physician Knight. Nearby stood her father, who had once lost three fingertips while working at the family\u2019s Central Florida restaurant. Beleri was 10 when the accident happened. She sterilized and rebandaged his wounds every night when he returned home from work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was so excited to play doctor,\u201d she says. \u201cEven as a child I knew medicine was my calling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beleri was one of 119 UCF College of Medicine graduates who earned their medical degrees on Friday. She will now go onto the University of Texas to become a family medicine resident, a specialty she chose so she can care for entire generations \u2014 from newborns to seniors. As she gathered with her family outside Addition Financial Arena, she hugged her grandmother, Vasillo. The family matriarch was asked how it felt to have a granddaughter as a doctor. Beleri translated the question into Greek. The grandmother looked to the heavens, covered her heart with her hands, and said, \u201cI feel full.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Friday\u2019s commencement, UCF\u2019s young medical school has graduated 1,312 physicians. This year\u2019s class had a 100% residency placement rate and will go onto residencies across Florida and the nation in specialties that include surgery, psychiatry, pediatrics, OB-GYN, radiology and primary care.<\/p>\n