2014 College of Medicine Annual Review

U N I V E R S I T Y O F C E N T R A L F LO R I DA : CO L L E G E O F M E D I C I N E

REFLECTIONS ANNUAL REVIEW 2013-14

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

AT A GLANCE

3,149 STUDENTS

2,502

FACULTY, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

The UCF College of Medicine was granted full accreditation in February 2013.

$8.4 M RESEARCH FUNDING (FY 2013)

$3.2 M ENDOWMENT ASSETS (FY 2013)

Labs and classrooms in the college’s medical education building feature the latest technology and are designed for interactive, team-based learning.

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COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ANNUAL REPORT

A YEAR OF PA R T N E R S H I P S

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CF prides itself on being America’s Partnership University, so much so that this year we trademarked the slogan.

In keeping with that spirit, the College of Medicine collaborated with hospitals, clinics, physicians, school districts, scientists and non-profits across the region in 2013-14.

Our scientists, physicians and students are engaged in discovery to improve the health of all. In this year’s Reflections, you’ll read about clinical trials for Crohn’s disease, epigenetic treatments for cancer and staph colonization in smokers. You’ll also see how our students are offering a free clinic – in partnership with Grace Medical Home – for Orlando’s uninsured. You’ll see how our medical education faculty are working with physicians across Central Florida – and across the world – to train a new kind of doctor for the 21st century.

This year’s Reflections highlights collaboration because as we educate the next generation of scientists and physicians, we can do more together than we can ever do alone. Thank you for your partnership, and I hope you enjoy this latest edition.

Deborah C. German, M.D. Vice President for Medical Affairs Dean, College of Medicine

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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Growing Enrollment In August 2014, the UCF College of Medicine welcomed its second full enrollment class into the M.D. program and its 420 physicians-intraining mark more than a 10-fold increase in just five years. By 2016-17, UCF’s M.D. program is expected to be at full enrollment of 480.

The college also had record enrollment in its undergraduate programs at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences – the 2013-14 enrollment of 2,707 is up 3 percent from a year ago.

UCF President John C. Hitt reflected on the college’s growth at the 2013 White Coat Ceremony, which welcomed the M.D. program’s first full class of 120 students. “Just six years ago, we had yet to break ground on the medical college that made possible this morning’s White Coat Ceremony,” he told the Class of 2017. “And it was just three years ago that we moved into a facility that anchors a thriving Medical City. The remarkable rise of the College of Medicine underscores how landmark community achievements can evolve when people work together for the greater good.”

The M.D. Class of 2017 was selected from a pool of 3,843 applicants based on their academic excellence and passion for medicine. They averaged an MCAT score of 32 and a grade point average of 3.75 on a 4-point scale. They are graduates of institutions including Duke, Johns Hopkins, Brown, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Brigham Young, Vanderbilt, University of Florida, Florida State and UCF. Thirteen had published medical research before ever coming to medical school.

They received their white coats from Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, after participating in their first class, “The Good Doctor,” which has become a UCF White Coat tradition. In it, Dr. German tells students to imagine the person they love most in desperate need of medical care. What are the qualities the students want in the doctor who will treat their loved one?

As the students suggest traits, Dr. German writes the words on a chalk board that remains on display throughout the school year.

The Class of 2017 offered characteristics that included “courageous,” “patient,” respectful,” “honest,” “collaborative” and for the first time, “affordable,” a term that generated laughter and much agreement from the audience.

“This is your contract with me — with your faculty, friends, family, community and each other,” Dr. German said as she reviewed the list with the new students. “With the guidance of the faculty and your own hard work, you will become The Good Doctor.”

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Burnett School Graduate Overcomes Hardships, Heads to Harvard Medical School Cathy Gutierrez grew up in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Queens, N.Y., with a single, hard-working mother and a younger sister suffering from many health issues. They often had to rely on state assistance to get treated for common childhood illnesses because there just wasn’t any money to spare.

In July 2014, she headed to Harvard Medical School on a full scholarship with a dream of making healthcare more accessible to children in the United States and around the world.

“I never dreamed I would be attending Harvard,” said Gutierrez, who graduated in May magna cum laude from UCF’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. She earned two bachelor’s degrees in molecular biology and graduated with a 3.96 GPA. “My mom still can’t even believe it,” she said of her accomplishments. “Here is proof that hard work and perseverance really will open doors you never even knew existed.”

The Orlando resident attributes much of her success to supportive family, peers and the many influential mentors she met along her journey. It was these mentors who saw her potential, drive and determination and who helped the first-generation college student channel her efforts during some of the most challenging years of her life.

“I wouldn’t trade my experience at UCF for the world,” she said. “This is a place that holds something unique for everyone. For me, it meant countless opportunities, incredible faculty, and above all, great guidance from people who truly cared about me and my goals.”

It was one of her teachers at Osceola High School in Kissimmee who initially suggested she go to Valencia College, an affordable option that would still allow Gutierrez to remain close to her family. Gutierrez earned her Associate in Arts degree one year after graduating from high school with a 4.0 GPA, and was awarded the merit-based DirectConnect to UCF scholarship to use as a stepping-stone to UCF. Upon acceptance to UCF she earned numerous grants and scholarships, including the Hispanic Heritage Scholarship.

“That route really did make things a lot easier in terms of finances. It’s amazing to know that there are so many resources out there for good students from all walks of life,” she said.

At UCF, Gutierrez participated in numerous internships, such as the Surgical Internship Program and the PILOT Program (Peer Instruction and Laboratory Occupational

Training), while getting involved in extracurricular activities and working full- and part-time jobs.

Her impressive resume includes hundreds of communityservice hours and numerous academic awards. Much of her academic work and volunteer time has been spent on issues that relate to children’s health. She said she still remembers some tough days when her family had to wait for medical care because they couldn’t afford a trip to the doctor’s office.

“If it weren’t for Medicaid, or Medicare for my mom, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” Gutierrez said. “It really made all the difference, and that’s one of the reasons why I want to become a doctor and why I want to help children.”

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M.D. Program Graduates 55 In Second Commencement With words like pioneer, partner, service and love, 55 College of Medicine seniors received their M.D. degrees May 16, marking their legacy as the second class of UCF-trained physicians to go out and care for the world.

In his remarks, UCF President John C. Hitt talked about the risks the Class of 2014 had taken. They enrolled in a brand new medical school that was not yet fully accredited, and unlike the charter class, they didn’t have full scholarships to help negate the risk.

“You chose this medical school before its campus was finished. You came to this medical school when it was not accredited. And you arrived at this medical school without full scholarships,” President Hitt said. “You took a big chance on UCF — and your leap of faith has paid off.”

The graduates are now in residency programs across Florida and the nation. One-hundred percent of this year’s graduates matched into residencies in specialties ranging from pediatrics to internal medicine, dermatology to surgery. As they prepare for their graduate medical training, student graduation speaker Omar Shakeel reminded his colleagues, “Remember that sometimes the smallest of things we will do in our career may take up the most room in someone’s heart. Never give up on making a difference.”

Commencement 2014 had multiple special occasions.

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Minutes after receiving her diploma, graduate Casey deDeugd replaced her robe with her military uniform and returned to the stage, where she was promoted to United States Air Force Captain. She was sworn in by associate professor Jose Borrero, himself an Air Force veteran, who retired from teaching July 1. As deDeugd left the stage, she received a standing

salute from junior College of Medicine military student officers. “It means so much,” she said of the military honor incorporated into commencement. “When I came down the steps and saw them saluting, it was the first time I teared up at graduation. I was so proud.”

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Dr. Charles Reilly, assistant to the UCF provost, served in the provost’s role during the graduation and hooded his son, Chris, who graduated with honors. The two shared an emotional embrace on the stage before the younger Reilly received his diploma from Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and dean. “It’s difficult to find the words to describe having Dad up there with me,” said Chris, who graduated with honors from UCF’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences before entering medical school. Added his tearful father, “I can’t talk…It’s just a great day.”

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Because some of the graduates have physician family members, Dr. German invited all doctors in attendance to stand and retake the Hippocratic Oath with UCF’s newest doctors.

More than a dozen did. The oath, named after the Greek physician Hippocrates, considered the father of western medicine, promises to treat patients with care and to do no harm. Students selected faculty member Dr. Sergio Salazar for the honor of administering the oath.

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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

100 Percent Match For Class Of 2014 Fifty-five UCF medical school seniors – 100 percent of the class – matched into residency programs across Florida and in some of the top programs across the country on National Match Day 2014 in specialties that included primary care, anesthesiology, dermatology and vascular surgery.

In Florida, students matched into residencies at locations including Florida Hospital, Jackson Memorial, the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education in Jacksonville, Miami Children’s Hospital, Orlando Health, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.

Nationwide, students will do their residencies at programs that include Emory, Georgetown, Harvard’s Massachusetts General, Johns Hopkins, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the College of Medicine, said she was “delighted” with the Class of 2014 match, the second in the young school’s history. “As our students continue their training, they will care for patients throughout Florida and the nation,” she said.

“They are carrying on the legacy of our young medical school as UCF-educated physicians.”

On Match Day, 55 paper lanterns — colored black and gold to signify UCF’s colors — hung between palm trees outside the medical school. Each held a student’s sealed envelope containing their residency match.

At noon, after the College of Medicine’s clock tower tolled 12 times, students pulled a string on the lantern to free their envelope and learn where they will spend the next three to five years of residency training.

They screamed, cheered, cried and hugged parents, partners and children.

Avianne Bunnell reached her hands up to the sky and said, “thank you, God” as she learned she would go to her first choice, the Medical University of South Carolina, to be a vascular surgeon. Bunnell’s husband, Brian, matched into a pre-doctoral program in clinical psychology at the same university about a week before so the couple approached Match Day unsure if they would be in the same location. “I am absolutely thrilled” Bunnell said. “I am so, so blessed.”

Jennifer Bazemore, a UCF biomedical sciences honors undergraduate, would do her pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins. “I’m beyond excited,” she said of getting her top choice at one of America’s premier programs. “I can’t stop crying.”

Alvin Detorres, a Stetson University undergraduate, matched at Georgetown University for otolaryngology. “I am very excited,” he said. “I get to help people hear music the way I hear music.”

Bobby Palmer matched into orthopedic surgery at his first choice, the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville. An emotional Palmer dedicated his match to his grandfather, who died the day before. “I’m from a small town in South Florida so Jacksonville felt like home to me, he said, adding that he has always been comfortable with tools, like the ones orthopedic surgeons use. “I guess that’s because my granddad had a hardware store when I was growing up,” he said.

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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

COLLEGE OF MEDICINE’S New Leaders

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Jerry Aubert is Associate Vice President of Health Information and Technology. He brings to the medical school extensive experience in IT from both an educational and clinical perspective. For five years he was Chief Information Officer of Health Affairs for Michigan State University. He has also worked as an independent consultant, developing Health IT initiatives for ambulatory care facilities and physician practices.

4. Dr. Griffith Parks is the new Director for the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. He comes to UCF from the Wake Forest School of Medicine, where he was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and founding Director of the WFU Vaccine Center. He has had more than 20 years of uninterrupted funding from the National Institutes of Health.

2. Dr. Sampath Parthasarathy is interim Associate Dean for Research. For the past two years, Dr. Parthasarathy has held the College of Medicine’s Florida Hospital Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Sciences. An internationally known heart researcher, he is the codiscoverer of the concept that oxidized LDL cholesterol blocks arterial vessels in the heart. That work was nominated for the Nobel Prize.

5. Dr. Edward Ross is the new Chair of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Ross comes to UCF from the University of Florida College of Medicine, where he is a tenured Professor of Medicine in the division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Renal Transplantation, Director of the End Stage Renal Disease Program, and Administrator of the Outpatient Chronic Dialysis Program at Shands Hospital.

3. David Noel is the new Associate Vice President of Administration, Finance and Operations. Before coming to UCF, he was Vice Chair for Finance and Administration at Vanderbilt University Medical School and Chief Healthcare Administrator of Vanderbilt’s Section of Surgical Sciences and the Department of Surgery. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he is a career officer who served as a strategic planner and administrative leader with NATO and in the states.

6. Dr. Martin Klapheke is the new Assistant Dean for Medical Education, responsible for the clinical science content of the curriculum. A Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Klapheke has served as Director of the Psychiatry Clerkship, where he helped create partnerships with Lakeside Behavioral Healthcare, Pasadena Villa, Orlando’s VA Medical Center, Life Care Center of Altamonte Springs and Central Florida Behavioral Hospital.

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Contributing To Community Through Arts, Awareness From national awards and a new literary magazine to increasing awareness of veterans’ healthcare needs, College of Medicine M.D. students were active in 2013-14 in extracurricular activities that serve others.

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In November 2013, student representatives from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) teamed up with the M.D. student Military Medicine Interest Group to hold a “Joining Forces” event focused on the special health issues vets face when they return from military service. The event featured testimony from local vets, as well as a panel discussion with VA physicians. Several veterans provided powerful personal accounts of battling Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), transition issues and substance abuse as they worked to re-enter civilian society.

In February 2014, students organized their third annual Global Health Conference focused on the health needs of refugees, including malnutrition, infectious diseases and mental anguish. Nearly 30,000 refugees enter Florida every year, more than every other state, and more than 100 medical and nursing students and healthcare professionals from as far away as Oklahoma focused on ways to better help refugee patients. A panel of refugees described their experiences moving to the United States. Their stories of pain — and hope through the assistance of Catholic Charities of Central Florida — were especially impactful to participants.

In the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, students interviewed costumed standardized patients — actors — displaying symptoms of PTSD after coming to the United States from Syria. The day also included workshops on human trafficking and a giant hospital tent on the front lawn of the College of Medicine, filled

with actor-patients wearing professionally-applied makeup to simulate illnesses like jaundice and cholera.

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In May 2014, M.D. students released their first edition of The Script, a literary art magazine that celebrates self-expression and humanism in medicine. The publication, created by the medical school’s Arts in Medicine (AIM) student organization, includes poetry, narrative, photography, sketches, paintings and sculptures. During a release event, several students read their written words and explained the meanings behind their visual art. The arts group received more than 120 submissions from students, faculty, staff and community physicians. The selected artistic pieces centered on four themes — death, time, reflection and humanity.

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In March 2014, fourth-year M.D. student Casey deDeugd received a national award from the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, which promotes professional growth and leadership for women orthopedic surgeons.

Her Medical Student Achievement Award honors achievements in academics, research, leadership, mentoring, athletics and community service. Jackson was America’s first female orthopedic surgeon.

DeDeugd is now in her orthopedic surgery residency at the Mayo Clinic.

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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

College Honors Dr. Safranek With Endowed Scholarship “It’s not every day you get a teacher who makes you appreciate the world around you,” is how students and faculty described Dr. William Safranek, an assistant professor of microbiology at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, who passed away in a February car accident. To honor his teaching of young scientists, the College of Medicine, in accordance with the wishes of Dr. Safranek’s family, established an endowed scholarship for undergraduate students in his name.

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onsidered an educational “workhorse” for his teaching load, Dr. Safranek was the winner of multiple teaching awards. His impact on young people was seen as almost 400 people — a standing room only crowd — gathered at a celebration of life service February 15 at the Fairwinds Alumni Center.

Many of the attendees were students — undergraduates, graduates and those from nursing, laboratory sciences and medicine — who learned microbiology and much more from the beloved educator.

At the service, Dr. Deborah German, vice president for medical affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, summed up Dr. Safranek’s contribution with the quote, “To teach is to touch lives forever.”

“Sometimes it’s easy for us to forget — or take for granted — the impact of a great teacher,” she said. “I hope that as we celebrate Bill’s life and his service to all of us, we will reflect on the special gifts he had and the impact of those gifts on young people.”

Students, colleagues and family members talked of a kind, respectful and simple man who skipped down the hallways at the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and remarked that he was “high on life.” Dr. Safranek was a painter, woodworker and archery competitor who

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cherished nature and was passionate about fungi and lichens.

“Some men have man caves, my dad had his back yard,” said his daughter Audrey Cox. Dorilyn Hitchcock, director of the Burnett School’s Medical Laboratory Sciences program, was a friend of Dr. Safranek’s for over 20 years. She told of driving home to Brevard County and seeing her friend parked along the side of the road. Concerned, she and her traveling companion pulled over to see if he was safe. A high tree branch had fallen to the ground and was covered with unique lichens that Dr. Safranek had been unable to collect before because he didn’t have a ladder tall enough to reach such a high tree. Dr. Safranek didn’t hear a word from his colleagues concerned about his safety. He was too focused on scientific discovery.

Students talked about their determination that their teacher’s kindness and spirit of discovery would live on and many delivered cash to the Burnett School office for the scholarship fund.

Said one student, “He will live on every day in the patients we help save, in the people we help treat, and the people we will teach one day.”

DR. WILLIAM SAFRANEK ASS I STA N T P R O F E SS O R O F M I C R O B I O LO GY, BURNETT SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Lessons In Life, Death, Compassionate Care How should The Good Doctor respond when medical care can offer no cure? How does The Good Doctor deal with death and dying?

First-year students at the UCF College of Medicine came face to face with those questions as they worked with hospice care providers and terminally ill patients.

to terminal patients and their families.

Their lessons included how teamwork among healthcare providers can ease the patient’s burden, dealing with family dynamics and how to understand the healer’s role in accepting that treatment must end.

Communication was a key theme of the student reflections.

One patient reassured a student it was OK to talk about death, that he didn’t have to treat it as a taboo subject.

Students were surprised to find patients upbeat — and even joking. Several said their patients seemed happy and relieved to talk about subjects relating to “real life.”

“As a medical student, my training is all about: take control, find out what’s going on, fix the problem,” said Sean Chagani. “But hospice takes that control away from the doctor and gives it to the patient. Hospice empowers the patient to make choices about death. I didn’t realize that before.”

Megan Mizera said her patient had not said a word until the social worker left her bedroom. Mizera noticed the patient was drinking coffee. “I asked her, ‘Do you like coffee?’ I love coffee, I’m addicted to it and we started talking about hazelnut and vanilla crème and we were laughing. I was talking to her about life.”

Students worked with physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains from two local hospice organizations — Vitas and Cornerstone. They worked in two-person teams to see the psychosocial issues related end-of-life care. On March 6, Dr. Gary Miller from VITAS and Dr. Lucy Ertenberg from Cornerstone held a reflections dinner at the College of Medicine for students to share their feelings about the experience. Dr. Miller, who paid for the dinner, said he hoped visiting with hospice patients provided students with an understanding of how teamwork can bring comfort

Family dynamics were another key lesson for the students.

A 60-year-old daughter, with serious health issues of her own, was caring for her elderly mother and worrying that she wasn’t able to do enough. Medical student Austin Moats witnessed the daughter’s worry and reflected on it at the hospice event.

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“It taught me that it only takes a second to ask family how they’re doing,” he said. “And a few words in this situation seemed to go a very long way.”

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COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ANNUAL REPORT

Up Close And Personal With Parasites, Blood Cells More than 40 eager 5th graders at Carillion Elementary in Oviedo got an eyeful of worms, blood diseases and parasites thanks to a Super Scientist class led by associate professor Dr. William Self.

Armed with microscopes from UCF, blood and fecal slide samples (all enclosed and non-infectious), students took turns examining the fascinating and the gross. They learned to identify healthy blood cells and cells affected by leukemia and sickle cell disease. But the slide that drew the most interest and disgust was the whipworm in a fecal sample. These parasites are usually found in the large intestine and are shaped like a whip.

“I was teaching one group of students about why having too many white blood cells would be a bad for our bodies.

I related the condition of leukemia to too many cars on a highway,” Wooding said. “One student compared it to ’having a bunch of cars but the drivers are drunk,’ and I stood for a moment and wondered how she was able to correlate and understand the dangers of both situations perfectly. I thought, wow, she’s got it!”

“I love to see the look of discovery and excitement in the kids. I also love it when what they predict is completely wrong — and they are surprised by the result,” said Dr. Self, who teaches microbial metabolism at the College of Medicine’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. He first became involved because his sons attended Carillion, and enjoyed it so much that five years later he’s still teaching the classes with his wife Marianne, who heads the school’s PTA.

The Super Scientist classes are for all grade levels and take place several times throughout the school year. On this day, four classes were planned back-to-back and as one class left, more students streamed in. “The Super Scientist Program really helped me improve my science skills and I had a blast with each experiment we did,” one 5th grader remarked.

Five UCF undergraduate students volunteered alongside Dr. Self to show the kids what to look for and how to use a microscope. Microbiology and molecular biology student Nathan Wooding said he remembers how inquisitive he was at that age and was amazed at how quickly the kids grasped scientific concepts.

They were eager to try out microbiology for themselves, and science teacher Teresa Riedel was just as excited as she watched the expressions of surprise and wonder on her students’ faces. “Our students definitely enjoyed their lessons with Dr. Self and his team,” she said. “He’s a wonderful scientist who is willing to share his expertise with us.”

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Partnerships Foster “Limitless” Science Living the theme that “science has no boundaries or limits,” UCF College of Medicine researchers are partnering with other scientists to solve humanity’s health issues.

“Clinicians and scientists can’t function in isolation,” said Dr. Sampath Parthasarathy, interim associate dean for research, who also holds the medical school’s Florida Hospital Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Sciences. “For that reason, we are embarking on an effort to encompass every major discipline in our missions of education, research, patient care and service.”

In October, the medical school and the UCF College Engineering and Computer Science held a “speed dating” research forum, where about 60 scientists and clinicians learned about each other’s specialties and discussed opportunities for collaborative research into areas including: •

Engineering micro/nano particles for more effective delivery of drugs

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Computerized training for neurosurgeons

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Assessments of conventional vs. robotic cardiac surgery

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The use of game technology to better teach STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) content to diverse students

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The “speed dating” event was a brainchild of Deans Michael Georgiopoulos, of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Deborah German, of the College of Medicine. In opening the networking event, Dr. German described extraordinary research as a cornerstone of a top-tier medical school in an emerging Medical City.

To compete with the nation’s more established medical schools, UCF must grow its research mission by developing innovative collaborations to “partner with the excellence that’s already here,” she said.

Leveraging partnerships to increase research funding has been a priority for the College of Medicine as federal funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health push for more collaborative projects linking basic science and clinical needs. “Speed dating” participants said they hope the recent “meeting of the minds” will bring together experts with different points of view to solve humanity’s healthcare issues.

“Some of the most exciting advances in modern medicine are supported by engineering and computer science expertise,” agreed Dr. Georgiopoulos. “I hope that by sharing our research in an open forum, we can spur new opportunities that will ultimately lead to more

breakthroughs and better technologies that benefit society.”

The same month, the medical school sponsored a “Building Collaborative Partnerships for Multi-Disciplinary Funded Research” event that included researchers from colleges including Business Administration, Education, Hospitality Management, Health and Public Affairs and Arts and Humanities.

The goal was to identify areas of partnership that would be relevant to today’s funding agencies and to make researchers aware of UCF colleagues who might have relevant expertise, equipment and other resources to share.

Some of the partnership efforts have already yielded results: A unique research collaboration between UCF’s College of Medicine and CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, is helping scientists develop florescent, magnetic particles to deliver cancer drugs and use light to learn how cells move during normal development and in disease.

In Biophotonics — was initiated after both colleges and the UCF Office of Research and Commercialization each contributed $15,000 to identify biological applications for photonics and lasers. One team receiving RIBOP funding is Drs. Cristina Fernandez-Valle of the Burnett School and Dr. Aristide Dogariu of CREOL, who are doing the cell movement study. So far they have published one paper and are now applying for a National Institutes of Health grant to continue their work. Research

by Drs. Ratna Chakrabarti from Burnett and Ayman Abouraddy from CREOL is showing that functionalized polymer particles can bind to, internalize and magnetically separate cancer cells. Their multidisciplinary project is utilizing UCF’s expertise in biomedical and physical sciences to create a tool for detecting cancer cells and efficiently delivering therapeutic drugs. Their research effort yielded a paper in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research team also has submitted applications to National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health for funding to advance their work.

The joint UCF project called RIBOP — Research Initiative 15

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

UCF Technology In Clinical Trial For Crohn’s Disease Treatment UCF College of Medicine professor Dr. Saleh Naser is participating in a clinical trial to test whether a new antibiotic therapy sponsored by RedHill Biopharma can be used to treat Crohn’s disease patients.

So far, more than 40 clinical sites in three countries are participating in the double blind clinical trial. Blood and intestinal biopsy specimens from Crohn’s patients are being tested for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, known as MAP. The bacterium is found in about half the cows in the United States, and can be spread to humans through milk, beef and produce that is fertilized by cow manure. Dr. Naser believes MAP is an underlying cause of Crohn’s disease.

RedHill Biopharma licensed Dr. Naser’s patented system for detecting MAP from milk, blood and tissue clinical samples. Now RedHill Biopharma is testing whether MAP is present in patients before, during and after a one-year treatment with its antibiotic regimen known as RHB 104.

“Since we acquired the license to Dr. Saleh Naser’s MAP detection technique in 2011, we have had an excellent collaboration with UCF,” said RedHill’s CEO Dror Ben-Asher. “The UCF team of researchers… is at the forefront of global academic research on MAP and its detection.”

Patients suffering from the debilitating symptoms of Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel disease, have learned about the clinical trials through social media and have been calling UCF to volunteer for the study. “Crohn’s disease affects more than 750,000 Americans, yet traditional treatments only address the symptoms of inflammation and not the cause,” Dr. Naser said. “I have high hopes that this clinical trial may lead to finding a cure. I am so thankful to be in a position to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Dr. Naser joined UCF in 1995 and has been a faculty member in the medical college since its foundation. He teaches clinical chemistry and infectious processes in the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. He also was recently named editor-in-chief of the World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG.) During its 2014 session, the Florida Legislature allocated about $250,000 each to UCF and the University of Miami for Crohn’s research.

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Dr. Gibson Named ELAM Fellow Dr. Jane Gibson, a founding professor of pathology at the UCF College of Medicine, is a 2014-2015 fellow of the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program at Drexel University College of Medicine. Dr. Gibson is one of 54 in this year’s class at ELAM, which prepares senior women faculty for leadership roles at academic medical centers.

She is the second faculty member at UCF’s young medical school to be chosen for the program in the past two years.

Dr. Lori Boardman, former assistant dean of medical education and professor of obstetrics-gynecology, graduates from ELAM this year.

ELAM is part of the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership at Drexel, which began as the nation’s first women’s medical school in 1850. ELAM now has nearly 800 graduates who serve in leadership positions from department head to university president. College of Medicine Dean Deborah German and Dr. Diane Davey, assistant dean for graduate medical education and professor of pathology, are also ELAM graduates.

Dr. Gibson said she looks forward to learning from the nation’s top women healthcare leaders and further developing her skills in areas such as strategic planning and budgeting to meet the needs of rapid change within healthcare and medical education environments. “We are privileged to be at a new medical school,” she said. “We have the opportunity to work together and create our own ‘Orlando model’ to meet the needs of the UCF College of Medicine and the community.”

During an intensive year-long curriculum, Dr. Gibson will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges facing academic health centers and will undertake an Institutional Action Project in collaboration with College of Medicine senior leaders. Dr. Gibson said she wants to focus her project in areas of faculty affairs which will serve the College’s faculty at the UCF campuses, the faculty physician practice and in the community.

ELAM’s mission is to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions in medical academia, and to increase the diversity of academic health institutions. In addition to teaching and serving as the Director of Molecular Pathology for UCF Pegasus Health, Dr. Gibson is the outgoing president of the College of Medicine’s Faculty Council, and serves on the college’s Enterprise leadership group. She is the college’s senior representative to the AAMC Council for Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) and is a member of the CFAS task force on faculty identity and value. Before joining the medical school faculty, Dr. Gibson served as the Director of Molecular Genetics at AmeriPath/Quest Diagnostics and was the founding Director of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory and Health Research Institute at Orlando Health and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando.

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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Fighting Cancer at the DNA Level When most of us think of treating cancer, we focus on surgery or chemotherapy to shrink or remove tumors. But a researcher and undergraduate student at the College of Medicine’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences are looking to erase cancer at the epigenetic level, by studying how the body turns on and off certain genes in response to environmental factors like toxins, cigarette smoke or excessive sunlight.

Dr. Mark Muller, a cancer researcher, and Jeremy Tran, a junior biomedical sciences major (pictured bottom right), recently published a paper in the journal ChemMedChem that an existing FDA-approved drug used to treat inflammatory colon disease appears to halt this “turn-off” function of genes that may cause serious health consequences like cancer.

The issue involved in the research is the delicate balance between growth, repair and death that cells must keep in order to sustain life. Cells must grow and repair themselves to replenish but must ensure that their growth doesn’t become uncontrolled, which is the very nature of cancer.

Part of the cell’s survival mechanism is methylation, a process where chemicals called “methyl groups” get added to cellular DNA to keep it in good repair. But in this repair process, scientists have discovered that methylation can turn off the functions of some genes. The genes don’t change, only their behavior does.

And if their specific behavior is to act as a tumor suppressor, for example, and that function is silenced, the body has reduced abilities to fight tumors. Thus, in trying to repair one problem, the body may be causing another.

In conjunction with researchers from the Mayo Clinic and Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Dr. Muller’s team created DNA damage and repair in the lab. Researchers cut a human DNA helix and watched the ensuing repair and DNA methylation. They could see such microscopic changes by using a chemical derived from jellyfish that makes the sea creatures glow in different colors. The glowing cells were analyzed to see how repaired genes reproduced. The team discovered that the offspring of the repaired genes stayed silent and that such replication of altered genes can lead to a loss of growth control, or possibly cancer.

In an attempt to de-silence the gene, Dr. Muller’s team examined a database of 1,552 FDA-approved drugs to see if any impacted this genetic turn-off function.

They found only one drug, Olsalazine, that is currently approved to treat Crohn’s disease that unsilenced the gene’s behavior in subsequent generations of cell growth. In Crohn’s patients, Olsalazine reduces the debilitating inflammation of the chronic colon disease. At the DNA level, it appears to “fix” genetic silencing without the severe toxicity that current epigenetic treatments bring. Because the drug is already FDA approved, getting it into further studies will be easier and less costly than trying to create a new epigenetic pharmaceutical from scratch.

Tran hopes to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. degree because he wants to be a physician who is on the cutting edge of research. “Being a physician and a scientist allows me to pursue the best of both worlds,” he said. “Both fields help people out. By doing research myself for my patients, I cut out the middle man.”

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COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ANNUAL REPORT

Burnett Professor Explores Link Between Smoking, Staph A College of Medicine professor and Ph.D. co-coordinator is spearheading a new study that will explore whether quitting smoking can deter the spread of Staphylococcus aureus (“Staph”), which causes dangerous Staph infections like MRSA that kill 60,000 Americans a year.

About 30 percent of people actually carry the bacterial strain in their noses.

Dr. Alexander Cole’s $400,000 grant from the Florida Department of Health’s James & Esther King Biomedical Research Program will examine whether smoking cessation can make patients less vulnerable to Staph infection.

“There is evidence that smokers carry Staph in their nose at a higher rate than non-smokers,” said Dr. Cole, pictured at top left. “Our hypothesis is that smoking impairs the natural ability of the nose to prevent Staph colonization.”

In an effort to prove his hypothesis, Dr. Cole is teaming up with Drs. Michael Deichen, James Schaus and Mary Schmidt-Owens at UCF Health Services to identify smokers who are interested in quitting. Participants would be able to enroll in a free smoking cessation program offered by the university. “If they are nasal carriers of Staph, we will ask them if they want to participate in our aspect of the study,” he said. “We will assess the ability of smokers’ noses to carry their own strains of Staph, before and after successful completion of the cessation program.” The study would determine if smoking cessation helps protect the body from infection.

Dr. Cole has devoted more than 15 years to the study of Staph infection and even used himself as a subject in his postdoctoral days. “As a young investigator, I poked and prodded my own nose to characterize natural antibiotic proteins present in nasal fluid,” he said. “And I always noticed that there was a ‘contaminant’ in my cultures. That contaminant turned out to be Staph.”

Dr. Deichen, the director of UCF Health Services, says Dr. Cole’s study is a great opportunity to encourage good health on campus. “It’s a very nice assimilation with our ‘Healthy Knights 2020’ goal to reduce smoking,” he said. “This allows us the funds to encourage smokers to participate in smoking cessation.”

His colleague, Dr. Schmidt-Owens, is no stranger to this effort. She was instrumental in making UCF a Smoke-Free campus in 2012, and was named a Public Health HERO by the Orange County Health Department last year.

She runs the smoking cessation program at UCF Health Services. “I think this is going to be a win-win for both of us,” she said. “Hopefully the added education they will receive from Dr. Cole’s study will encourage them to quit smoking long term.”

The partnership between Dr. Cole’s lab and Health Services holds the potential to affect the lives of smokers on campus and beyond. “These investigations could improve therapies for smokers’ respiratory issues, and provide a new incentive for smokers to complete cessation programs,” Dr. Cole said.

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COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ANNUAL REPORT

Partnerships Forge New Internal Medicine Residency Program

In June 2014, UCF began a new residency program with the Orlando VA Medical Center and Osceola Regional Medical Center in a partnership designed to bring more primary care physicians to Central Florida.

One of the 16 new internal medicine residents is Ayden Cooper, who helped create UCF’s new College of Medicine and graduated in May. “I feel incredibly honored to be a part of this,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to be in the College of Medicine’s second class and am now so excited to be part of its new internal medicine residency program. I love building things.”

The new residents were chosen from 2,546 total applicants and after 187 interviews. “They are pioneers,” said Dr. Abdo Asmar, associate director of UCF’s new residency program and himself a former chief resident at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital, one of the nation’s largest. “They want to establish a foundation of graduate medical education and build something together with us.”

“At the end of the day, a residency program is all about the patients,” said Dr. Asmar. “As we were selecting residents, we asked ourselves, ‘Who would you love to work with every day?’ and ‘Who would you want to care for your family?’”

medical school graduates with a wide variety of patients to serve. UCF’s partnership program will offer residents the opportunity to care for a diverse patient population — military veterans and residents of Osceola County, one of Florida’s fastest-growing and most diverse communities. Osceola has one of the state’s fastest growing Hispanic populations, and about 30 percent of the new residents speak Spanish as a primary or secondary language.

“We’ve very excited about our group of new residents,” said Dr. Angel Colón-Molero, deputy chief of staff of the Orlando VA Medical Center and program director of the new residency program. “They are good representatives of the future physicians we want to see in Central Florida for our patients.”

Dr. Aida Sanchez-Jimenez, chief medical officer at Osceola Regional, who serves as site director of graduate medical education, echoed those sentiments.

“Together we have fulfilled a vision, a duty, and the responsibility to educate those who will be able to care for the Central Florida community.”

The nation’s top residency programs provide

Healthy Women, Healthy Hearts Faculty physicians from UCF Pegasus Health, the College of Medicine’s physician practice, helped community members learn about heart and women’s health at two events this year.

know when things are not right,” he said. “Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. So if you’re not feeling well, you need to be checked.”

In February, Drs. Abdo Asmar, Analia Castiglioni and Bernard Gros provided preventative and treatment strategies to about 50 people at the “Live Smart for Your Heart” event. Their theme: You can’t change your genetic predisposition to heart disease, but you can make simple lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of developing cardiac problems. These include staying physically active, smoking cessation, treating high blood pressure and increasing your intake of vegetables and fruits.

In October, about 65 women learned about preventative healthcare, and topics from diabetes to dementia, at an “Art and Science of Healthy Women” event at UCF Pegasus Health. Five physicians, who are wives, mothers, daughters and career women, said they understood the challenges of staying healthy as they care for everyone else.

Dr. Maria Cannarozzi, an internal medicine specialist and UCF Pegasus Health medical director, said the goal of the event was not to preach but to provide information on “what it takes to be a healthy woman in today’s hectic world.”

We all take our cars in for maintenance when something isn’t working correctly, but we don’t do the same with our health, Dr. Asmar explained. “You

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

KNIGHTS Clinic Serves Uninsured The student-run KNIGHTS Clinic (Keeping Neighbors in Good Health Through Service) celebrated its one-year anniversary in 2014 and continues to get statewide and national attention for is partnership in caring for the uninsured.

KNIGHTS is open at Grace Medical Home and provides ongoing care to about 25 patients, easing the medical home’s waiting list. Students handle all operations at the clinic, from the lab to patient education, check-in to pharmacy. They are supervised by College of Medicine faculty and physician volunteers who serve at Grace Medical Home.

In January, KNIGHTS student leaders presented their creation at the Society for Student Run Free Clinics (SSRFC) International Conference in Nashville, TN to more than 400 students from medical schools nationwide who work at free clinics.

The same month, two KNIGHTS leaders participated in the Department of Community Service (DOCS) Retreat at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Second-year students Elissa Engel and Grace Logan were among 25 medical students selected to present at the conference and then traveled to the Florida Keys to volunteer at the University of Miami’s largest health fair of the year. There, students helped care for more than 700 patients in a day at three different South Florida locations.

“It was a great experience to be able to learn from medical students around the country how they operate their student-run clinics,” Engel said. “Some had run clinics for 22

50 years. Others were just getting started or wanting to open their first clinic. Everyone was impressed with how much progress we’d made as a new medical school that opened KNIGHTS only a year ago.”

In May, UCF medical students together with pharmacy students from the University of Florida, piloted a program to improve teamwork and communication at KNIGHTS. The students are creating their own TeamSTEPPS (Strategy and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) program developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Department of Defense. The agencies created the program to reduce the estimated 440,000 patients who die each year because of preventable actions such as misdiagnosed conditions and drug interactions.

Starting in the fall, UF pharmacy students will join the clinic and help with dispensing medications and patient education.

First-year UF pharmacy student, Brett Fleisher, said he is eager to participate in the KNIGHTS Clinic and hopes to raise interest in the TeamSTEPPS program among his classmates. “Normally we (pharmacy students) don’t interact with medical students until we are on medical rotations,” he said, “but getting involved early really builds the team concept.”

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COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ANNUAL REPORT

Partnering to Aid Ethiopia The College of Medicine’s new partnership with a Ethiopia’s MyungSung Medical School is designed to help bring an improved level of medical education and health to the impoverished African country.

Ethiopia has just one doctor for every 150,000 people and 90 percent of the population works as subsistence farmers.

Women in Ethiopia suffer some of the world’s worst indicators of reproductive health — on average a woman is married by age 17 and will give birth to five children in her lifetime, likely all at home. Only 6 percent of Ethiopian women use a skilled attendant during childbirth and only 10 percent have their babies in a professional clinic or hospital.

Given such a lack of care, women in that African state have a one in 14 chance of dying during pregnancy or childbirth.

Dr. Judy Simms-Cendan, the College of Medicine’s director of global health, is doing her part to improve those statistics. An obstetrician-gynecologist, she forged the partnership and has taught at the private medical school run by the Korean Presbyterian Church. She is urging other College of Medicine faculty to do the same and is working to establish international clerkship opportunities for students.

She hopes working in Ethiopia will give UCF students a new and unique perspective on global health and the devastating impact of poverty on health.

Dr. Martin Klapheke, assistant dean of medical education and professor of psychiatry, saw that impact first hand when he traveled to Ethiopia to teach. He worked with medical students who live in a country where mental illness is seen as demonic possession treated by exorcism.

“Providing 21st century science and healthcare for treating mental illness was like taking a modern medical textbook into Victorian times,” he said.

Through the partnership, UCF hopes to provide infrastructure support in areas such as curriculum, hiring, assessment and technology. On her latest visit, Dr. SimmsCendan brought to Ethiopia some of UCF’s high-tech educational systems, including interactive clickers that College of Medicine students use to answer questions in class. The clickers allow the professor to gauge the class’ understanding of the material, but can keep individual students anonymous. Dr. Simms-Cendan used the clickers to ask Ethiopian students about their reproductive system knowledge and where they had received sex education.

The technology helped facilitate communication in a society where many such subjects are taboo, she said.

The students created a thank you card for their American teacher. “You are bonded to our hearts,” wrote one student, “and have made a big difference in my life.”

Dr. Simms-Cendan also did a lab where students dissected a placenta and gave grand rounds on topics that included obstetric fistula, genital mutilation and death by hemorrhaging during childbirth. “I wanted to focus on topics that would help students and faculty better care for women,” she said.

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UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

City, College Announce Job Partnership Program “What we’re doing here today means jobs and opportunity for the city of Orlando.”

With those words, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, the UCF College of Medicine and other community leaders announced a partnership in 2013 designed to increase job opportunities in healthcare for Orlando’s neediest residents.

Dyer, District 5 City Commissioner Daisy Lynum, College of Medicine Dean Deborah German and other Medical City leaders introduced the Orlando Medical Careers Partnership Program in September. The partnership is designed to engage Orlando residents from elementary school through adulthood. Called “Science for Success,” the program will help West Orlando residents be competitive candidates for work in Medical City, which is expected to create 30,000 jobs and $7.8 billion in annual economic activity by the year 2017, Mayor Dyer said.

Through its “Health Leaders” pipeline program, the College of Medicine has already started that effort. In 2011, the college began its first pipeline initiative with Jones High School’s Medical Arts Magnet Program as a commitment to prepare underserved students for healthcare careers. The effort is led by Dr. Lisa Barkley, a board-certified physician in family medicine, adolescent medicine and sports medicine who also serves as assistant dean for diversity and inclusion. The program has now been expanded to Orlando’s Memorial Middle School and to high schools in Osceola County.

“We say it takes a village to create change,” said Dr. German. “Health Leaders shows the power of a UCF village.”

Other community, healthcare and educational leaders are joining those efforts as part of the Orlando Medical Careers Partnership Program: •

Orlando Tech and Valencia College have enrolled nursing students into a joint two-year program for both LPN and RN educations. Valencia is providing tutoring and Workforce Central Florida has donated $40,000 to cover the costs of the customized training.

•

Nemours Children’s Hospital is offering shadowing opportunities, workshops and other training for students to help them better understand the healthcare job market and succeed in areas such as resume writing and interviewing.

•

The FSU College of Medicine’s Orlando campus will offer an elective college prep class for Jones students that includes after-school activities, individualized tutoring; parent meetings and mentoring from premedical and medical students.

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Zora Festival 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 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 released from the hospital 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.

“Our students learned something about a community and the challenges that real people face,” said Dr. Lisa Barkley, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion, who is board certified in family, adolescent and sports medicine and works with the Eatonville community. “This kind of service is an opportunity to apply what they’re learning, to teach each other and to interact with a community that needs our services.”

Even before they arrived at Zora’s health village, students encountered residents and visitors eager for their help. One

COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ANNUAL REPORT

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 glaucoma and 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 is president of the ophthalmology group and organized the Zora eye exams.

He never thought about specializing in vision care 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.

CAPI Donates $30,000 For Medical School Scholarships The Central Florida Association of Physicians from the Indian Subcontinent (CAPI) donated $30,000 to create a scholarship endowment for the UCF College of Medicine, saying its action follows the Sanskrit Shloka, “Trees bear fruit for others’ sake. Rivers flow for others to use. Cows give milk for all. This body of ours too is meant to serve others.”

Students of Indian origin will be selected for the scholarship based on their academic achievement and financial need.

The check was presented November 9 to Dr. Deborah German, vice president of medical affairs and dean, by CAPI President Dr. Uday A. Desai, a transplant nephrologist and medical director of the Pancreas Transplant Program at Florida Hospital. At the event, residents and medical students of Indian descent presented research posters on topics ranging from cardiovascular disease to medical education.

CAPI is comprised of 600 physicians and dentists with heritage from South East Asia who practice in Central Florida and is the second largest ethnic physician group in Florida.

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Golf Tournaments Raise Money For Scholarships Golfers hit the links twice in 2014 to raise money for scholarships at the College of Medicine.

DAUNTE CULPEPPER UCF ALUMNI, NFL QUARTERBACK

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for people from the community to come together and support the College of Medicine,” said UCF President John C. Hitt, who played in both events. “This provides money for scholarships so that we can continue to draw the very best students and establish the college as a premier institution.”

On March 24, about 90 golfers gathered for the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences Golf Classic, sponsored by one of UCF’s most generous donors. The $60,000 in net proceeds from the classic, honoring Al and Nancy Burnett, will help attract the best and brightest graduate school scientists to the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. The tournament’s proceeds were matched by the Al & Nancy Burnett Charitable Foundation. The inaugural tournament, held last October, was rained out and rescheduled at Winter Park’s Interlachen Country Club.

“We are so grateful that UCF created this wonderful opportunity to celebrate our parents’ legacy with the good friends and leaders who inspired their passionate support of the university,” said Bruce Burnett, the Burnetts’ son and a director of their foundation which also sponsored the tournament. “They were very proud of the cutting-edge research taking place at the university and its commitment to educating future doctors and scientists in a new and better way.”

Sponsors included: GrayRobinson, P.A. Attorneys at Law, SunTrust Private Wealth Management, Mercedes-Benz of Orlando, CFE Federal Credit Union, Moore, Ellrich & Neal, P.A. Certified Public Accountants, AT&T, DELL, FAIRWINDS Credit Union, the UCF Foundation, the Volvo Store of Winter Park, and Jim and Judy Russell.

Nearly 100 golfers took to the course at Lake Nona’s Golf & Country Club at the April 28 Med School Classic, raising $37,000 for M.D. scholarships. The second annual classic was organized by local business leaders and in two years has raised more than $70,000. The Averett, Warmus, Durkee accounting firm and the Carlton Fields Jorden Burt law firm were key sponsors.

First-year medical student Nathan Roney attended a posttournament reception and told participants the impact of receiving the inaugural Med School Classic scholarship. With it, “I can really pursue my passion of being a doctor,” he said.

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Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Creates Endowed M.D. Scholarship, Urges Others To Follow

As the son of a single mother who works as a housekeeper, Eddie Sanchez worried he’d never be able to afford medical school. But thanks to a scholarship from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Sanchez graduated from the UCF College of Medicine May 16 and then entered one of the nation’s most prestigious residencies — radiology training at Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital.

This year, the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation donated $300,000 to establish a new scholarship — an endowment that will fund M.D. scholarships in perpetuity — and urged other business leaders, community organizations and healthcare institutions to do the same.

“There is that special moment, a ray of hope, when a doctor and a patient connect on a path to wellness and health. Through this campaign we want to create those special moments now and for generations of doctors and patients,” said David Odahowski, the foundation’s president and CEO, in explaining the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Endowed M.D. Scholarship.

Endowments provide financial support indefinitely because the donation is invested, with the returns used to fund scholarships. The Foundation was one of the College of Medicine’s charter class scholarship donors, who raised more than $6.5 million to pay for four years of tuition, fees and living expenses for each student. “We are grateful to the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation for its continued support,” said Dr. Deborah German, vice president for

medical affairs and founding dean of the medical school.

“The foundation’s generosity will help UCF recruit the most talented students to our medical school and our community.”

Sanchez is one of those students. A graduate of Orlando’s Edgewater High School, he received undergraduate degrees in microbiology and chemistry and a minor in biomedical physics from the University of South Florida, then wanted to return home for medical school. One of the 55 students who graduated from the young medical school’s second class, Sanchez said the Edyth Bush Scholarship allowed him to focus on his studies and medical school activities.

In preparing for his residency, Sanchez interviewed with programs across the country. Harvard was his first choice, but he considered it a “reach for the stars” dream – quoting UCF’s motto. So as he opened his sealed match envelope on National Match Day, Sanchez told himself he wouldn’t be disappointed. “I’m amazed, thrilled, ecstatic that Harvard saw something in me and gave me this opportunity,” he said. “And I think my mother is even more excited than I am.”

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T H A N K YO U TO OUR

P H I L A N T H R O P I C PA R T N E R S This listing reflects gifts made to the UCF College of Medicine between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014.

$100,000+

Dr. Nikita C. Shah

Dr. Lucy W. Ertenberg

Anonymous

Dr. Rajeev Sood

Gators Group

Anonymous

Southwest Cancer Center

Dr. Mujtaba Husain and Mrs. Elaine M. Husain

Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Dr. Ajay Thakur

LIFE at UCF, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Alan H. Ginsburg

University Medical Care, P.A.

Mercedes-Benz of Orlando

The Karen Wrenn Trust

Dr. Giridhar V. Vedula

Mr. and Mrs. W. Clay Mitchell, Jr., Esq.

Dr. Priya Vishnubhotla

Moore, Ellrich & Neal, P.A.

Dr. Nayana I. Vyas

Mr. David S. Noel

$25,000 - $99,999 Imtiaz Ahmed Family

College of Medicine Scholarship Fund, Inc.

Dr. Sampath Parthasarathy

Al & Nancy Burnett Charitable Foundation, Inc.

Florida Heart Institute

Dr. and Mrs. Andrew F. Payer

The Chatlos Foundation, Inc.

GIST, Inc.

Dr. and Mrs. Richard D. Peppler

Central Florida Association of Physicians from the Indian Subcontinent (CAPI)

Hollie and Anna Oakley Foundation, Inc.

Irina Prelipcean, M.D.

Tavistock Foundation, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Roger W. Pynn

The Wagner Fund Trust

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Roberts

Puran Devi Aggarwal Family Foundation, Inc. Dr. Ratan K. Ahuja

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Russell, Jr.

Dr. Ravi P. Akella

$5,000 - $24,999

The Honorable and Mrs. Conrad Santiago

Atlantic Rehabilitation Medicine Associates

A Friends’ Foundation Trust

Dr. Michael H. Scholla and Ms. Janet P. Renz

Akshaya Balaji, LLC

Advocure NF2, Inc.

Jeanette and Jim Schreiber

Dr. Amit Bhargava

Carmel Dove International, LLC

Dr. Sudhir K. Bhaskar

CFE Federal Credit Union

Siemens Power Generation Matching Gifts Program

Ms. Chandra Bumma Cardiacare Services, P.A.

Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties

Central Florida Foundation

Digestive and Liver Center of Florida

Winter Park Health Foundation, Inc.

Dr. Uday A. Desai

FAIRWINDS Credit Union

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Wydra

Dr. Vivek S. Desai

Florida Hospital

Digestive and Liver Center of Florida

Deborah C. German, M.D.

$500 - $999

Florida Diabetes, Thyroid & Endocrine Center

GrayRobinson, P.A.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred H. Anklam

Dr. Ramkishan R. Gummadapu

John William Grosso, III Memorial Fund

Arthur’s Catering, Inc.

Dr. Ravindra R. Jahagirdar

Devendra S. Kahlon, M.D. and Harpreet Kahlon, M.D.

Dr. Lisa N. C. Barkley

Dr. Prakash Kalan Kidney and Hypertension Center Dr. Mukesh Kumar Dr. Atul Madan Dr. Sanjay Muttreja Nephrology Associates of Central Florida, P.A. Orlando Gastroenterology, P.A.

Dr. and Mrs. James J. McClelland Mr. David A. Peck Redwood Farms, Inc.

Dr. and Mrs. Hariharier Subramanian Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah J. Thomas

Dr. O.M. “Budd” Berringer Trust Steven B. Bright, M.D. Ashley B. Curry, M.D.

Dr. Mohtashem Samsam and Dr. Raheleh Ahangari

The Diebel Legacy Fund at the Central Florida Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Steven F. Wodzinski

Mr. and Mrs. John E. Doctor Dr. and Mrs. Bernard J. Gros

$1,000 - $4,999

Mr. John W. Grosso, Sr.

Dr. Vraj Panara

The Honorable Judith A. Albertson and Mr. David Albertson

JustGive

Dr. Amish M. Parikh

Anonymous

Dr. and Mrs. Vijay Patange

AT&T Corporation

Mr. Atul B. Patel

David L. Balkwill, Ph.D.

Dr. Paiyal V. Popat

Dr. Robert A. Borgon and Dr. Heather Borgon

Dr. Naga S. Pullakhandam

Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Cares

Dr. Mohan Saoji

Diane D. Davey, M.D.

Dr. Krina Shah

Dell Corporation

Dr. Mahendra B. Shah

Dingman Petroleum, Inc.

Orlando Internal Medicine Center, P.A.

Dr. Ramiah Krishnan Mr. Larry M. Langford Manette Monroe, M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Newsum Mr. Steven T. Omli Seela Ramesh, M.D. Mr. Joseph J. Raymond, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Victor Lawrence Roberts

Srinivas Seela, M.D.

Dr. Jane S. Gibson and Mr. Ronald L. Gibson

Mr. Luis E. Reichard

Mr. and Mrs. Theodore W. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Claude W. Gill

Ms. Gricel Ruiz

The Steele Family Trust

Ms. Cynthia Gill

Dr. William W. Safranek

Dr. Roseann White and Mr. Thomas White

Dr. and Mrs. Russel S. Glaun

Bashar S. Saikaly, M.D.

Ms. Maria H. Wojnowski

Dr. Adam G. Golden

Mrs. Wendy L. Sarubbi

Dr. and Mrs. Neal H. Goldberg

Mr. Kenneth L. Scearce

$1 - $499

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Gravina

Lorraine and Brandon Scholler

Mrs. Susan R. Adams

Mrs. Gwen B. Greco

Mrs. Lucia A. Schweitzer

Mr. Peter D. Allport

Mrs. Amanda L. Guinane

Mr. Robert E. Schwier

Mr. Ruben D. Almaguer

Ms. Sherri L. Hakemian

Basma R. Selim, Ph.D.

Mr. Jordan Almazan

Ms. Mary E. Howard

Mr. and Mrs. Leo Serrano

Mr. Sooma Ammar

Ms. Susan S. Hamilton

Mr. John J. Sexton

Mr. Craig D. Anderson

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Hernandez, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Shepherd

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Ashby

Ms. Dawn M. Herrod

Dr. Shadab A. Siddiqi

Mabel Avilas, M.D.

Mr. Roland Hillier

Mrs. Peggy J. Sieburth

John Axley, M.D., P.A.

Hope Presbyterian Church at Lake Nona

Mr. and Mrs. Brittain A. Simms

Monica Bailey

Houghton Mifflin

Dr. Dinender K. Singla

Mr. William W. Barker, III

Ms. Peggy T. Howard

Mr. Christopher C. Sipos

Thomas R. Bates, M.D.

Ms. Martha H. Howle

Slatkow and Husak Public Relations

Ms. Kimberly A. Berfield

Ms. Amy E. Jackson

Ms. Carly N. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Victor P. Boccumini

Dr. and Mrs. Melvin J. Johnson, III

Ms. Karen K. Smith

Ms. Felicia Boehm

Ms. J. D. Jordan

Mr. and Mrs. Luis R. Smith

Dr. and Mrs. Jose L. Borrero

Mr. Ernest M. Kelly, Jr.

Ms. Lisa J. Sorrentino

Mr. Ronald W. Brown

Dr. Jonathan D. Kibble

Southern Wine and Spirits of America, Inc.

Mr. Ernest M. Brunet

Dr. Stephen J. King

Ms. Elizabeth A. Sterchi

Mr. John L. Builder, Jr.

Ms. Janne M. Kitchin

Mr. Matthew Stohlman

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Cairns

Mr. and Mrs. Kent R. Kluth

Dr. Kiminobu Sugaya and Dr. Ayako Yonetani

Mr. and Mrs. Pasco Campano

Rebecca W. Koehn Revocable Trust

Ms. Denise Suits

Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore J. Candela

Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Kovaleski

Mr. and Mrs. George R. Taylor

Mr. and Mrs. Glenn R. Cantu

Mr. and Mrs. Brendan La Belle-Hamer

Dr. Kenneth R. Teter

Mr. Darrell Carpenter

Lake Eola Charter School, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. Thalheimer

Dr. Juan Cendan and Dr. Judith Simms-Cendan

Mr. Robert E. Larkin, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Ulysses Tolbert

Dr. Xinqing Chai

Mr. Hat Lau

Mr. Carl C. Truesdell

Ms. Sue T. Chicone

Mr. and Mrs. Jim S. Lee

Mr. Xuan Huong T. Truong

Mr. Kevin Christensen

Ms. Amanda M. Leite

Ms. Jeannette M. Vance

Mr. Jordan P. Clark

Nancy P. Lewis Revocable Trust

Dr. Marcia L. Verduin and Mr. Jonathan E. Verduin

Ms. Allison Connally

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Lienhard

Mr. and Mrs. Dale V. Voorhees

Mr. Lan V. Cooper

Ms. Jessica Madera

Mr. Greg Weigel

Mr. Gerald O. Cozier

Mr. and Mrs. Micah D. Marshall

Ms. Alaina West

Crescendo, LLC

Mr. G. G. McBride

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Y. Wetherbee

Ms. Wandy E. Cruz-Velazquez

Ms. Barbaranelle P. McClanahan

Mrs. Karen M. White

Mrs. Catherine Currie

Ms. Melanie L. Meisner

Ms. Sharon D. Whittle

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dajac

Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Meyer, Jr.

Mr. Thomas J. Wilkes

Ms. Christina D. Dantes

Dr. Steven A. Meyer

Ms. Margaret M. Willis

Ms. Susan B. Day

Major General and Mrs. Stephen J. Miller

Dr. H. William Wolfson

Ms. Paula D. De Silva

Mr. and Mrs. Brian A. Millikan

Ms. Susan M. Woodman

Ms. Nadine Dexter

Ms. Lisa A. Minnick and Mr. Jeff Colee

Mr. and Mrs. Donald P. Woodruff

Ms. Sarah-Vaughn S. Dottin

Mrs. Susie Moore

Wuestoff Brevard Homecare

Mr. Hugh M. Durden

Mr. Joseph P. Myerson

Ms. Kathleen Wyatt

Dr. Steven N. Ebert

Ms. Stephanie Nagelsen

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Yantz

Susan V. Ellor, M.D.

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Ning

Ms. Ka Y. Yam

Mr. and Mrs. Iran H. Engel

Mr. Gregory K. Norris

Mr. Mikaeel I. Young

Fair Lending USA, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. Dan O’ Hara

Ms. Cathy C. Youngblood

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Fanning

Mr. Raymond Ontko

Mrs. Lisa S. Zinkovich

Ms. Sharon J. Folkes

Mrs. Margaret M. Orr

Ms. Margaret A. Fuller

Mark Palmer Electric Service, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Bryant Fuller, III

Pre-Dental American Student Dental Association

Dr. and Mrs. Robert N. Gennaro

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Quinn

Dr. Matthew B. Gerber

Ms. Sheran E. Reich

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 6 8 5 0 L A K E N O N A B O U L E VA R D O R L A N D O, F LO R I DA

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