Dr. Alma Littles, senior associate dean for academic affairs, delivered the commencement speech, which she considered an especially meaningful honor. Four years earlier Dr. Littles had been selected to address the same students at the Class of 2008 White Coat Ceremony, an occasion symbolic of accepting the responsibilities that go along with becoming a physician.

The graduation ceremony drew an estimated crowd of 800 people for the final event at FSU’s Ruby Diamond Auditorium before its close for a massive renovation project expected to take more than two years to complete. A location for commencement ceremonies in 2009 and beyond has not yet been determined.

Dean J. Ocie Harris presided over his fourth and final graduation, joking that the timing of his impending retirement seems right because the Class of 2008 might be the last for which he knew every student by name. Harris is retiring in August and will be replaced by Dr. John Fogarty, who currently is senior associate dean for operations and associate dean for primary care at the University of Vermont.

Graduate Marla Mickel might have set an unofficial College of Medicine record with more than 50 family members in attendance. Family members traveled to Mickel’s hometown of Jacksonville from parts of Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina before boarding a charter bus destined for Tallahassee. After the ceremony, the family returned to Jacksonville for a barbecue at the local elementary school where Mickel’s mother, Mary Mickel, serves as principal.

The graduates begin residency training in July at some of the top residency program across Florida and the United States. Nearly 70 percent of the class matched for residency in primary care specialties, including family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine and obstetrics/gynecology. Other students matched in anesthesiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, pathology, plastic surgery and psychiatry. View match results

Thirty-three of the students, or 58 percent, will remain in Florida for their graduate medical education. Twelve percent of the students (seven total) will be at the Family Medicine Residency Program at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

On average about 40 percent of students graduating from allopathic medical schools in Florida remain in the state for residency training, due in part to a limited number of available residency positions in state. The 58 percent of students remaining in Florida from FSU this year represents the largest percentage of any graduating class at the College of Medicine to secure residency positions in the state.

Two days before graduation, members of the Class of 2008 were honored for some of their achievements over the previous four years.
 

Class of 2008 Awards Ceremony

J. Ocie Harris, M.D., Outstanding Student Award
Paola Dees (Sarasota)
Cody VanLandingham (Tallahassee)

The award is given to the graduating student showing the best all-around promise of becoming a physician of the highest caliber; who best demonstrates the strengths of academic achievement, social consciousness, ethical and moral standards and dedication to patients, and who has been a contributing member of his/her class at the College of Medicine.
 
Myra M. Hurt Leadership in Medicine Award
Peter Bechtel (Pensacola)

This leadership award is conferred on a student in the graduating class who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in one or more areas of medicine, which may include medical education, student organizations, college governance, and local, state or national medical organizations. It is named for Myra M. Hurt, Ph.D., who was instrumental in the establishment and development of the College of Medicine.
 
College of Medicine Altruism in Medicine Award
Charles Ritchie (Pensacola)
Sarah Tatum Ritchie (Pensacola)

Given to the graduating student who, through consistent actions, displays exemplary and unselfish concern for furthering the health, well-being, and fulfillment of his or her fellow human beings and in so doing embodies the highest ideals of medicine as a service calling.

College of Medicine Student Research Award
Jessica Fowler (Orlando)

Given each year to the graduating student who has demonstrated sustained interest in research throughout the four years of medical education. The recipient of the award should also have a record of experience and achievement in research.

College of Medicine Award for Increasing Access to Medical Care
Michelle Asher (Orlando)
 
Given to the graduating student who has demonstrated a strong interest in providing access to health care for underserved populations and who has volunteered at clinics or on international medical missions for the underserved. The award is sponsored by the Capital Medical Society Foundation in honor of Robin McDougall, former coordinator of the We Care Network that provides access to health care for low-income and uninsured individuals in the local four-county area.

Regional Campus Dean’s Award
Conferred on the most outstanding student at each College of Medicine regional campus.
 
Jessica Fowler (Orlando)
Nikita Wilkes (Pensacola)
Paola Dees (Sarasota)
Tanya Evers (Tallahassee)

Florida Geriatrics Society Award for Outstanding Student in Geriatrics
Marla Mickel (Orlando)
 
The FGS Award for Outstanding Performance in Geriatrics is awarded to one student at each of the five medical schools in Florida to raise awareness of the need for a geriatric approach to problem-solving and patient management for older adults that will distinctly benefit older patients, their families and caregivers.

American Medical Women’s Association Academic Achievement Award
Jessica Fowler (Orlando)
 
Presented annually by AMWA to the women graduates in the top 10 percent of the graduating class.

Outstanding Graduate in Family Medicine
Amy Reimer Neal (Tallahassee)
 
Presented by the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health and the Florida Academy of Family Physicians in recognition of consistent commitment to the principles and values of Family Medicine while embracing the mission of the Florida State University College of Medicine.

The Merritt Ryals Clements, M.D., Award for Excellence in Obstetrics & Gynecology
Michelle Asher (Orlando)
Nikita Wilkes (Pensacola)
Paola Dees (Sarasota)
Tanya Evers (Tallahassee)
Lindsay Hinson-Knipple (Tallahassee)
 
Presented to the student at each regional campus who has best demonstrated dedication to the health of women. Through their performance on the Obstetrics and Gynecology rotation, these students exhibited significant interest in women's health issues and commitment to incorporating this concern into future endeavors.

Florida Obstetrics & Gynecology Society Award
Kristin Burns (Orlando)
Leia Sammons (Orlando)
 
Presented by the Florida Obstetrics & Gynecology Society to a student who has demonstrated excellence in the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology.

Excellence in Emergency Medicine Award
Ashley Fox (Sarasota)
 
Presented by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine to a student who has demonstrated excellence in the specialty of emergency medicine.

Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
Student inductees: Erkan Alci, Peter Bechtel, Ashley Bassford, Charles Clark III, Paola Dees, Jessica Fowler, Adam Huddleston, Cody VanLandingham, Johnny Washington and Jeremy Williams.
 
Alumnus inductee: Michael Hernandez, M.D., Class of 2005.
Resident inductee: Julia Mercer Niebauer, M.D., FSU/Sacred Heart Hospital Pediatrics Residency Program.
Faculty inductee: Charles Ouimet, Ph.D., Department of Biomedical Sciences.

Awards presented by the Class of 2008:

Distinguished Service Award
Lindsay Diane Hinson-Knipple

Presented to the student who has demonstrated a commitment to the service of others as a physician-in-training.

Excellence in Academics Award
Erkan Alci
 
Recognizing the student who has demonstrated a high level of academic achievement in all aspects of medical training.

Golden Caduceus Award
Jeremy Williams
 
Given to the student who has been the most helpful and dedicated to the welfare and success of fellow classmates.

Outstanding Leadership Award
Peter Bechtel
 
Given to the second-year student who has assumed a leadership role among fellow classmates and through leadership has made significant contributions to the development of the College of Medicine.

Torch Award
Peter Bechtel
 
Presented to the student who embodies and demonstrates through his/her actions the ideals of the Florida State University College of Medicine.