After 20 years of leading 91吃瓜网鈥檚 College of Medicine and鈥痑dvancing鈥痶he university鈥檚 clinical efforts, Deborah German will conclude her tenure as founding dean of the 91吃瓜网 College of Medicine and vice president for health affairs.
鈥淏ecause [Deb German] dared, the 91吃瓜网 College of Medicine is now an engine of talent, research and impact that is shaping healthcare for generations.鈥� 鈥� Alexander N. Cartwright, 91吃瓜网 president
German will remain in her roles while 91吃瓜网 conducts a national search for her successor. Following that transition, she will serve for one year as senior advisor for health affairs to the president and provost, supporting continuity during the next phase of growth.
When German arrived at 91吃瓜网 in 2006, the College of Medicine existed only as a bold idea that many questioned. Today, it is a nationally respected medical school and the academic anchor of Orlando鈥檚 Lake Nona Medical City.
鈥淲hen Dr. German came to 91吃瓜网, many believed building a medical school from the ground up 鈥� at a young university, in a brand new medical city 鈥� was too ambitious, too complex and too risky. Deb saw possibility where others saw barriers,鈥� says 91吃瓜网 President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淏ecause she dared, the 91吃瓜网 College of Medicine is now an engine of talent, research and impact that is shaping healthcare for generations.鈥�
Building a Medical School and a Workforce Pipeline
German arrived at 91吃瓜网 in 2006 as the medical school鈥檚 only employee. Her mission: build a medical school that would be the academic foundation of an emerging Medical City鈥痑nd鈥痠nspire economic development in the community,鈥痳egion鈥痑nd state.
From its聽inception, the College of Medicine was designed to be research intensive and聽community connected.
To attract the best and鈥痓rightest students,鈥疓erman helped secure more than $6.5 million to provide full four-year scholarships and living expenses for every member of the inaugural M.D. class聽鈥斅爐he first time in U.S. history a medical school fully funded an entire class. She also聽established聽the focused inquiry and research experience curriculum, requiring every medical student to conduct original scientific research.聽91吃瓜网 medical students frequently achieve 100% residency placement rates.
Recognizing Florida鈥檚 growing physician shortage, German expanded graduate medical education in partnership with HCA Healthcare and the Orlando VA Medical Center. What began in 2014 with 17 internal medicine residents has grown to more than 720聽residents and fellows training across Florida in high-need specialties including primary care, surgery, psychiatry,聽geriatrics聽and endocrinology.
This growth has strengthened Florida鈥檚 healthcare workforce at聽scale.
Advancing Academic Health Sciences
Under German鈥檚 leadership, 91吃瓜网聽established聽an Academic Health Sciences Center uniting the colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions and Sciences, along with 91吃瓜网 Health Student Health Services.
The Lake Nona Health Sciences Campus now includes the Medical Education Building, a new College of Nursing facility, 91吃瓜网 Lake Nona Hospital, the 91吃瓜网 Lake Nona Cancer Center, and the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences 鈥� home to聽nearly 3,000聽undergraduate and graduate students preparing to become tomorrow鈥檚 scientific leaders.
In addition, the medical school鈥檚鈥疌linical Trials Division currently has 19 studies investigating new and better treatments for鈥痗onditions鈥痠ncluding cancer,鈥痑llergic鈥痑sthma鈥痑nd Huntington鈥檚 disease.
In 2025, German also led the launch of 91吃瓜网鈥檚 ,聽leveraging聽91吃瓜网鈥檚 proximity to Kennedy Space Center to explore innovations that improve both space health and patient care on Earth.
鈥淲hen we鈥痮pened the medical school, we said we wanted to create a program that was locally, nationally and internationally relevant,鈥� German says. 鈥淲ith鈥痮ur new space medicine program, we鈥痭ow can鈥痓e galactically relevant.鈥�
Expanding聽Patient聽Care for the Community
鈥淲atching [91吃瓜网’s] growth and our impact on so many people, including my own family, has been both humbling and deeply rewarding.鈥� 鈥� Deborah German, College of Medicine founding dean
German also led the creation of 91吃瓜网 Health Faculty Physician Practice and the student-run KNIGHTS Clinic in partnership with Grace Medical Home to serve uninsured patients.
Most recently, 91吃瓜网 unveiled a 38-foot Mobile Health Clinic, bringing free, high-quality healthcare directly to communities in need while serving as a hands-on training site for students across disciplines.
鈥淲atching鈥痮ur鈥痝rowth鈥痑nd鈥痮ur鈥痠mpact鈥痮n鈥痵o many people, including my own family, has been both humbling and deeply rewarding,鈥� German says. 鈥淢y goal in coming to 91吃瓜网 was to create鈥痶he academic anchor of鈥痑 new鈥疢edical鈥疌ity.聽聽That foundation is now fully in place; we have done鈥痑 good job.鈥疦ow it is time for new leadership that will take us to new heights.鈥�
