IMPRESSIVE SCHOLARSHIPS

Komal D’Souza, Class of 2011, and Tanya Anim, Class of 2010, both at the Daytona Beach regional campus, were awarded National Health Service Corps Scholarships. They cover ALL expenses for students – tuition, fees, living expense stipends, etc. – in return for a commitment to serve at least two years in a Health Professional Shortage Area after residency. Anim received a one-year scholarship to cover her last year of school. D’Souza received a two-year scholarship for her third and fourth years. Learn more about the scholarships.

THE ELECTION OF TANYA ANIM

Anim recently was elected student chair of the National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Here’s a brief interview with her.

What are your new responsibilities?

“As the student chair, my primary responsibility will be helping to plan the AAFP’s National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students for 2010 by providing input on programming and activities.  The theme for the August conference will be “Innovations in Education: Training Tomorrow's Family Physicians.” I will also preside at the business sessions of the National Congress of Student Members (NCSM) during National Conference. Furthermore, I will continue to participate as a student member of the AAFP Commission on Education and a few of its various subcommittees.”

Why did you seek this post? And which parts of it excite you and scare you?

“Actually, the students at National Conference 2009 nominated me for and subsequently elected me to the position. The reason I accepted is also what scares me the most. The students will be counting on me to make next year’s conference unforgettable, bringing new and innovative ideas. This is an exhilarating yet daunting task. I will try my best to live up to their expectations. Particularly for medical students attending National Conference for the first time, it is an event that opens their eyes to the possibilities a career in family medicine can offer. I am honored to be a part of that and hope to continue the tradition of creating a conference that inspires medical students to find their place in family medicine.”

How in the world do you find time for activities such as this when you’re also a med student?

“HA! I’m just a busybody, like my mom. We both somehow find the time to do a seemingly impossible amount when it comes to things we are passionate about. For my mom, that’s the education of high school students. For me, it’s the specialty of family medicine. Participating in leadership activities is a challenge at times given the demanding schedule of the clinical years. But I am passionate about family medicine and helping the Academy to educate medical students about the specialty, and advocating for medical students and patients. The cause makes it all worthwhile. Also, participating in extracurricular activities is a release for me. It keeps me focused on why I want to be a physician — to make a real difference in the lives of others, in particular my future patients.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO KENISHA PEMBERTON

Kenisha Pemberton, Class of 2012, was highlighted in the October issue of ASCO News and Forum (the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s quarterly member publication). She served a rotation at All Children’s Specialty Care of Tampa after she received a 2009 Diversity in Oncology Initiative Award. “Witnessing firsthand how my grandfather fought and lost his battle with cancer motivated me to apply for the Medical Student Rotation,” she said. The awards offer funding to physicians and medical students with an interest in oncology who identify themselves as minorities or who commit to practicing oncology in a medically underserved region of the United States. Pemberton also was published in the Winter 2009 issue of the Journal of the Student National Medical Association.

HEART FIBROSIS GRANT

Le Cai, a graduate student in Branko Stefanovic's lab in biomedical sciences, was recently awarded an American Heart Association predoctoral fellowship for two years, 2008-2010. The amount for each year is $21,770. When asked, she provided these details about her research:

“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy and hypertensive heart failure are conditions associated with heart fibrosis. Heart fibrosis causes mechanical stiffness, disrupts connectivity and impairs oxygen availability. Fibrosis is caused by excessive deposition of type I collagen within endomysium and has no cure. Therefore, elucidation of the regulation of collagen type I expression may lead to therapies alleviating the above conditions. I am trying to identify the unique molecular mechanism of collagen synthesis by cardiac fibroblasts. The proteins involved in this mechanism will reveal the potential targets for development of antifibrotic therapy for cardiac fibrosis.”

OUR FIRST THREE HONORS SCHOLARS

Three students who’ve been accepted into the Class of 2014 are the first ever admitted through the Honors Medical Scholars Program, which targets high-school students interested in careers in medicine and nurtures them through their undergraduate years. The three future medical students are Keerti Dantuluri, Joseph Hernandez and Judy Lin. The program opens the door for early admission to the College of Medicine and makes it possible in some cases to earn a bachelor’s and a medical degree in seven years. Thirty-one students are currently in the program, which is directed by Rob Campbell, M.D., assistant dean for student affairs.

CLASS OFFICERS FOR FIRST-YEARS

Here is the list of class officers for the Class of 2013, elected by fellow first-year students:
President – Austin Henkel.
Vice President – Jay Meyer.
Secretary – Mary Norton.
Treasurer – Jessie Walters-McCarthy.
Social Chairs – Alexa Kaminski & Jason Lorenzen.
Historian Chairs – Eva Bellon & Claudia Zapata.
Hospitality Chairs – Andrew Garber & Brittany Warren.
Intramural Chair – Carlos Leon.
Intramural Co-Chairs – Gabby Messmer & Katie Relihan.
Gala Chairs – Amy Haddock & Kim Hemphill.
Gala Co-Chair – Naomi Salz.
IT/Library Committee – Matt Moss.
M1 Curriculum Committee Representative – Souhail Karram.

 

AROUND THE WORLD

Here's a jubilant photo of College of Medicine students in Uganda on a recent medical mission trip.

Sometimes the weekly Grand Rounds lectures give students a chance to discuss what they gained from such trips to other countries. Recently students spoke about one trip to Ecuador and another to Nicaragua.

Dharmini Shah, Class of 2012 and current president of Students Interested in Global Health, first explained that the service learning trips give students a hands-on, first-hand look at global situations. Then she spoke of the “life-changing experiences” in Nicaragua. Here’s an excerpt from her remarks about Monte Fresco:

“I never thought I would help conduct a clinic outdoors, under trees, with running pigs chasing the chickens which were chasing the kids who were playing soccer. Oh, wait, let’s not forget trying to dodge mangos that almost hit us as we were performing physical exam maneuvers. 

“This clinic day was more unique than the previous three. We were located outside in front of a house. We learned how to accommodate with what we had, especially as the day progressed and grew warmer. We were outdoors and it was difficult at times to maintain privacy or ensure that the patient was comfortable, but we did our best. Being out there in the open helped us engage in their culture and step into their shoes…. We all thought twice about complaining about our own circumstances.”

Here are excerpts from note cards written about the trip to Ecuador. (The authors asked that their names not be used.)

“Although it is not my own country, I am so grateful for the people running these facilities. They serve as reminders of how good our lives are here in the United States. I hope to never forget their message of service that I witnessed during my trip to Ecuador.”

“… This brings me back to Dr. Quist when he said that God has guided him to where he is in his life. Some might be disturbed by the mention of God, but whatever we wish to call it – the result of divine inspiration, of our upbringing, or of the intricate neuronal connections firing in our own temporal lobes – whatever inspires us can lead us to do great things. Any way you want to define it, I feel it is essential to always listen to that inner voice that we humans share.”