YOUR COMMUNITY MEDICAL SCHOOL

When most alumni hear “Florida State University,” they automatically think “Tallahassee.” Fact is, Florida State extends well beyond the capital. The College of Medicine, in fact, has six regional campuses across the state. One is in Tallahassee; the others are in Pensacola, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Fort Pierce and Sarasota. What's more, there are rural training sites in Marianna and Immokalee. Together, they form the foundation of a remarkable college that’s helping to redefine medical schools in this country.

Here’s how the College of Medicine works:

During their first two years, the medical students get classroom and clinical training on the main campus in Tallahassee. For their third and fourth years, though, they fan out to the regional campuses. Unlike the main campus, these regional campuses are not filled with classrooms and research labs. Instead, their “classrooms” are community hospitals and other medical facilities. Their teachers are community physicians. Their learning is hands-on.

In fact, you might see our students (look at the patch on their white coat) when you visit your physician or one of the hospitals in your community.

We’re not talking about a handful of physicians. Statewide, we have a network of more than 1,500 who mentor our students through required rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, geriatrics, psychiatry and emergency medicine, plus electives.

After those two years, they’re not “our” students anymore. They’re your students, part of your community, dispensing medical care to you and your neighbors.

So the next time you want to boast about your alma mater, ask your friends whether they realize some of Florida’s best doctors are being trained right in your community. The Florida State University College of Medicine is closer than you think.

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FSU MED magazine tells the unbeatable stories behind the College of Medicine. Read about the teaching, the research, the graduates' achievements, the community outreach and much more. You can always find the latest issue, plus archived issues. But if you want a copy you can hold in your hands, we'd love to add you to our mailing list. Send an e-mail with "Subscribe" and your full name in the subject line, and your full address in the text.

In the photo: Third-year student Amanda Rose learns from Dr. Vechai Arunakul at Jackson Hospital in Marianna, September 2009. (Photo by Colin Hackley)