Erkan Alci, Ashley Bassford, Peter Bechtel, Charles Clark, Paola Dees, Jessica Fowler, Adam Huddleston, Cody Van Landingham, Johnny Washington and Jeremy Williams officially will be inducted into AOA at a ceremony in May when all return to the main campus prior to graduation.

Bechtel, Dees, Williams and VanLandingham previously were inducted to the Gold Humanism Honor Society, which honors senior medical students, residents, role-model physician teachers and other exemplars recognized for demonstrated excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service. Michelle Asher, Lindsay Hinson-Knipple, Charles Ritchie and Sarah Tatum also are among the Class of 2008 students inducted into Gold Humanism at a ceremony in August. 

Each of the Gold Humanism inductees received multiple nominations from both faculty and fellow students in the following categories:

• Who would you like to have working at your side in a medical emergency?
• Who best personifies the quote, “The secret of good patient care lies in caring for the patient.’’
• Who has shown exceptional interest in service to their communities?
Who best demonstrates clinical competence (including clinical knowledge, reasoning and skills)?
• Who would you be likely to seek out in the future as the doctor for your loved ones?
• Who best demonstrates a patient-centered approach to care?
• Which students best exemplify the competencies and values of the FSU College of Medicine?

The College of Medicine is one of 60 medical schools with a Gold Humanism chapter. Electing students to the society is one way of demonstrating that an institution places high value on the interpersonal skills and attitudes essential for excellent patient care.

Alpha Omega Alpha derives its name from the initials of the essential Greek words in a motto that translates to “worthy to serve the suffering.'' AOA has been developed over the past 100 years to recognize and enhance professionalism, academic excellence, service, and leadership within the profession. Chosen students have excelled academically and shown promise of becoming leaders in the profession. A basic premise of election to AOA is that it is, in addition to being a capstone to a student’s medical school career, an obligation in a member’s personal life as a physician to support the organization’s principled ideals.

Gold Humanism 2007 (L-R): Dr. Daniel Van Durme, Michelle Asher, Peter Bechtel, Lindsay Hinson-Knipple, Sarah Tatum, Charles Ritchie, Paola Dees, Cody VanLandingham, Jeremy Williams and Dr. Kenneth Brummel-Smith.

COLLEGE OF MEDICINE LEADS IN FMA SELECTIONS

Thirteen FSU College of Medicine students have been selected to represent the Florida Medical Association’s Medical Student Section on FMA councils and committees in 2007-08. Thirty medical students from Florida universities were chosen. With 43 percent of the total, the FSU College of Medicine has more representatives than any other school in the state. 

Selections were confirmed by the FMA Board of Governors, extending a praiseworthy distinction to those students selected to serve alongside Florida physicians in helping to shape state health care policy.

FSU College of Medicine students (and their committee):

Justin Casey - Disaster Preparedness; Stephen Nobles - Uninsured, Underinsured, and Disparities in Health Care; Zita Magloire - Uninsured, Underinsured, and Disparities in Health Care; subcommittee for Disparities in Health Care; Kristen Barrie - Uninsured, Underinsured, and Disparities in Health Care; subcommittee for Disparities in Health Care; Shawn Agee - Council on Medical Economics; Michael Hall - Patient Safety and Quality Improvement; Steffanie Swanson - Council on Medical Education and Science; Jada Aikman - Council on Medical Education and Science; Alison Schmeck - Accreditation and Continuing Medical Education; Sanaa Bhatty - Council on Public Health; Komal D’Souza - Council on Public Health; Brittany O’Dwyer - Council on Public Health; Environment and Health Section; Kimberly Thornton - Membership; subcommittee on Membership Outreach.

Zarna Dahya has been appointed to serve as parliamentarian of the FMA Medical Student Section.

Bhatty, Casey, Dahya, D’Souza, Magloire, Nobles and O’Dwyer are part of the Class of 2011. Barrie, Hall and Swanson are part of the Class of 2010. Agee, Aikman, Schmeck and Thornton are in the Class of 2009.

THEY WROTE THE BOOK

Dr. Joseph Peterson presented medical research findings at the 63rd meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Washington D.C. Peterson, a fourth-year resident with the FSU College of Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program in Pensacola, presented findings from the past 15 years concluding that the United States is steadily falling behind as a world leader in research on fertility and reproduction.

Suspected causes are reduced funding and government regulations on research.

Co-authors were Dr. Barry A. Ripps, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist in Pensacola and Brijinder Minhas, Ph.D., a reproductive biologist. Ripps is a faculty member in the FSU Sacred Heart residency program.

A TASTE OF COMPASSION 

The Oncology Interest Group, Internal Medicine Interest Group and Pediatric Interest Group at the College of Medicine are having a wine & hors d’oeuvre tasting event Saturday (Nov. 10) to raise money for Dreams Come True. Dreams Come True is a non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of children battling life-threatening illnesses.

The fundraiser is scheduled 5-7 p.m. at Chez Pierre restaurant in Tallahassee. Tickets, on sale from 12-1 p.m. through Friday in the College of Medicine atrium, are $20. 

STUDENT BODY LEADERSHIP 

The classes of 2010 and 2011 elected the following students for leadership positions for 2007-08:

Class of 2011

President – Evan Johnson

Vice President – Jackson Hatfield

Secretary – Lance Tegen

Treasurer – Ashley Lucke

Co-Social Chairs – Brett Armstrong, Ashley Chandler and Mary Wardrop

Historian – Stefani Altman

Hospitality Chair – Layla Lundquist-Smith

Curriculum Chair – Ashley Newell

Library/IT Chair – Casey Cable

Intramural Chair – Rafael de la Puente

Class of 2010 

President – Anthony Sochet

Vice President – John Wynne

Secretary – Danielle Hasson

Treasurer – Heidi Neal

Social Co-Chairs – Stephenie Box and Holly Schwartz

Historian – Soshanna Hacker

Hospitality Chair – Steffanie Swanson

Curriculum Chair – William Hammond

Library/IT Chair – Suril Patel

Intramural Co-Chairs – Jennifer Stahl and Justin Ruoss