the bulletin - com alumni news

the bulletinUNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ALUMNI NEWS

The new College of Medicine Alumni Society Board was formed last summer. This year the board of directors has fo-cused on creating programming that will bring alumni back and engage them with USF’s College of Medicine and their peers. We are currently in the process of planning the 2011 reunion for the classes of 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006, as well as planning regional alumni events. And we are always looking for ways that you can get involved with medical students.

We need you to help move the programs forward. As role models for future USF medicine graduates, we are begin-ning an alumni hosting program in which USF alumni invite current students who are either doing residency interviews or externships in their city to stay or meet with them. We are also doing a lecture series initiative in which USF COM alums come back to USF and give talks to current medical students on their specialty, newsworthy topics related to their specialty, work-life balance, and the like. We would like to be a visible presence for the students throughout their medical school years to inspire and support them. If you are interested in participating in either of these initiatives please let us know!

This year we sponsored the second Alumni Path of Honor in which alumni lined the aisle at commencement as the graduates processed. This is a great way to welcome the graduates to their alumni society and hopefully inspire them to participate in the society in the future.

As you all can clearly see, change is happening fast here at the USF College of Medicine Alumni Society. There are many ways, some not even listed, in which alumni and friends can get involved through the alumni society. If you are not a member of a committee and are interested in volunteering in some way I encourage you to visit medicine.usfhealtha-lumni.net and learn about the various ways you can get involved and then contact Christina Brown-Wujick at [email protected].

Thank you for your support of the USF College of Medicine Alumni Society. I hope to see you at a medical school reunion soon!

Diane M. Duffy, MD

from the Board President

inside:

scholarly concentrations p2

student focus p2-3 | alumni spotlight p5

SPTRS p5 | class notes p10

calendar of events p12

Diane M. Duffy, MD

n The School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences is proud to welcome 34 new students to its class of 2013. After receiving 257 applica-tions for the DPT program the office admitted the 34 slots to a class with an average undergraduate GPA of 3.73. We are all very proud of our SPTRS students and are delighted that we get to welcome another great new class with such awesome accomplish-ments already to date.

n On Monday August 2nd 2010 USF welcomed 120 new medical students who comprise the class of 2014. The newest entering class had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.75 and an average MCAT of 31.

n During the 2010/2011 academic year, USF College of Medicine alumni will begin hosting an alumni lecture series for current COM students. This initia-tive of the USF College of Medicine Alumni Board’s student programming committee, chaired by Carolyn & Greg Nicolosi, aims to bring MD alumni back to campus to teach students what they know about their specialties, cur-rent events, and life in general. If you are interested in participating please email [email protected] today!

n USF Health has received a transforma-tional $5.66 million gift from The Pat-terson Foundation to launch Bringing Science Home, a model program that will develop new ways of learning and caring to help people approach their lives with chronic illnesses optimistically.

points of pride

USF COM alumni news l 2

Found within the University of South Florida College of Medicine’s mission statement is the vision to actively nurture and provide for the education of medical students not only in the professional health sciences but also by making interdisciplin-ary education available to students by provid-ing diverse learning opportunities. With this in mind, over the past several years the USF College of Medicine has made several changes to the traditional core cur-riculum. The intent is to inspire and develop students to go beyond the boundaries of the health sciences and to cultivate their unique talents and passions.

The Scholarly Concentration Program at the College aims to support the educational development of medical students by provid-ing opportunities for academic endeavors in areas of special interest. This program is comprised of eight unique areas of study: Research, Public Health and Global Medicine, Business and Entrepreneurship in Medicine, Health Disparities, Medical Education, Law and Medicine, Health Sys-tems Engineering, and Medical Humanities. The program begins January 1st of Year I of the MD program and continues throughout their medical school journey.

Dr. Susan Pross, Associate Professor of Mo-lecular Medicine at the College of Medicine and the Director of the Scholarly Concen-tration Program, was instrumental in form-ing this program. “We started the program

Scholarly Concentrations Educational Program For Medical Students

two years ago because we are excited that the students entering the College have other interests and we want to help them cultivate those interests. Being a part of the Schol-arly Concentration program is purely elective for the medical students, but the benefits of being involved will follow them throughout their personal lives and careers. Because its focus is beyond what is traditionally emphasized in medical school, it builds a connection beyond health and makes for a well-rounded physician. It’s okay if a student decides not to participate in the

student focus

Concentrations continued next page…

Program because what is important is the opportunity to make the choice.”

volume 4 / fall 2010 l 3

When fourth-year medical student Courtney Bovee arrived at the USF Col-lege of Medicine campus, medicine was not the only subject she was excited to learn more about dur-ing her four-year jour-ney. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Business from the Univer-sity of Florida, Courtney’s continued interest in business and finance led her to apply to the College of Medicine at USF. “One of the reasons I chose USF over other medical schools was because of the Scholarly Concentration Program that was offered. The Business and Entrepreneurship Scholarly Concentration Program allows me to continue cultivating my interests in business.”

Courtney along with other students involved in the Business Scholarly Concentration meet once a month to discuss a variety of business-related topics and when available interact with a guest lecturer. Courtney is a vital part of the student leadership within the concentration. She is involved with planning the meetings and selecting topics as well as guest lecturers. “We have had the

student focus

president of the American Florida Medical Associa-tion speak, we have had lectures on billing and coding. This past fall we had a three-part lecture series on the presidential campaign health reform and how it affects physi-cians. In a recent meeting, a panel of lawyers lectured on professional estate plan-ning, legal issues of setting up a practice and asset protection.” said Courtney.

She feels that the knowledge gained in the business arena is vital to medical students and that they will be more successful in the real world.

Courtney understands that in medicine there is more to just being a doctor than helping patients and saving lives. “There’s a lot more that goes into practicing medicine, like running a staff or operating a clinic,” Courtney says. “The business concentration teaches you the things that you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to learn until after you have graduated medical school. “ With her professional goal and desire to someday integrate her business background and her medical skills to assist the medical

profession in providing innovative, high qual-ity and cost-effective medical care, she will be in a position to recognize those business op-portunities and practices that will contribute to achieving her goal.

Students are not required to be a part of a concentration, but Courtney thinks it is worthwhile and beneficial to each medical student should they choose to get involved. “I think it is such a wonderful thing. It leads to being a better-rounded physician. It’s the difference between simply practicing medi-cine and going beyond to provide the highest quality health care to our patients. And it is a great avenue to grow and expand your networking. I think that it is helping to cre-ate world leaders because it’s helping to grow people that are already passionate and ready to make a difference.”

It will be interesting to watch Courtney Bovee and the other members of the Class of 2011 who are participating in the Scholarly Con-centration Program over the years. Who will be the first to come back and lecture to a new group of students in the Program? Who will help enhance a concentration based on their experiences? Who will be recognized by their peers as an expert in not only their medical specialty but in their area of concentration? Maybe a member of the Class of 2011!

Student Focus: Scholarly Concentrations Program

When the Scholarly Concentrations Program first started, faculty wondered if anyone would be willing to sign up for it, especially since it meant that the student would be adding to their workload of the MD program. “You have a tension in medical school – you have smart, creative students who want to expand their horizons, yet the workload is already so great. ” states Dr. Pross. “We were pleasantly surprised when students said that they would find time to do this. What an opportunity for passionate students to be with other passionate students and extremely devoted faculty. It’s been fabulous!”

The USF College of Medicine is not the first to have the program, but it does help to put the College on the map with other presti-gious medical schools such as Duke, Brown and Stanford. “It gives the College national

prominence. We are now interacting in a leadership basis with schools throughout the country and people are sharing ideas and talking about it” says Dr. Pross.

Concentrations from page 2…

The Scholarly Concentration Program at the USF College of Medicine is looking for alumni interested in getting involved in this unique program! Speakers with expertise in one or more concentration areas are needed for monthly meeting as well as one-on-one mentorships with students. If you are interested in learning more about specific needs and requirements to participate in this exciting program, please contact Dr. Susan Pross, Director of the Scholarly Concentration Program, at [email protected] or 813-974-2065. For more information on the Program and details of the areas of concentration go to www.scholarlyconcentrations.com.

How you can get involved


Class of 2010 Alumnus, Dr. Navid Egh-balieh, has always seen the world through the eyes of an artist. He sees the world in lines and colors, light and shadow. He meets people and imagines how he would com-pose a painting around them. Sometimes he would rather paint than sleep. So would you be surprised to know that Dr. Eghbalieh’s painting brought him to medicine – and has helped him choose the specialty he will pursue?

When Eghbalieh graduated this past May, not only did he receive his MD but he was also recognized for completing a Scholarly Concentration in Health Disparities. This particular concentration focuses on the his-torical and topical details of barriers for the medically underserved as well as the cross-cultural issues in health care.

Since growing up in Los Angeles, he has had an ongoing interest in the homeless and other underserved populations. As a teenager, he would roam the neighborhoods and sketch homeless people. Each picture would hang on his bedroom wall for a while as he thought about what he learned from the process of converting what he saw then to what he was seeing on his wall. What did it tell him about his subjects’ experience? He’d think about it, mull it over and then the picture would make way for a new one.

Sketching was a way to make sense of a world that wasn’t always easy for the Eghbalieh fam-ily. Of Greek-Persian descent, Dr. Eghbalieh was born in Iran, the youngest of three broth-ers. When he was six years old, his family fled the country abruptly, in fear that his oldest brother was about to be conscripted. Starting a new life in Los Angeles required his parents to work multiple jobs and the three brothers to share a bedroom. Gradually, things became better. “I was very lucky,” he said. “We were able to get to where we were because people helped us and that is important in life.”

The rotating art gallery in his room ended the day Eghbalieh came across a free clinic

alumni spotlight

Medicine through the eyes of an artist:

Dr. Navid Eghbaliehfor homeless people at the Santa Mon-ica pier. Eghbalieh sketched a doctor helping a mother with three children. He came home and put the picture on his wall. And then he found he couldn’t take it down.

He began volun-teering as a patient escort and shadowing doctors. As a college student at UCLA, he worked as an emergency medical technician. When he entered USF’s College of Medicine, he first thought he would be-come a surgeon. But then he discovered ra-diology. It spoke to his artistic sense. “With radiology, it was a visual approach to a diagnostic puzzle,” he said. His interest in radiology deepened as some of his family members faced medical challenges, and he saw the importance of imaging firsthand.

All along his medical school journey, Dr. Eghbalieh maintained his interest in helping the homeless. He found the Health Dispari-ties Scholarly Concentration Program would be the bridge between the pictures on his wall and the career he was pursing. As part of his project for the Program, he volunteered with homeless shelters throughout the Tampa Bay area, giving talks on preventive medicine and displaying his artwork, including a series of paintings of homeless children that he created to raise awareness about the many challenges they face. Participating in the Health Disparities Scholarly Concentration was a perfect fit for Dr. Eghbalieh because

it allowed him to continue to use his talents and pursue his passion for art during medical school. It also helped him to expand his knowledge about the medically needy and underserved populations in the Tampa Bay area and around the world and become a part of the educational process for those commu-nities’ health concerns.

Dr. Eghbalieh started his residency in June at the University of San Francisco, where he will spend a year before heading to Tulane Uni-versity for his diagnostic radiology residency. And while he will be enhancing his medical skills to diagnose his patients health puzzles, you can be assured that he will also volunteer his time and use his art to help serve his local community and the world beyond.

A painting by Dr. Eghbalieh entitled “Stages” depicting orphans in Haiti along with the various stages of dealing with crisis in the human life as portrayed in each child’s face.

To read more about Dr. Navid Eghbalieh and view some of his paintings, visit www.artbynavid.com.


School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Services

On Saturday May 8th, 2010 the USF School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (SPTRS) held a commencement lunch for the SPTRS class of 2010, alumni, faculty, and the graduate’s families. During the reception Dr. William S. Quillen, Associate Dean of SPTRS, recognized the graduates. The new graduates were also honored with gifts from the alumni presented by SPTRS alum, Dr. Jason Highsmith. The luncheon was a first for SPTRS alumni and we look forward to seeing more alumni participation in May 2011. Mark your calendars to attend next year’s event!

SPTRS Commencement Lunch 2010

SPTRS Alumni ReceptionThe School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences held its first ever alumni reception on Thursday April 8th 2010 at The Venue in Clearwater. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were sponsored by Supplemental Healthcare, an employer of SPTRS graduates. Alumni and faculty enjoyed an opportunity to network and reconnect with each other in an informal setting. Future events for alumni will be planned in the Tampa Bay area, so watch for your invitation to reconnect with classmates and professors!


Annual College of Medicine Scholarship Reception

community focus

“Listen to your patients…Hold their hands….Look into their eyes. When you can’t cure, you have the greatest responsi-bility to care.” These were some of the cap-sules of wisdom Dr. Kiran Patel prescribed for scholarship recipients at our annual Scholarship Reception on March 2, 2010.

Dr. Patel spoke fondly of his experience as a physician. Comparing the decision to pursue medicine to taking the road less traveled from Robert Frost’s renowned poem, he encouraged students that even though their medical journey would be demanding it would make all the differ-ence if they always remembered to be good doctors. He also challenged them to participate in the life game of giving and to make contributions that leave the world a better place.

A cardiologist and founder of companies such as Wellcare and Freedom Health Plan, Dr. Patel is recognized for his leader-ship and philanthropy in health, educa-tion, arts and culture. He and his wife, Dr. Pallavi Patel, are strong supporters of the university and founding donors of the Kiran & Pallavi Patel Endowed Scholar-ship in Medicine.

The annual scholarship event recognizes the generosity of donors to the College of Medicine. To illustrate the impact of their commitment Nishit Patel, a mem-ber of the Class of 2010 and one of three recipients of the Drs. Patel scholarship, briefly mentioned the science of paying for medical school and how scholarships help to alleviate the staggering debt graduates face. Equally meaningful were his stories

of medical school, which underscored how scholarships “help individuals reach their full potential.” Nishit expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of classmates who were the first in their families to attend col-lege, much less medical school, colleagues who were trying to support a family while studying, and friends who would have to abandon a lifelong dream if weren’t for the kindness of strangers.

This year, 60 scholarships totaling more than $250,000, nearly double last year’s awards, were presented to 55 students in both the doctor of medicine and medical sciences graduate programs. To learn more about supporting the cost of medical educa-tion, go to medicine.usfhealthalumni.net.


On August 13, 2010 the USF College of Medicine officially welcomed one hundred and twenty first year medical students by presenting

each with their first white coat.

Thank you to the 54 alumni who were the inaugural

White Coat Sponsors!

For more information on how you can sponsor the Class of 2015,please contact Ryan Kipp at

[email protected] or 813-396-9485.

Alumni Focus

Hosting ProgramOne of the most important volun-teer opportunities that the College of Medicine’s Alumni Board is sponsoring is the hosting program. We are seeking to build a database of alums around the country who are interested in allowing fourth year medical students to stay with them either during their residency interviews, or for the more ambitious, during externships. Approximately 120 fourth year students are interviewing around the country spending money that they don’t have on flights and hotel accommodations. If you can help USF’s fourth year students during this busy and expensive activity please contact us today!

College of Medicine Volunteer Opportunities! Alumni Lecture Series

One of the initiatives that students here on campus are excited about is the Alumni Board’s push to bring alumni back to campus to speak. We are looking for alums from every specialty that are willing to travel to campus, or teleconference in via Skype, to talk to current students. Lecture Series topics can cover anything from alumni speaking about their specialties and their journey to get there, to research findings, work life balance, building and managing a practice, and beyond! If you are interested in giving back with a 1-2 hour time com-mitment, call or email for more informa-tion.

Mentoring ProgramOne of the long-term goals of the Alumni Board is to develop a database of alumni who are interested in serving as mentors for current medical students. Mentoring can mean as little involvement as a note in a first years white coat and a phone call a couple of times a year for encouragement to a more specialized contract between alum and student. Before this program can get off of the ground we need a list of volunteers who are willing to reach out to current students. If you are interested in this initiative, the students are looking for you!

Please direct all inquiries regarding vol-unteer opportunities to Christina Brown-Wujick at [email protected] or at 813-396-9635.


The College of Medicine Alumni Society hosted a graduation fiesta in the College of Medicine courtyard for the Class of 2010 on May 4, 2010. As the medi-cal students kicked back and relaxed, they chatted about the exciting and hectic years that led up to their big graduation day as well as all of their plans for the future! There was lots of Mexi-can food, a live mariachi band, a visit from Rocky D. Bull along with a superlatives presentation given by the class presidents. The College of Medicine Alumni Society extends congratulations to the Class of 2010!

student focus

Cinco de Mayo


On May 6th, 2010, the USF College of Medicine Alumni Society held its Second Annual Alumni Path of Honor during the College of Medicine Commencement Ceremony. Our new College of Medicine Alumni Board President, Diane Duffy, led the alumni procession that lined the pathway for the graduates. Alumni relived their commencement as their new colleagues followed in their footsteps. Thank you to the alumni, faculty and staff who once again made one of our Alumni Society’s newest traditions, the Alumni Path of Honor possible. Please mark your calendars now for the 3rd Annual Alumni Path of Honor at the USF College of Medicine Commencement on May 5, 2011.

Alumni Focus

Alumni Path of Honor 2010


Dr. Elisa Schuetz, ’75, is an anesthesiologist in Bristol, Tennessee.

Dr. Robert Pope, ’77, is the Medical Director of the Sleep Center at the St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Dr. William Kiser, ’78, is a Commander in the U.S. Navy at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Dr. Steven Rothrock, ’78, is an emergency medicine physician in Winter Park, Florida.

Dr. Michael Wenkstern, ’78, is an orthopedic surgeon in Martinsville, Virginia.

Dr. Richard Boothby, ’80, is a gynecologic oncologist at Lakeland Regional Cancer Center in Lakeland, FL.

Dr. Terry Clanton Dodds, ’80, is a pediatrician at Mulberry Pediatrics in Lenoir, North Carolina.

Dr. Neil Baron, ’85, is a radiologist in Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Stephen Burnett, ’85, is a self-employed dermatologist in Sarasota, Florida.

Dr. Todd Tobiassen, ’89, is an emergency physician in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Dr. Karen Westberry, ’90, is a self-employed pediatrician at Vero Pediatrics in Vero Beach, Florida.

Dr. Anthony Piazza, ’92, is an assistant professor at Emory University.

Dr. Aseem Shukla, ’95, is the Residency Program Director for Urology at the University of Minnesota and the Director of Pediatric Urology at the Amplatz Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dr. Jillian Glass, ’00, is a psychiatrist in Tampa, Florida.

Dr. Liana Lera-Ayotte, ’02, is an attending in Emergency Medicine at Union Hospital in Elkton, Maryland.

Dr. Jason Mensch, ’02, is an assistant professor at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Brian Corliss, ’04, is a pediatrician in Cullman, Alabama.

Class Notes

Alumni Focus

Dr. James Avery, ’81, is the Chief Medical Officer at Golden Liv-ing and has been named to the list of the most powerful physician executives in the nation by Modern Healthcare magazine. This honor is part of the magazine’s fifth annual ranking of the “50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare.” Dr. Avery was ranked No. 29.

Modern Healthcare and its sister publication, Modern Physician, co-sponsor the annual “50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare” recognition program. The winners were selected through voting on a final ballot, for which more than 11,000 nominations were sub-mitted. The final ballot was based on those nominations and nearly 70,000 were cast during the voting period. Modern Healthcare and Modern Physician both have articles on this honor in their issues. Congratulations, Dr. Avery!

Avery on list of powerful physician executives

Help us find our lost alumni!

Dr. Tiffany Harris, ’05, is an anesthesiologist in Panama City, Florida.

Dr. Robert Byrne, ’06, is a RSS Surgeon in the 2nd Stryker Calvary Regiment in Vilseck, Germany.

Dr. Brian Derby, ’07, is a plastic surgeon in Springfield, Illinois.

Dr. Natalie Kissoon, ’08, is a pediatric resident at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

In this issue of the alumni newsletter we would like to highlight the “lost alumni” of the classes being honored at the 2011 reunion.

If you know the phone numbers, email addresses, last known city, or anything else that might help us get in touch with one of your classmates please contact Christina at the alumni office at [email protected] or 813-396-9635. Thank you for your help!

Howard McVeigh, ‘76

Steven Roth Jr., ’86

Geoffrey Greene, ‘86

Corklin Steinhart, ‘86

Marc David, ‘91

James Jarvis, ‘91

John Riley, ‘91

Dennis Koselak, ‘96

Peter Kaufer, ‘96

Craig Wardell, ‘96

Theodore Turnquest, ‘96


2010 Reunion Weekend oveRvieW

Friday, October 227:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.Alumni and Family Reception at the Florida Aquarium

Saturday, October 2311:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Alumni and Family Picnic at the uSF College of Medicine 11:30 a.m.Tours of the uSF College of Medicine 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.Cocktails and dinner at the Tampa Bay History Center

REGISTRATION INFORMATIONPlease R.S.V.P. by Friday, October 15th

Register online at: medicinehealthalumni.netthen click on the 2010 reunion link!

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE ALUMNI NEWS

PRESIDENTUNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Judy Genshaft, PhD

CEOUSF HEALTH

DEAN, COLLEGE OF MEDICINEStephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA

PRODUCED BY:USF Health

Development & Alumni RelationsUniversity of South Florida

EDITORS:Leanna Baylis, Christina Brown-Wujick,

and Madison Hanshaw

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:USF Health

DESIGN BY:In Focus Design

USF Health is dedicated to creating a model of health care based on understanding the full spectrum of health. It includes the University of South Florida’s colleges of medicine, nurs-ing, and public health; the schools of biomedi-cal sciences as well as physical therapy & re-habilitation sciences; and the USF Physicians Group. With more than $360 million in research grants and contracts last year, USF is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of 39 community-engaged, four-year public universities designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit www.health.usf.edu.

USF College oF MediCine AlUMni SoCiety 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, MDC 70Tampa, Florida 33612

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Upcoming EventsOctober 21 SPTRS Commitment to Professionalism Ceremony

October 22 APTS Golf Tournament

October 22-23 COM Reunions 2010

November 7 USF Health Alumni Reception in Washington DC

March 3 COM Scholarship Reception

March 17 COM Match Day

May 5 COM Commencement and Alumni Path of Honor

May 7 SPTRS Commencement and Alumni Reception

On Friday June 18th, USF Health held an alumni recep-tion at Tavern on the Bay in Naples, Florida. This event brought together alumni from the College of Medicine, Col-lege of Nursing, and College of Public Health for a chance to discuss the past, present and future of USF Health with some very special guests. The event was hosted by Cyndi Yag-Howard COM Class of 1993 and COM Alumni Board member. Dianne Morrison-Beedy, the new Dean of the College of Nursing, and Greg and Carolyn Nicolosi were special guests. The guests had a great time talking with our special guests and each other. It was amazing how alumni from the different colleges had crossed professional paths. All agreed this was the start for an

Naples Alumni Reception

annual event in Naples. Check out the Col-lege of Medicine Alumni Society facebook page for pictures.

The alumni office is planning two additional USF Health Alumni events outside of the Tampa area for the coming year. Stay tuned for the details so if you are in the area you can stop by!

the bulletin - com alumni news

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