For Bianca Arboleda, who was born in Florida and raised in Puerto Rico, getting into medical school was quite the journey.

Arboleda, who wants to become an obstetrics and gynecology doctor, faced many cultural and language barriers before coming to USF. But, she never gave up.

“I always knew I wanted to become a doctor,” Arboleda said. “So, I am beyond grateful to be an MD student at USF. Every obstacle I encountered along the way, gave me the courage to do better and study harder to make my dream a reality.”

Bianca Arboleda receives her white coat.

Arboleda was one of 173 medical students to take the oath of commitment and receive the coveted white coat in front of families, friends, guests and USF Health leaders – marking the beginning of a remarkable journey into the MD program at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM).

Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, poses with a group of students from Class of 2021.

The White Coat Ceremony, held this year on Sept. 1 at the Tampa Convention Center, is an annual event that welcomes students to the prestigious MD program at USF Health MCOM.

“This is a surreal experience, I’m in medical school,” said Cannon Nelson, who came to USF from Salt Lake City, Utah, and wants to become a pediatric neurosurgeon. “To us, the white coat is the symbol of transition, responsibility and commitment to a greater cause that’s bigger than any of us. It took a lot of work to get here, so being a part of this event today makes it all worth it.”

Cannon Nelson, student in the Class of 2021, is excited to celebrate the big day with his entire family, who flew in from Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Class of 2021 brought in the most selective medical student cohort in the history of the program — with an average MCAT score of 514 — placing it among the top 25 of all medical schools in the country.

This group of students was selected among more than 6,400 applicants – also a record number — giving them a less than three percent chance of getting into the program.

“It feels absolutely amazing to be among such a talented group of students,” said Katie Reming, student from the class of 2021, who wants to go into internal medicine. “No matter how challenging the road ahead may be, I feel so incredibly grateful for this opportunity and to be surrounded by such supportive faculty, staff and fellow students.”

During the event, Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, welcomed the students to the MD program with an inspirational speech about the future of health care and the challenges the field faces ahead.

Dr. Lockwood speaks to students, families and guests. 

“The future of our nation’s health care belongs to those who are unafraid to challenge the status quo, unafraid to think deeply about problems and unafraid to embrace change,” Dr. Lockwood said. “Decades from now, when people look back on this time in health care, my hope is it will be said of all of you that you were the forward-thinking generation of physicians who did not postpone addressing these great challenges – you embraced them. Your generation leveraged tools such as precision medicine, the mining of ‘big data’, cutting edge tissue imaging, and telehealth to improve health while lowering costs.”

This year, the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Scholarship Fund –the beneficiary of funds raised to sponsor the white coats — was the most successful and largest white coat sponsorship program of all medical schools in the U.S., raising more than $100,000 towards the Class of 2021 scholarships.

“I’d like to thank our faculty, staff, alumni and members of the MCOM Alumni Society Board for their unwavering support in sponsoring white coats for this year’s class,” Dr. Lockwood said. “We are committed to increasing scholarship funding and I’m deeply grateful to all of you who have donated to our White Coat Scholarship fund – you are supporting an amazing group of students.”

Offering the keynote address was Sion “Bill” Carter, MD ’87, chair of the MCOM Alumni Society, who told the new students “The white coat you receive today welcomes you into the community of medicine and signifies your commitment to the long road of training ahead. But most importantly, this ceremony is meant to emphasize the humanistic side of medicine at a time when headwinds can dehumanize its practice.”

Sion “Bill” Carter, MD ’87, chair of the MCOM Alumni Society, gave the keynote address at the event.

City of Tampa Mayor, Bob Buckhorn spoke to the new students during the ceremony and welcomed them to the city of Tampa.

City of Tampa Mayor, Bob Buckhorn.

“This is an exciting time for USF, an exciting time for Tampa and an exciting time for all these young people,” Mayor Buckhorn told the crowd. “This is a city that’s risen from the worst recession since the Great Depression. This is the city of hope, the city of destiny and a city where young people are flocking to. For those of you who will spend four years with us, you are in the midst and part of an amazing renaissance American city. We want you to make Tampa your home when you complete this journey. I promise you this that you’re going to learn to love this place.”

Rose Tillis, a current fourth-year medical student and president of the MCOM student council, spoke to the new students about humanism in medicine and the responsibility of wearing the white coat.

“All of you have a gift,” Tillis said. “It’s a gift of intellect, compassion, motivation and determination, and a decent amount of stubbornness. That’s how you got here. But that gift comes with the responsibility to give back. And that’s what you’ll learn while you’re here. You have the ability to change the trajectory of your patients’ lives, just by walking with them in the hallway. That’s what this white coat represents, and that is the responsibility that comes with it.”

The Class of 2021 also received a copy of “On Doctoring,” a compilation of poems, fiction and essays edited by John Stone, a physician writer, and USF Health’s Lois Nixon, MPH, PhD, professor in the Division of Medical Ethics and Humanities. The books are provided by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

To conclude the special evening, the new students recited the Oath of Commitment — a promise they make to the health care profession and their patients.

“This is an important milestone in the journey of becoming a physician,” Reming said. “In some ways it’s celebratory, recognizing that all of the hard work involved in getting to this point has paid off. At the same time, I think it also symbolizes a transition from living life as a regular member of society, to becoming part of the health care profession, which necessitates a higher standard of behavioral expectations, has ethical implications and includes social responsibilities.”

Ameyo Jereen, student from the Class of 2021, is excited to finally wear her white coat.

“This is a celebration of the start of a difficult but rewarding journey in which we will learn intricate details about our bodies, our minds and our society,” said Ameyo Jereen, student from the Class of 2021, who wants to go into neuroscience. “I am very excited and honored to partake in this ceremony to mark the start of this wonderful journey.”

Arboleda celebrates this important milestone with her parents and siblings.

Among the Class of 2021 medical students receiving a white coat was Madeline Carney, shown here as a baby held by her mother Nancy Murphy at Murphy’s USF College of Medicine graduation ceremony in 1996. As she was walking off stage with her new white coat, the now young adult Carney shared a hug with Associate Vice President and MCOM Obstetrics and Gynecology Professor Dr. Catherine Lynch. “I haven’t seen you in a while, I delivered you,” Lynch told her.

Story by Vjollca Hysenlika and photos by Eric Younghans, Sandra C. Roa and Frederick Coleman, USF Health Communications and Marketing

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKe8e19D-Jg

Humility, grit and gratefulness, three traits every physical therapy student should have throughout their careers.

That’s the advice from Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, OCS, president of the American Physical Therapy Association, as she provided the keynote address to the Commitment to Professionalism Ceremony for the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The event, held Oct. 15 in the USF College of the Arts Theatre I, welcomed incoming Doctor of Physical Therapy students to the profession and signified their transition into a career founded on helping patients return to quality lives after injury.

Dr. Sharon Dunn

“Your humility has to be genuine,” Dr. Dunn told the Class of 2018. “A healthy fear is a good thing. Know that you cannot possible know everything – add people who fill the deficits. It may feel better to surround yourself with people who agree with you, but nothing good comes from isolated decision making.”

For grit, she advised the group to roll up their sleeves and have perseverance.

“It’s hard to beat somebody who doesn’t quit,” she said.

And for gratitude, she turned to the audience to acknowledge the family members present, reminding the students that they are the people who helped them be at this ceremony today.

“Don’t forget your roots,” she said. “The character you have comes from your home training.”

The Class of 2018 in the DPT program has 47 students and represents one of the School’s most selective groups, said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean for the Morsani College of Medicine.

“The Class of 2018 is our most selective, chosen from among 1,299 applicants,” Dr. Lockwood said. “So you only had about a 4 percent chance of getting in.”

Dr. Charles Lockwood

Dr. Lockwood also noted several other achievements of the young School:

• It enrolled its first cohort of students in the legislatively funded USF-University of West Florida academic partnership.
• The Florida Board of Governors approved the School’s PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences degree program this year.
• And USF accepted its first resident into the College’s Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency program.

Along with making introductions for the Ceremony, William S. Quillen, PT, PhD, SCS, FACSM, professor and director of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences and associate dean for the Morsani College of Medicine, announced several awards and acknowledgments, including the Nicolosi Commitment to Professional Award, which went to second-year DPT student Arlene Shi, and the Spirit of Interprofessionalism Award, which went to Dr. David Ecker, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and in the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Dr. Sandy Quillen

While the white coat itself is a symbol of knowledge, trust and responsibility, the School’s Commitment to Professionalism Ceremony also conveys other symbolism.

“In some ways it is less about the white coats than it is about a transformation of the heart,” said Laure Lee “Dolly” Swisher, PT, MDiv, PhD, FAPTA, professor and coordinator of professional education and assistant dean for Interprofessional Education for the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Dr. Dolly Swisher

Each student will make several stops in travelling across the stage, she prefaced, before explaining each step.

As they walk toward center stage, toward their clinical faculty mentors: “This represents entry into the community of physical therapy professionals and the willingness to share in the joys as well as responsibilities of the practice of physical therapy.”

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Putting on the coat: “This represents a ‘Donning the mantle of professional responsibility’ with the assistance of trusted mentors.”

Receiving a copy of the oath from the academic faculty: “Represents a commitment to embrace the physical therapy body of knowledge – as science, expertise, and art.  This is a commitment to constantly enhance one’s knowledge about practice, about the profession, and about the patients and clients that we serve.”

Receiving of gifts from students in the previous classes: “The gift and pin represents a commitment to current and future colleagues in pursuit of shared professional excellence. The gift also represents the generosity of professional colleagues in pursuing the shared goal of excellence and caring.”

As students complete their turn across the stage: “They will face family, friends, students, members of the clinical community, and others who have joined us – this represents accountability to family, future patients, other professionals and society as a whole. It is an acceptance that the freedom and privilege of physical therapy practice ultimately depends on being accountable to society, the physical therapy profession, and the public.  And that professional accountability is truly at the heart of being a professional – not simply in an abstract way but in a personal way in each and every minute of the day.”

After all 47 DPT students took those steps, they recited, in unison, the Physical Therapist’s Professional Oath, a promise of integrity, compassion, professionalism and evidence-based practice. What followed was a theatre full of cheers and applause from friends, family and classmates.

DPT Class of 2018 stats:

33 women, 14 men

Avg. Upper Div. GPA: 3.78

Avg. Prerequisite GPA: 3.61

Avg. Overall GPA: 3.68

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Video by Sandra C. Roa, story by Sarah Worth, photos by Eric  Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXLC70bR570

Know who you are, never compromise your ethics, embrace change, and respect your team.

These were a few of several insights Rhea Law shared with the incoming class to the USF College of Pharmacy at this year’s White Coat ceremony, where freshman students were presented with their first white coat as they embark on their path to becoming pharmacists. The event was held Sept. 11 in the Ballroom of the Marshal Student Center.

Rhea Law addresses the Class of 2019.

As keynote speaker, Ms. Law faced the 96 students in a room filled with family and friends and pulled from her own lessons learned from a full career in law and in championing USF and many of its programs.

“Have that North Star to follow, a focus,” she urged. “Maintain strong ethical standards as you protect your reputation. Embrace change, because without change there would be no new opportunities. Respect your team because there is a direct correlation between team work and patient safety. And always respect the impact you have on those you’re serving.”

As a strong supporter for launching the USF pharmacy program, Ms. Law shared with everyone the joy she sees in watching this young program grow.

“It’s a pleasure to see the results,” she said. “When the Board of Governors originally approved the pharmacy degree, we focused on something that would be innovative and take pharmacy to the next level. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing in this program.”

In applauding Dr. Sneed for his unwavering drive to get the pharmacy program going, Ms. Law said “He never lost focus and he never lost heart.”

Emceeing the event was Melissa Ruble, PharmD, assistant professor of pharmacotherapeutics and clinical research in the USF College of Pharmacy, who reminded the students of the qualities a white coat symbolizes.

Dr. Melissa Ruble emceed the event.

“Receipt of your first white coat is a very personal and special occasion,” Dr. Ruble said. “Although the white coat in and of itself does not contain any magical powers, one cannot help but feel different when cloaked. The coat provides a sense of confidence and immediate awareness of the associated professional obligations, responsibility and accountability.”

Each first-year student received a coat donated through funds raised by faculty, staff, parents, community members and other friends of the college. The additional monies raised above the cost of the coats will help support pharmacy student scholarships.

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Ed Funai, MD, chief operating officer for USF Health, urged the Pharmacy Class of 2019 to always keep patients in mind.

Dr. Ed Funai.

“The white coat ceremony is one of the most pivotal events in your career,” Dr. Funai said. “It symbolizes the trust patients put in us. And patients need to be at the center of all that you do. You all now, more than ever, play an integral role in delivering safe, effective, cost-effective and interdisciplinary care to your patients.”

The students were also welcomed into their new profession by leading representatives of all four USF Health Colleges:  Dr. Bryan Bognar, vice dean of educational affairs for the Morsani College of Medicine; Dr. William Quillen, director of the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; Dr. Dianne Morrison-Beedy, dean of the College of Nursing; and Rita DeBate, associate dean of academic and student affairs for the College of Public Health.

Then, for those of the 96 freshmen who might be new to campus, USF System President Judy Genshaft provided a quick lesson for making the “Bulls” sign with their hands and yelling “Go Bulls.” For the entire group, she urged “Every time you give a prescription out, say Go Bulls!”

USF System President Judy Genshaft.

College of Pharmacy Dean Kevin B. Sneed, PharmD, welcomed everyone and shared the news that the young school, which graduated its first class in May this year, received full accreditation “July 8, 2015, at 11:58 a.m.,” Dr. Sneed stated, adding with a laugh, “But who’s counting?”

Dr. Kevin Sneed.

“Our stated mission is to revolutionize health through empowerment and innovation,” Dr. Sneed said. “Our focus on population health, personalized medicine, and informatics will establish a new standard for the profession of pharmacy. We also believe very strongly that healthcare is rapidly evolving into a patient-centered care model, one that will require healthcare teams to work together to achieve the best possible health outcomes for entire communities, all the way to single individuals. USF Health, with our College of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, and our School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, and our soon to be Physician’s Assistant program, is one of the best positioned schools in the country to achieve true interprofessional education, creating the best trained workforce for the future. This stampede into the future, in true USF Bulls fashion, for the pharmacy Class of 2019 begins today.”

In sharing highlights of the college’s young history, Dr. Sneed included the early-on efforts by Ms. Law, who was chair of the USF Board of Trustees at the time and advocated for the program to be approved. In recognition of those efforts, Dr. Sneed presented Ms. Law with the College’s highest award, the Dean’s Award – the Bowl of Hygia – a symbol of the pharmacy profession for centuries with its foundation in Greek mythology.

Dr. Sneed then recognized third-year pharmacy student John Pasciak for being named a Tillman Scholar by the Pat Tillman Foundation, which provides scholarship to military veterans.

Then each student was helped by College of Pharmacy faculty as they put on their own white, which included their name embroidered on the front and a note from its donor in the pocket.

Brandon Welch dons his first white coat.

Pharmacy students take the Oath of Professionalism.

Led by Angela M. Hill, PharmD, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Clinical Research and associate dean of Clinical Affairs for the USF College of Pharmacy, the Class of 2019 stood together and, in unison, took the Oath of Professionalism. Together, they pledged their commitment to integrity, ethical behavior and honor that are hallmarks of the pharmacy profession.

College of Pharmacy Class of 2019

USF College of Pharmacy Class of 2019

Of the 96 students, here is the statistical breakdown similar to what was provided last year:

– 96 students (57 percent women, 43 percent men)

– 52 percent represent students from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds

– 36 percent are first-generation college students

Jessica Acosta

Jazmin Garcia

Katherine O’Malley

Marissa Aloyo

Sheida Ghominejad

Julie Orellana

Zinab Antar

Louis Go

Timothy Padawer

Emma Applebaum

Doris Grimaldi

Pariya Paliehvash

Sharon Baby

Kyle Guerrero

Joel Perez

Melissa Bailey

Wesley Hamlin

Lisa Phan

Robert Belz, Jr.

Mohammad Hasan

Tu Phan

Nikesh Bhika

Tien Hoang

Joseph Plourde

David Bohunicky

Megan Holbrook

Luis Alonso Polanco

Andres Brito

Mindy Huynh

Brittany Rollins

Ashley Brown

Sarah Youssef Jacob

Chelsea Russell

Roland Cadet

Stanley Jean-Charles

Jordan Sachmann

Chelsea Campbell

Jake Johnson

Isis Sanders

Jessica Cashwell

Tyler King

Ruben Santana

Ron Cheung

Charles Kohler

Brandon Schafer

Min Choi

Dionne Lawrie

Derek Schulz

Brianna Choyce

Hang Le

Erin Selfridge

Kasey Coffin

Anissa Lewis

Kajri Shah

Paige Cooke

Corey Lewis

Vasthie St. Juste

Hanna Coumans

Javier Martiney

Alyese Stapf

Amber Cox

Jennifer Marvin

Fredric Starling

Maria Datcu

Cory McNerney

Molly Swango

Snehal Desai

Stephanie Metcalf

Vanessa Tomm

Nicole Dixon

Nicholas Micciche

Linda Tran

Nosayawe Edokpayi

Adriana Molodecki

Lekendra Upshur

Jose Espinoza

Kevin Moore

Kristal Urena

Susan Carolyn Faiz

April Nguyen

Amar Vala

Bryan Figler

Thien Nguyen

Colin Van Ostran

Elise Fishel

Tien Nguyen

Brandon Welch

Brandon Fraga

Daniel Ninh

Mitchell West

Christopher Fung-On

Jenna Nixon

Nada Yassein

Jean Gaibort

Matthew Noble

Jacqueline Zembron

As friends and family watched, 46 incoming students to the doctoral program of the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences recited in unison a promise to always provide compassionate and professional care to their patients.

The DPT Class of 2017 reading the Oath of Commitment to Professionalism (written by the class).

The Class of 2017 – the largest incoming class in the School’s history – was taking part in the Commitment to Professionalism Ceremony, an event meant to signify the beginning of careers as doctors of physical therapy. This year’s event was held Oct. 16 at the USF School of Music Concert Hall. In addition to the oath, students were presented with their white coats, also symbolizing their entry into their careers as physical therapy professionals.

The evening event began with a procession into the Concert Hall led by Gregory Nicolosi, PhD, playing a bagpipe. Dr. Nicolosi, who retired from USF as professor of physiology in the Morsani College of Medicine and executive associate vice president and interim dean/vice president, was instrumental in helping found the USF the School of Physical Therapy. The school has named an award in his honor.

The keynote address was given by Ruth B. Purtilo, PhD, FAPTA, professor emerita at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Purtilo’s talk was titled “Becoming a Professional: Where Are You Going and Why Does It Matter?”

The event also included the presentation of several awards. Casey Hodgin (DPT Class of 2015) was presented with the Vorholy Memorial Scholarship. Brittany Davis (DPT Class of 2016) earned the Nicolosi Commitment to Professionalism Award. And Steven Specter, PhD, MCOM Associate Dean for Alumni Relations, earned the Spirit of Interprofessionalism Award.

Molly Knight and Rebecca Graves, DPT 2016 Class Presidents, led the students as they recited their Commitment to Professionalism Oath. Faculty mentors then presented each student with a white coat, compliments of donors from across USF Health and the Tampa Bay community.

Vorholy Memorial Scholarship winner Casey Hodgin (DPT Class of 2015), with Dr. Quillen and Dr. Jason Highsmith (co-founder of the scholarship and classmate of Johnene Vorholy).

Nicolosi Commitment to Professionalism Award winner Brittany Davis (DPT Class of 2016) with Dr. Quillen and Dr. Greg Nicolosi.

Spirit of Interprofessionalism Award winner Dr. Steven Specter.

In addition to welcoming the largest incoming class, this year was the first that included students from the USF/University of West Florida educational partnership, in which graduates of UWF spend the first year of the DPT curriculum on the USF Tampa campus and then return to the UWF campus in Pensacola for the second and third years of the curriculum.

While it’s a symbol for beginning the DPT program, the Ceremony is purposefully held in October rather than August to correlate with Physical Therapy Month.

The USF DPT Class of 2017 has 46 students: 29 women (63%) and 17 men (37%).

Sarah Thompson receiving white coat from her clinical mentor, Kendall Lynch, and academic advisor, Seok Hun Kim.

Arlene Shi (center) and family.

From left, Kelsey Brown, Danielle Sims, Rebecca Graves.

 Photos by Laurie Ballard of Christie’s Photographic Solutions.