‘STUNNED’ BY $10,000 LETTER

“I was completely stunned when I opened my congratulatory letter,” she said recently. “I never really expected to be chosen as one of the scholarship recipients. It was all God’s grace. I am quite humbled by it. It is my hope that in the long term this scholarship will decrease my future financial burden (loan repayment, namely) and enable me to focus on the real reason I decided to seek a career in medicine, and that is to serve the people in greatest need.  I thank AMBI most sincerely for their recognition.”

For details, visit this Web site.

NEW MEMBERS OF GOLD HUMANISM HONOR SOCIETY

• Elizabeth Brooks.
• Megan Hall.
• William “Adam” Hammond.
• Noureen Idress-Asad.
• Melissa Kozakiewicz.
• Nicole McCoy.
• Jimmy Moss.
• Amanda Sebring.
• Anthony Sochet.
• Emily Taylor.

Van Durme then explained the criteria for membership: “The Gold Humanism Honor Society Selection Committee carefully reviewed the nominations from MANY of you. It was encouraging to see so many of our students recognized by faculty from all four years of the curriculum AND their classmates. These ten students rose to the top as true exemplars of humanism by receiving multiple nominations from both faculty and peers in every category of the nomination form demonstrating clinical excellence, service to others, patient-centered approach to care and compassion.”

WELCOME, CLASS OF 2013

To read the bios that have been turned in so far, go to the directory at our Web site.

PUBLICATIONS

“… The mom felt an uncontrollable urge to push, and I as well as the family members got excited. It all seemed to happen so fast. The doctor told me to sit down on the stool that was placed before the mother. I didn’t hesitate. I couldn’t believe it! It was surreal. Several pushes. Grimaces. The mom was in what seemed like agony and then she became exhausted. ‘Please get the vacuum. Get the forceps. I just can’t do this anymore. I can’t!’ she moaned. With each push the maternal grandmother of the soon-to-be-born infant began to repeat, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ My mother would tell me the same thing at my toughest moments, particularly as I have struggled through medical school.

“… ‘I can do all things…’ I made it to third year. ‘I can do all things...’ I passed Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination. ‘I can do all things...’ I made it through this profound experience during my Obstetrics and Gynecology rotation. ‘I can do all things...’ I am one step closer to becoming a doctor. What makes it all real? Having just played a role in bringing someone into the world.”

“On Precocious Parenthood,” by David Gonzalez

“As I walked into the exam room on my second day working at a rural pediatric clinic, I expected to see yet another child dancing on the exam table, ripping up paper and beginning to scream at the sight of my white coat. Instead, I found a pleasant, young, blond-haired, fair-skinned girl, in her early teens sitting quietly….

“… María’s eyes began to tear up. Suspecting that she could be pregnant, I tried to comfort her saying that pregnancy is not the only cause of nausea. She was not comforted. Her tearful eyes told me she would prefer to discuss it only once and with the person that was most likely to have an answer – her doctor. I left the room. María spent the rest of the time with her doctor.

“… As a first-year medical student I do not have enough longitudinal experience to build adequate rapport with patients. At first, they may not be very forthcoming with their problems, but I will work to become a part of their lives. And if they choose to become pregnant, I want to help them progress even in that difficult situation. Hopefully, I can form habits now to last throughout my career. Maybe teens like María can avoid autumn in the springtime of their life.”
 
“Cervical Cancer Awareness Among Minority Students and Community Residents” -- Kenisha S. Pemberton, principal investigator

Discussion: “The results collected from this study demonstrate the need for targeted sexual health education for minority students and community residents. As such, health care providers must dedicate additional time during office visits to educate college-aged individuals, particularly minorities, about the health consequences of genital HPV infection and ways in which one can keep from spreading the infection. Some of the limitations of this study include a small sample size and short duration of data collection (questionnaires were collected for only a portion of the Spring 2008 term).”

Conclusions: “Despite the high prevalence of genital HPV infection seen in college-aged adults, these individuals have limited knowledge regarding the role of HPV in the development of cervical cancer. To effectively reduce the number of Americans acquiring a new genital HPV infection, legislators must direct more funds to health education, prevention, and treatment methods. In addition, at-risk groups for developing cervical cancer (i.e., minorities) must be targeted with culturally appropriate public health campaigns. Most importantly, providers must dedicate more time for counseling and patient education to reduce the incidence of HPV in the United States.”

ANOTHER TAR WARS CHAMP

“Amanda and I did the presentations and activities at Buck Lake Elementary,” Monday said. “We saw all six fifth-grade classes at that school, approximately 130 students. Several members of the College of Medicine family medicine interest group voted on the posters that were submitted, and I believe we wound up sending five to the state competition.”

Christie Sain, M.D., a 2005 graduate of the College of Medicine, is statewide Tar Wars coordinator for the Florida Academy of Family Physicians. So she, along with Monday and Sautter, plus Dean John Fogarty (who has helped judge the national contest), traveled to Buck Lake in May to tell fifth-grader Jasmine Asker her poster had been named best in the state.

“I am so proud of the work our students do on this program, and the fact that the winner for several consecutive years has come from FSU College of Medicine area elementary schools is worth bragging about,” said Alma Littles, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education and academic affairs. Here’s what Sain wrote in a message to the med students: “I am so proud of you guys and of FSU College of Medicine for winning AGAIN!!!!”