The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s newest students donned their first white coats Aug. 29 during a ceremony at the Tampa Convention Center.  The college and other USF Health leaders officially welcomed the 182 students who will be among the first to occupy the college’s new building when it officially opens in late 2019.

The MCOM Class of 2023 is one of the most competitive in the college’s history.  With more than 5,500 applications, students had less than a 4 percent chance of getting in.  This class attained an average MCAT score of 515, putting them in the 93^rd percentile nationally with an average GPA of 3.76.  Students have a variety of experiences and come from a wide array of backgrounds including the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, black belts in Tae Kwon Do, certified SCUBA divers, a folk and ballet dancer, and college athletes in rugby, tennis, lacrosse and volleyball.

Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, USF Health executive vice president and Morsani College of Medicine dean.

“We are beyond thrilled to have assembled such a distinguished group of brilliant future doctors,” said Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine. “We are impressed by your academic achievements and look forward to seeing you leverage this talent for the betterment of humanity.”

Following his remarks, Dr. Lockwood introduced Sally Houston, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer of Tampa General Hospital, who offered her welcome on behalf of hospital chief executive officer, John Couris.

Sally Houston, MD, Tampa General Hospital executive vice president and chief medical officer.

“This is such an exciting evening. There’s so much energy in this room and you all are starting the next leg of a journey that started a long time ago,” Dr. Houston said. “The work you do with your classmates, the time you spend with them, you’ll make life-long friends during this time.”

The ceremony featured remarks from the MCOM student council president and faculty speakers, and culminated with the class of 2023 reciting the Oath of Commitment, a promise they make as medical students to the health care profession and their patients.

The white coat represents four main ideas for those who wear them: Commitment to scientific inquiry, empirical research and the pursuit of the truth; a commitment to compassion and concern for every patient no matter how difficult or challenging they may be; a commitment to grit and lifelong learning; a commitment to community and giving back.

“You are going to be part of a transformational year. We are working hard to build you a first-class experience in our new Morsani College of Medicine on Water Street.”
– Bryan Bognar, MD, MPH, MCOM chief academic officer, vice dean of the Office of Educational Affairs.

“The next four years will be both exhilarating and exhausting. You will be challenged mentally, physically and emotionally in ways that you’ve never been challenged before. It is an honor and a privilege to care for people as a physician does.”
– Amy Weiss, MD, MPH, MCOM associate professor of pediatrics.

“Today, as you receive your white coat, I want you all to remember why you chose to pursue a career in medicine. Regardless of the reason, hold on them tight and be sure to reflect back on them during your time in medical school.”
– Amy Mickelson, fourth-year medical student, MCOM Student Council president.

Story and photos by Freddie Coleman.  Video by Allison Long

Video and article by Allison Long.

Photos by Freddie Coleman.

The arena erupted in cheers and applause as USF System President Judy Genshaft walked toward the stage for this year’s USF Health Commencement Ceremony – and one of her final commencement exercises.

The May 2 graduation ceremony was among her final as USF President and the students, friends and families at the Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus all showed their gratitude for her 19-year tenure.

The USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Public Health were represented at the 2019 Spring Commencement held in the Yuengling Center.

“These ceremonies are especially significant for me as this is my last time presiding over commencement as USF President,” Genshaft said, as she welcomed everyone to the ceremony. “Over my 19 years as president I’ve had the honor and the privilege of graduating over 210,000 USF students.”

The 2019 USF Health Commencement featured students graduating with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees representing USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and College of Public Health. The Morsani College of Medicine will also hold an MD commencement ceremony on May 10.

Dr. Charles J. Lockwood spoke to the graduates and their families at the 2019 Spring Commencement.

In addition to acknowledging the significance of Genshaft’s contributions to USF, the evening ceremony also offered two other milestones: the graduation of the charter class of the Physician Assistant program in the Morsani College of Medicine, and the graduation of the charter class of the Genetics Counseling program in the College of Public Health.

Zachary Ulshafer, Physician Assistant Program graduate, gave the student welcome at the 2019 Spring Commencement.

Kyle Holsted, a 2019 physician assistant graduate, understood the importance of being in the charter class. “It’s nice to set the foundation for USF Health and for the P.A. (physician assistant) program,” he said.

Audrey Heimler received an honorary doctorate in public health for her pioneering work in genetic counseling, and David Eddy, MD, received the President’s Fellow Medallion. Dr. Eddy is a professor for the USF Institute for Advanced Discovery and Innovation.

Also, the College of Public Health featured several award-winning students:

• King O’Neal Scholars: Ved Patel, Kaelan Skinner and Jessica Zelitt
• Golden Bull awardee: Whitney Fung.

USF System President Judy Genshaft and Merritt Martin, USF Alumni Association chair, presented College of Public Health graduate Ved Patel with a King O’Neal Scholar award.

And the College of Nursing also featured several award-winning students:

• King O’Neal Scholars: Loretta Bayer, Laura Rouco and Carly Stagg
• Outstanding Graduate: Roberto Velasco

College of Nursing graduate Loretta Bayer received a King O’Neal Scholar award from Genshaft and Martin.

The USF Health commencement ceremony was one of several Spring commencement exercises across the USF System. With approximately 7,500 degrees expected to be conferred, the 2019 class represents the largest in USF System history. The class features graduates from 50 states, 109 nations and 57 students with a cumulative 4.0 GPA.