u n i v e r s i t y o f c e n t r a l f lo r i da
college of medicine
diversity & inclusion annual report 2013-14 1
UNiversity of Central Florida
2
college of medicine / diversity and inclusion annual report 2014-15
I
have always believed that when we help others, we learn. And the mission of the UCF College of Medicine’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion is to create a culture of service and inclusion that helps all of us to grow. That spirit has never been more important than it is today. As our world, nation, state and community become increasingly diverse, we must prepare tomorrow’s health leaders to be more inclusive communicators and healers. As scientists, doctors, teachers and community leaders, they must have the capacity to connect with others who may have vastly different life experiences than their own. It is only by embracing and sharing our differences – and increasing our capacity to communicate and engage – that we can truly make a difference. This annual report is designed to share accomplishments of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI). The hard work of these faculty, staff and students is making a difference in the College of Medicine culture and beyond. The report highlights actions, efforts, words and feelings we hope will be inspirational and informative. Together, we can change the spirit and face of healthcare for the better.
Lisa Barkley, M.D., FAAFP Assistant Dean of Diversity and Inclusion
3
Creating A Culture Of Diversity and Inclusion In 2014, a key priority for the UCF College of Medicine’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) was to make inclusion a stronger part of the overall college culture. So it initiated a series of initiatives to help faculty, staff and students better understand, communicate and engage in an everchanging world. The initiatives include expanding diversity and inclusion opportunities for the entire college. “Our goal was to expand the dialogue about diversity and inclusion beyond the council members to a wider representation of faculty, staff and students,” said Dr. Denise Kay, assistant director of faculty development who helped lead the effort. “We wanted to increase faculty, student and staff members’ awareness of diversity/ inclusion themes and issues overall and within the UCF College of Medicine community.” Community and UCF Training The effort included making UCF and community programs available to the College of Medicine. This included quarterly forums provided by the Beacon Network, a multicultural organization dedicated to integrating diversity and inclusion into the Central Florida community.
college of medicine / diversity and inclusion annual report 2014-15
College of Medicine colleagues attended the network’s free quarterly forums that focus on diversity in the global marketplace and the organization’s annual Champions of Change luncheon. As word spread about the impact of the network’s offering, more medical school employees attended and were able to learn about workplace trends and network with others dedicated to diversity and inclusion efforts.
connected world and explored ways to make the medical school a more inclusive environment where all participants can learn, thrive and grow. COM Diversity Champion Program
For example, administrative staff from the college’s Faculty and Academic Affairs Department participated in a BARNGA (Thiagarajan and Steinwachs 1990) card game where participants experience the shock of realizing that, despite many similarities, people of differing cultures perceive things differently or play by different rules. Players learn that they must understand and reconcile those differences if they want to function effectively in a cross-cultural group. Central Florida Diversity Learning Series The College of Medicine hosted the 2014 Central Florida Diversity Learning Series (CFDLS), an executive diversity training program designed to help the region understand how to create and sustain more inclusive organizations and communities. Companies including Disney, Universal Studios, Darden Restaurants and Florida Hospital send teams to the series of six highly-interactive workshop sessions led by Bill Hertan, (pictured at right), founder of Seattle-based TRI Partners, a national leader in helping companies develop into more diverse and inclusionary cultures. The sessions included topics such as gender identity, inclusive mentoring, intergenerational communications and making the culture more inclusive for people with disabilities. CDFLS Lunch and Learns Beginning in January, TRI Partners also began leading bimonthly Lunch and Learn sessions presented by the CFDLS presenter for College of Medicine faculty, staff and students on a variety of diversity and inclusion topics. The sessions looked at changing trends and demographics in our globally-
The CDI created a program to designate and recognize as a Diversity Champion students, faculty or staff members who commit to supporting diversity and inclusion throughout the College of Medicine. To earn the designation, the individual must attend four of the six year-long Lunch and Learn events and make a presentation to the CDI on their insights and learnings from the events. The goal of these presentations is to share how the Lunch and Learn Series challenged or changed the individual’s beliefs and behaviors, and how those learnings might influence medical education and healthcare. “Our goal with these 2014 initiatives is to increase our capacity to engage in an ever-changing world and to continue to develop our college’s culture of diversity and inclusion,” said Dr. Lisa Barkley, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion. 5
UNiversity of Central Florida
“Diversity Makes Us Better At What We Do” Success in today’s increasingly diverse world requires institutions that tell employees, “don’t be afraid to bring your culture to work,” a leading disability advocate told College of Medicine faculty, staff and students during the college’s celebration of Diversity Week October 21-25, 2013. Jennifer Brown, founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, works with companies to create more diverse and enlightened cultures. She spoke at an Office for Diversity and Inclusion Lunch and Learn after giving the keynote speech at a breakfast kicking off UCF’s Diversity Week. Brown equated diversity with an iceberg, noting that institutions have made strides in recognizing and including groups that are above the waterline – those of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, genders and ages. But many organizations fail to be inclusive in areas below the surface, including religion and spirituality, education
and sexual orientation. One of Brown’s areas of focus has been inclusion for the LGBT community, and helping organizations establish practices that keep employees from “scrubbing their full person from their work life” and “leaving your full self at the door.” A recent study found that 75 percent of workers “cover” some aspect of their identity to their work colleagues. “Covering takes a tremendous amount of energy that could go toward more positive things,” Brown said. And as companies engage in a battle for talented employees, those that have a welcoming, safe environment for diverse workers succeed. “Diversity makes us better at what we do,” she said. “It offers us the opportunity to come up with more innovative solutions because we have a diversity of thought. Successful companies understand we need a diverse staff to serve a diverse world.”
“Diversity and inclusion are important to me because I believe ‘two minds are better than one.’ This is enhanced when individuals come from different experiences. Diversity facilitates opportunities to build bridges and make the college an even stronger medical education institute.” Shainoor Ladha-Karmali Associate General Counsel, CDI Member
college of medicine / diversity and inclusion annual report 2014-15
Diversity and Inclusion Office Honored Dr. Lisa Barkley and the CDI were honored for their commitment to the education and development of their team by UCF’s Human Resources Department. The office received the “Order of the Baton” award at the annual Organization Development and Training Recognition Ceremony on October 25, 2013.
Wellness Center, Computer Services and Telecommunications, The Center for Distributed Learning, The Office of Instruction Resources, Health Services, The John C. Hitt Library Circulation Department and the UCF Career Services Department of Employer Relations.
Honorees were commended for offering professional growth opportunities for their employees. Dr. Barkley talked about how her team is working to learn with the community, and from it. “We want to make sure we are hearing the voices of our students, faculty and staff throughout our college,” She said.
The award is an actual baton that Dr. Barkley is encouraged to pass on to one of her team members each year. The honor is intended to motivate groups to get excited about professional development. The college has decided to make the baton a yearly diversity award presented during the M.D. program awards.
Other winners were the UCF Recreation and
co u n c i l f o r d i v e r s i t y a n d i n c l u s i o n g o a l s
UNiversity of Central Florida
College of Medicine’s Curriculum Highlights Diversity, Healthcare Disparities physician needs a deeper understanding of the sociocultural background of patients, their families, and the environments in which they live. And physicians must develop a keener understanding of their own backgrounds and beliefs to serve others. To make that point, this year’s curriculum included Associate Law Professor Deleso Alford from Florida A&M University (pictured left), who talked to students about health disparities as an issue of medical ethics and human rights, and Rabbi Maurice Kaprow a healthcare chaplain, who talked about spirituality and medicine. Professor Alford warned students not to make assumptions based on their own experiences. “Is it right to assume you know how to treat a person based on stereotypes or your individual life experience?” she asked. “Who told you that you could characterize people?” She provided the same advice to doctors in training that she does her lawyers in training. “We tend to ‘other’ the person we are serving,” she said. “We think, ‘I know you because I am serving you.’” New medical school graduates will begin practicing in a new era of healthcare: They will be serving an increasingly diverse patient population, some who have faced lifetimes of healthcare disparities. How does a 21st century medical school prepare students for those realities? With a curriculum that includes service learning and a curriculum with longitudinal themes (LCTs) like “Culture, Health and Society.” LCTs are interdisciplinary topics that encompass the skills and attributes that will make the College of Medicine student an excellent physician. The themes are interwoven into the four-year curriculum. The “Culture, Health and Society” LCT is based on the idea that to deliver high-quality healthcare, a
8
She urged the students to be open to the individual in front of them, and to learn from that patient. “If you treat people like people,” she said, “you’ll understand human rights.” Rabbi Kaprow talked about the discomfort many physicians feel in talking about spirituality with their patients, believing they are intruding on a patient’s religious freedom. But finding meaning in illness is often therapeutic for patients, he said, and can even promote healing. And he presented research showing patients often find comfort in finding that their physician is a spiritual person.
Diversity On FIRE
“I have always placed great value in spending time with people from different cultures and backgrounds. When I was in college, I studied overseas and traveled so I could meet people who look at the world with different perspectives. Today, I simply come to work at the UCF College of Medicine and get to enjoy being part of a diverse community.” Lisa Minnick, Director, Student Financial Services CDI Member
Developing a strong “spirit of inquiry” in young physicians is a key focus at the College of Medicine, which requires every student to conduct a scientific research study during their first two years of medical school. The FIRE (Focused Inquiry and Research Experience), M.D. module is designed to help students appreciate research and create knew knowledge in a topic about which they are passionate.
Each March, students present their research at the annual FIRE conference. The 2014 event featured a variety of topics related to Central Florida’s diverse population and the healthcare needs of all. This year’s projects that centered on diverse community needs included:
“Diverse is more likely to be a characteristic of any community now and in the future. Subsequently, inclusion, as a practice, is the best way to ensure that everyone in the community has the opportunity to live their life, to grow and develop in ways they choose.” Denise Kay, Assistant Director, Faculty Development CDI Member
•
Jennifer Druce, “Abdominal Obesity and Exercise Tolerance in Obese Youth.” Mentor: Lloyd Werk, M.D., Nemours Children’s Hospital
•
Ashley Franklin, “Female Athletes and Pregnancy: A Mixed-Methods Study of Master Rowers’ Beliefs About Competitive Exercise During Pregnancy. Mentor: Joanna Mishtal Ph.D., UCF Department of Sociology
•
Jennifer Loftus, “Obstacles in Oral Hypoglycemic Agent Adherence and Correlation with Awareness of Medical Costs. Mentor: Caridad Hernandez. M.D., UCF College of Medicine
•
Austin McCarthy, “Race Moderated Response to Negative Strain.” Mentor: Jason Ford, Ph.D., UCF Department of Sociology
•
Jill Ireland, “The Role of Permanency in Health Outcomes of Former Foster Care Children in Central Florida.” Mentor: Kimberly Thompson Sc.D., UCF College of Medicine
UNiversity of Central Florida
10
college of medicine / diversity and inclusion annual report 2014-15
3 Students Graduate with National Medical Association Honors Three 2014 graduates of the UCF College of Medicine wore National Medical Association banners as they received their M.D. diplomas, in recognition of their leadership with the organization’s student group.
undergraduate students honored with the Order of Pegasus (pictured below), the highest student award at UCF based on outstanding achievement in the academics, university involvement,
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is the oldest and largest studentrun organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. As M.D. graduate Mertalaine Mulatre explained, “Diversity what make us special. It’s a gift that should be shared and cherished.” Mulatre, Avianne Bunnell and Sharise Richardson were honored at the organization’s graduation ceremony at its 2014 meeting and wore honorary blue banners on their robes at their M.D. graduation May 16. The three were instrumental in creating the college’s first chapter of the SNMA, which received the “Little Chapter, Big Heart” award in 2012. Bunnell (shown opposite top) is doing her vascular surgery residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. As a UCF medical student, she led the national SNMA Community Service Committee, where she represented more than 150 chapters of the SNMA. Before graduation, she was one of 20 graduate and
leadership, community service and research. She helped plan the 2013 Florida Alliance Student Symposium on Health Professions at the College of Medicine and also served as the sole student representative on the executive board of the Florida Alliance for Health Professions Diversity. Richardson (shown opposite bottom left on March Day 2014) led the NMA’s national Diversity Research Committee. She is doing her residency in obstetrics-gynecology at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Mulatre (shown opposite bottom right) has entered a general surgery residency at Orlando Health.
11
100 Percent of Pipeline Students Head to College Three years ago, Ashley Williams, a 2014 graduate of Orlando’s Jones High School, couldn’t imagine herself headed to college to become a nurse. But thanks to a UCF College of Medicine effort to increase the diversity of community healthcare providers, she is doing just that — on a full scholarship. Williams is one of 12 inaugural students in UCF’s Health Leaders pipeline program — 100 percent of the participants — who will attend college in the fall of 2014. And all are planning to major in health-related studies, from microbiology to nursing. Fifteen students signed up to be in the first Jones cohort. Twelve participated for all three years. During that time, Health Leaders provided the Jones students with tutoring and skills development in areas like critical thinking and research. Students attended summer camps, where they learned about health
college of medicine / diversity and inclusion annual report 2014-15
careers, used microbiology to identify a criminal suspect, and saw how strokes damage the human brain. They came to the medical school for tours and learning enhancement. Perhaps most importantly, they were mentored by UCF faculty and students to believe they could be successful in health careers. “To be honest, I was really scared to go into school in a big field such as medicine,” said Williams, who will enter Rollins College in Winter Park this fall. “Being in the Health Leaders program, I faced a fear and a challenge that I’ve always had, and it really helped me overcome it.” Dr. Lisa Barkley, the College of Medicine’s assistant dean for diversity and inclusion, and a family physician specializing in adolescent and sports medicine, began Health Leaders when she came to the new medical school in 2010. Her goal: prepare students from medically underserved communities for health careers and bring the economic development promises of Orlando’s emerging Medical City to all of its residents. In the last three years, the pipeline has grown from Jones High’s Medical Magnet Program to high schools in Osceola County and to two Orlando middle schools. As part of that growth, the Health Leaders Summer Academy doubled in size in 2014, as more than 60 Orange and Osceola County high school students participated. “Once you believe that you can do something yourself, then nobody can stop you,” Dr. Barkley said. “I hope they really internalize that they can be doctors, nurses, pharmacists; whatever they want to be, that they really have confidence in themselves and that they can achieve the goals they want to
achieve.” The adage that “it takes a village to raise a child” fit the Health Leaders program, as UCF undergraduate, graduate and medical students and faculty from the colleges of medicine, education, the Center for Emerging Media and community educators worked with the Health Leaders. Dr. Carolyn Hopp of UCF’s College of Education spent several tutoring sessions teaching students to critically discuss and think about the ethical issues in “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The book tells the story of an African-American woman whose cells were taken in 1951 — without her knowledge — and used in medical research. That action led to the field of biomedical ethics and regulations requiring informed consent by patients before samples are taken. As she worked with the Jones students, Dr. Hopp said she was inspired by her late father, Dr. LeRoy T. Walker, the first African-American to coach a U.S. men’s Olympic track team and to serve as the president of the U.S. Olympic Committee. “My father’s mantra was ‘Excellence without excuse,’” she said. “I want to teach the students that if you are disciplined and work hard, you can be absolutely anything you want to be.” One of the inspired students is Regia Windom, this year’s Jones High valedictorian, who will enter Florida A&M University in the fall to study biology and hopes to go on to medical school. “I was introduced to a lot of amazing people through the Health Leaders program,” she said. “I got to see their success and what they’ve done, so it made me want to do the same.” Creating a diverse health workforce is imperative given the increasing diversity of Orlando, Florida and the world, Dr. Barkley explains. “More healthcare workers must resemble the patients they treat,” she said. 13
UNiversity of Central Florida
Partnering In Osceola County To Create Tomorrow’s Healthcare Leaders In an effort to “fire up students about health careers,” the College of Medicine expanded its pipeline efforts into Osceola County, providing educational experiences, career insight and mentorship to students in the county’s high schools. A summer camp for the Health Leaders pipeline program was expanded for the first time in 2013 to include a second week of activities where Osceola students toured partner hospitals and institutions of higher education to learn about preparing for health careers. One of those tours was at Nemours Children’s Hospital, located with the medical school at Orlando’s Medical City. That biosciences cluster, just minutes from Orlando International Airport and Osceola County, is expected to produce more than 30,000 jobs and $7.8 billion in annual economic activity by 2017. Health Leaders is designed to prepare students from medical underserved communities for tomorrow’s healthcare workforce. A key partner in the effort is the Education Foundation of Osceola County, a non-profit group of parents, business and community leaders and elected officials working to bolster the efforts of county schools. Foundation Executive Director Kathy Carr said grooming the next generation of health leaders is an economic development issue in Osceola because as medical city grows, so will the need for 14
trained health professionals. “We want to make sure our kids are aware of all the opportunities in medicine,” she said. “We see the future coming.” During the past two summer camps, faculty members from the College of Medicine’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences worked with students to understand how scientific study can improve health. At the Burnett school, the high school scientists compared DNA samples using hightech equipment. They analyzed bacteria such as e.coli and MRSA. They learned that bacteria is everywhere — on their hands, on door knobs, on cell phones — and the biological processes that occur when bacteria make you sick. They also studied the social determinants of health — how sociological issues like crime, poverty and a lack of safe drinking water — impact a person’s wellness. The hands-on experiences helped some students solidify their dreams and others understand the broad range of available health careers. Pablo Chusan, a junior at Osceola’s Professional and Technical High School (PATHS) said dissecting a sheep’s heart in a 2013 lab at Valencia College’s Osceola campus reinforced his dream of becoming a cardiac surgeon. “Everybody was having fun,” he said. “That solidified what I want to be.”
college of medicine / diversity and inclusion annual report 2014-15
O RLAN D O H O N O RS D RS . GER M AN , B ARKLEY W ITH B LUE P RINT AWAR D S The City of Orlando honored Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the UCF College of Medicine, and Dr. Lisa Barkley, assistant dean for diversity and a faculty physician, with BLUEPRINT Women of Distinction Awards. The awards honor outstanding achievements in career, community leadership and personal character. Other honorees were Dr. Barbara Jenkins, Orange County’s school superintendent; Dr. Falecia Williams, president of Valencia College’s west campus; and community activist and business owner Tolan Trinh-Le. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orlando City Commissioner Daisy Lynum presented the awards, which were also sponsored by Gamma Phi Delta, the national business sorority. “This year’s five honorees displayed not only the remarkable leadership skills that make Orlando a better place to live and work, but their success has inspired the success of the next generation of women leaders,” Mayor Dyer said. The awards were presented in March 2014 during a fundraising event for the Orlando Medical Careers Partnership, a collaborative effort to bring healthcare jobs and training to the city’s underserved communities. The event raised more than $20,000 to help eligible students with tuition, books and lab fees to attend Orlando Tech and Valencia College. The College of Medicine’s HEAL (Health Explorers and Leaders) program, which helps prepare students in Orange and Osceola counties for healthcare careers, is part of the medical careers partnership effort. As she thanked city officials for the award, Dr. German said she was thrilled that the BLUEPRINT event “supports a partnership that will bring the hope of an emerging Medical City to our entire community… to me, leadership is doing what you know is right to serve other people.”
Soc i a l M e d i a C o n n e c t s P i p e l i n e M e mb e r s The College of Medicine’s pipeline students, their parents and teachers are now united on Facebook as they work together to create tomorrow’s healthcare leaders. In June, the college created a private, invitation-only Facebook group that provides participants with inspiration, news, health tips and educational training on medical, scientific and math topics. “Our kids are all about Facebook and this group offers them an opportunity to connect and learn in a safe environment,” said Dr. Lisa Barkley, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion who leads the medical school’s pipeline efforts. “This is another opportunity for us to engage.” 15
UNiversity of Central Florida
Giving Back “To the Community That Raised Me”
Growing up near Avon Park FL, Bobby Palmer (pictured above, second from left) spent his childhood tagging along with his dad who repaired air conditioners and his grandfather who owned a hardware store. Small-town life revolved around family, community and helping others. And as Palmer prepared to graduate from the UCF College of Medicine in 2014, he brought a message of inspiration and motivation to other small town, underserved youngsters who might never dream of becoming a doctor.
own challenges — and successes — in getting into medical school.
Palmer partners with the Office for Diversity and Inclusion to bring about 40 students from four Highlands County middle schools to UCF’s medical school in Lake Nona to get a first-hand look at what it takes to be a healthcare provider. His message: Follow your dreams, no matter what your circumstances. “I want to give back to the community that raised me,” he said of the effort.
Before entering medical school, Palmer spent a year in Chile helping to rebuild a village devastated by an earthquake. “It changed my life, my medical experience, and made me passionate about global health,” said Palmer who went on to volunteer at three medical mission trips to the Dominican Republic and head the medical school’s global health organization.
Palmer set up the entire give-back program. He arranged bussing for the two-hour ride from Highlands to South Orlando. He provided tours of the medical school’s state-of-the-art Anatomy Lab and Clinical Skills and Simulation Center. He offered inspirational speakers who talked of their
As one of the Highlands students finished the tour he talked about Palmer’s mentorship. “No matter where you come from, anything is possible,” said middle schooler Dalton Whitman. “It’s cool, that even someone from Avon Park can do something big.”
16
Palmer had his own unconventional road to becoming an M.D. He was fascinated by science and medicine as a child, so his family encouraged him to volunteer in hospitals as early as the 7th grade. He shadowed doctors in high school. He got his AA degree from South Florida State College, then his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wake Forest University.
Expanding Healthcare Pipeline Efforts To BethuneCookman University Efforts to increase the diversity of tomorrow’s health professionals extend to BethuneCookman University in Daytona Beach, one of three private, historically black colleges in Florida. As that university begins a new health careers program, it is turning to community healthcare providers for insight. The UCF College of Medicine’s Dr. Lisa Barkley serves on a Central Florida advisory board for the university to make sure the new program needs the area’s workforce needs. As part of that effort, students from Bethune-Cookman’s Pre-Professional Club toured the medical school.
Bethune-Cookman wants to group programs in nursing, gerontology, psychology, sports medicine and pre-professional programs for students hoping to attend pharmacy, dental and medical school. It also has a center for health equity that conducts community based research on healthcare disparities.
National Voices For Healthcare Diversity Increasing the numbers of minorities in healthcare and erasing our nation’s health disparities are becoming an increasing focus of several national organizations that have support from the UCF College of Medicine. The American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) 61st annual meeting in Orlando in May 2014 focused attention on health equity and focusing on physical activity and nutrition in minority communities. Participants discussed establishing public positions on health equity and finding ways to increase physicians’ cultural competency in communicating the importance of physical activity and nutrition in fighting disease. Participants also discussed partnering with national organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and local community groups like churches to spread the message. “Our organization sees sports and broader than organized team sports,” said UCF’s Dr. Lisa Barkley, who is boardcertified in sports medicine and serves on the ACSM’s Special Health Initiative on Health Equity. “We want to examine and research exercise as a lifestyle because we know that exercise is medicine.” Part of the effort will be creating programs that make exercise palpable for multiple cultures, she said. “How do we make physical activity a bigger part of all of our lives?” While one of three Americans is a member of a racial or ethnic minority group, healthcare as a profession has not made great strides in diversity. The goal of the Sullivan Alliance, established by Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, is to diversify the nation’s healthcare workforce, increase access to healthcare and end health disparities. The Alliance has chapters in several states, including Florida, and the 2013 national leadership meeting was designed to increase collaborative efforts to fight the nationwide problem of healthcare access. “As a new medical school, we are helping to create 21st century healthcare,” said Dr. Barkley, who was selected to represent the Florida Alliance at the national meeting. “For that reason, it is very important for us to be engaged in this effort. Diversity is part of the fabric that drives quality healthcare. We have to be leaders in the efforts to help people be well in the 21st century.”
UNiversity of Central Florida
Zora 2014 — Encouraging Health
UCF College of Medicine faculty and M.D. students honored America’s oldest incorporated African-American municipality in February by conducting health screenings at Zora 2014, an annual festival celebrating author Zora Neale Hurston and her hometown of Eatonville. Under the supervision of core and volunteer faculty members, students performed blood pressure, blood sugar and obesity checks, and for the first time also screened participants for glaucoma and other vision problems. They assisted about 75 people, many of whom said they did not have access to healthcare or physicians. One of their patients, a young man who was just hospitalized because of dangerously high blood pressure, was unsure what to do next. Faculty and students gave him information on medical services for the uninsured and lifestyle changes he can make to help his condition. “By caring for our community, medical students get an opportunity to apply what they’re learning and also learn the health challenges that real people face,” said Dr. Mujtaba Husain, professor of pathology at the UCF College of Medicine, CDI member and participant in the Zora screenings. “Today, our students cared for a community that needs our services.”
18
college of medicine / diversity and inclusion annual report 2014-15
Even before they arrived at Zora’s health village, students encountered residents and visitors eager for their help. One man approached two medical students in their white coats near the food court. He wanted advice on how to eat healthier — and enjoy his favorite dish of seafood without frying it. A woman who was one of the first in line to get her eyes checked proudly said, “I wouldn’t let anyone but your medical students do this because I’m a UCF Knight.”
The eye screenings were the idea of the college’s student Ophthalmology Interest Group. Volunteer faculty member Dr. Deepak Raja, the group’s faculty advisor, joined students in checking participants’ eyesight and checking them for glaucoma, a disease where fluid pressure in the eye increases, leading to progressive, irreversible vision loss. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness and can be especially dangerous in medically underserved communities where residents don’t have the resources to detect the disease before it threatens their sight.
Second-year M.D. student David Griffin (shown above) is president of the ophthalmology group and said he never thought about specializing in vision health until he shadowed an ophthalmologist performing cataract surgery. The simple procedure renewed the patient’s eyesight. “I saw what a positive impact a 15-minute surgery could have on someone’s life,” Griffin said.
19
Office for Diversity and Inclusion Lisa Barkley
Sarah-Vaughn Dottin
Assistant Dean, Diversity and Inclusion, Assistant
Coordinator
Professor of Medicine
Council For Diversity and Inclusion 2014-15 Yassmeen Abdel-Aty
Mariana Dangiolo
Shainoor Ladka-Karmali
Medical Student, Class of 2016
Assistant Professor, Family
Associate General Counsel
Medicine Kimi Liekweg
Jasim Alidina Medical Student, Class of 2015
Ramone Eldemire, Medical
Medical Student, Class of 2016
Student, Class of 2016 Lisa Minnick
Rhonda Anderson-Robinson Coordinator, Clinical Skills and
Alvaro Estevez
Director, Student Financial
Simulation
Associate Professor, Burnett
Services
School of Biomedical Sciences Wendy Sarubbi
Emmanuel Bassily, Medical Lauren Goldberg, Medical
Director, Communications and
Student, Class of 2015
Marketing
Assistant Professor, Internal
Laurel Gorman, Ph.D.
Ram Sharma
Medicine, Rheumatology
Assistant Professor,
Medical Student, Class of 2015
Student, Class of 2015 Shazia Bég
Pharmacology and Medical Education
Mena Bekhit
Mujtaba Husain Zoe Brown-Weissmann
Giselle Castaneira
Dale Voorhees Denise Kay
Director, Learning Systems –
Assistant Director, Faculty
Educational Technology
Development Megan Vu, Medical
Medical Student, Class of 2016 Michelle Kim Wandy Cruz-Velazquez
Resources
Professor, Pathology
Director, Student Academic Support Services
Floyd Sturdifen Office Manager, Human
Medical Student, Class of 2015
Student, Class of 2015
Medical Student, Class of 2015
Coordinator, Admissions and
Natasha Williams
Registration
Sr. Library Technical Assistant
U N I V E R S I T Y O F C E N T RA L F LO R I DA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE OFFICE FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION 6 8 5 0 L a k e N o n a B o u l e va r d , SUITE 3 1 4 H 32827
T e l e ph o n e :
407 266 1023
FA X :
407 266 1489
E - MAIL :
s v d o t t i n @ u c f. e d u
med.ucf.edu
092214COM–R6
ORLANDO , FLORIDA