Music and music therapy have become a widely used and important part of treatment for people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. A recent U.S. News & World Report article discusses the collaborative research about the benefits of music therapy conducted in part by Amy Wetherby and the FSU Autism Institute.

 Paul Katz, chair of the Department of Geriatrics, is the recipient of the AMDA- The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine 2018 William Dodd Founder's Award.

First-year students in Florida State's College of Medicine spent a full day experiencing rural health care across north Florida and south Georgia. The purpose of the Rural Learning Experience (RuLE) is to show new students how rural medicine and care differs from larger hospitals and care in more urban settings they may be used to. Read more

Due to an aging population and increasing prevalence of rheumatic disease, there are growing demands on clinicians who specialize in rheumatology. Benjamin Smith, director of didactic education at the FSU College of Medicine School of Physician Assistant Practice, was the lead author of a formal curriculum for nurse practitioners and physician assistants for the American College of Rheumatology. Read more

 The FSU College of Medicine has partnered with Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) to help med students get necessary hands-on experience. Two students, Karolain Garcia and Marvin Dieujuste, went to VIM to a chronic care course. Students are assigned a new patient each week.

Students in the FSU College of Medicine's Okaloosa County SSTRIDE (Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and Excellence) program got to experience a taste of life as an emergency medical professional. EMS professionals taught students techniques to help during emergencies and discussed opportunities in their career field.

The Florida State University College of Medicine Fort Pierce Regional Campus recently honored its tenth graduating class.

Two faculty members from the FSU College of Medicine School of Physician Assistant Practice - Benjamin Smith and James Cawley - along with the school's Founding Director James Zedaker compared and complied information from a national survey to understand how many physician assistants work in geriatrics and identified a geriatric workforce shortage that can create opportunities for PAs.

An opinion piece in the Tallahassee Democrat discusses the urgency of the opioid epidemic in Florida. Three FSU colleges - Social Work, Medicine, and Nursing have partnered with Allied Against Opioid Abuse and presented a prevention panel on May 18, bringing together many perspectives on the issue.

Aimee Pragle, assistant professor in the School of Physician Assistant Practice, co-authored an article recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Her research suggests that individuals with both coronary artery disease and depression have significanly poorer health outcomes, suggesting that early depression diagnosis is very serious for patients with coronary artery disease.

The FSU College of Medicine graduated its 14th class on Saturday, which included 108 new physicians. 

Jeff Latimer, associate director of information technology at the FSU College of Medicine completed the Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) Group on Information Resources Leadership Institute. The four-day institute is designed to help participants fulfill their responsibilities as information and education technology leaders.

The Florida State University College of Medicine will graduate its 14 class of medical students on Saturday. Michael Sweeney, associate professor of clinical sciences will deliver the commencement address.

 The FSU College of Medicine held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for its new primary health clinic located in southwest Tallahassee. The clinic, called FSU PrimaryHealth, will include 15 patient exam rooms, two rooms for behavioral-health services, two health-procedure rooms and a community room.

 Aimee Pragle, assistant professor in the School of Physician Assistant Practice co-authored an article about depression and its serious implications for coronary artery disease patients. The article was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

 In April, more than 400 kids in pre-K through second grade brought their teddy bears to a Teddy Bear Clinic hosted by first-year FSU College of Medicine M.D. students. The clinic took place at Killearn Lakes Elementary School. Future physicians conducted exams, tests and procedures on the kids' teddy bears to familiarize kids with medical equipment and procedures and make them more comfortable around doctors.

 FSU College of Medicine professor Heather Flynn helped start both the Florida Maternal Mental Health Collaborative and Leon County's Maternal Mental Health Coalition/Advisory Board in 2015. Both initiatives are helping bring awareness and attention to maternal mental health including postpartum depression and other postpartum needs.

Scientists have known for decades that cells can secrete chemicals into their surrounding, releasing free-floating messages for all to read. More recently, scientists also discovered that cells could package their molecular information into what are known as extracellular vesicles. FSU College of Medicine professor David Meckes discusses these vesicles and how there are powerful similarities between vesicles and viruses.

College of Medicine professor Alice Pomidor was quoted in a Philadelphia Inquirer article discussing when senior drivers should think about giving up their keys. Often times, drivers outlive their ability to drive by six or seven years, she says.

With their bites, the Lone Star tick can spread a distrubing and potentially deadly allergy to red meat and other mammal products. With most food allergies, it takes only 15-20 minutes after exposure for reactions to occur. But with this reaction, it can take hours according to FSU College of Medicine clerkship faculty member Ronald Saff.

Joel Thomas, president and CEO of the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation was recently inducted into the Polk County Schools Hall of Fame. Among his accomplishments, Thomas helped facilitate the Florida State University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program at Winter Haven Hospital. 

Scientists have known for decades that cells can secrete chemicals into their surrondings. More recently, scientists discovered that cells could package their molecular information in what are known as extracellular vesicles that can be delivered to a recipient. FSU College of Medicine Assistant Professor David Meckes comments on this discovery.

Deepak Nair, clinical associate professor at the FSU College of Medicine, has been elected president of the Sarasota County Medical Society.

Deepak Nair, clinical associate professor at the FSU College of Medicine, has been elected president of the Sarasota County Medical Society.

Light stretching can make a big difference for elderly people with low mobility, according to a new study from a Florida State University-led team of international researchers including lead researcher and College of Medicine professor Judy Muller-Delp.

On Friday, April 20, the University of West Florida celebrated the grand opening of University Park Center, a multi-use facility that will now house the College of Medicine's Pensacola Regional Campus in addition to UWF's athletics program and College of Health.

The Florida State University College of Medicine and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System have received approval to launch a new Emergency Medicine residency program to meet healthcare and physician workforce needs in Sarasota and surrounding communities.

Approval to launch a new residency program in emergency medicine -- designed to build up the local supply of doctors trained in this field -- has been granted to the Florida State University College of Medicine and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System by the the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Tallahassee Community College honored 10 community members and five TCC students at an annual Women's History Month program in March. Suzanne Harrison, professor of family medicine & rural health and director of clinical programs, was the event's featured speaker.

The FSU College of Medicine is moving ahead with plans to open a primary health center in southwest Tallahassee. If things go as planned, the 10,000-square-foot complex could be completed by March 2019. The comprehensive care center will be staffed by pediatricians and family physicians currently on faculty at the College of Medicine, in addition to others who will be hired in the next several months.

Sandeep Rahangdale, the College of Medicine's Tallahassee Regional Campus dean, was recently published in the Journal of Regional Medical Campuses (JRMC). His article is entitled, "A Comparison of Two Regional Campus Systems and their Impact on Addressing Health Care Needs of the Underserved."

In a recent study, FSU College of Medicine professor Judy Muller-Delp and her team found that 30 minutes of leg stretches every day could restore mobility and fight frailty without the injury risks of other workouts. Performing the half-hour routine five times a week helps improve blood flow to the limbs and could preserve older adults' ability to walk.

College of Medicine researcher Jude Muller-Delp had a study published in the Journal of Physiology showing that daily leg muscle strestches may benefit seniors and people with mobility problems.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the FSU College of Medicine is the third-most selective M.D. program in the country. The average acceptance rate for 2017-18 U.S. and Canadian M.D. programs was seven percent. The College of Medicine was at 2.6 percent, with acceptance offers to 151 of 5,866 applicants.

"National Doctors Day is Friday, March 30. No one appreciates this community’s physician/teachers more than we do at the Tallahassee campus of the Florida State University College of Medicine. This medical school wouldn’t exis without them –because it’s built on their shoulders," wrote Sandeep Rahangdale, dean of the FSU College of Medicine's Tallahassee regional campus, in an article published in the Tallahassee Democrat.

ACTS 2 is the second part of FSU College of Medicine faculty member Rob Glueckauf's African-American Alzheimer's Caregiver Training and Support project. Glueckauf was inspired by his mother - a caregiver for her mother-in-law, mother and sister with dementia - to research ways to help caregivers. Now in its follow-up project, ACTS 2, a free, faith-based support system for African-American caregivers delivered over the phone, is seeking participants.

College of Medicine faculty members Joedrecka Brown Speights, Yi Ren and Elena Reyes and their research are highlighted in a Women's History Month feature from FSU News.

In honor of approaching National Doctors' Day, Michael Muszynski, dean of the FSU College of Medicine's Orlando campus, thanks the community physicians/teachers that train and mentor third- and fourth-year medical students.

Polk County's supply of primary care doctors, dentists and mental health professionals is far below national and state averages according to statistics from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings. The FSU College of Medicine is setting up a primary care residency program in Polk County to help combat the shortage.

 At a Match Day Ceremony on March 16, graduating students at the FSU College of Medicine received notification of where they will enter residency training. Read more and watch the video here.

A national spotlight is shining on a Florida State University program that offers relief – free of charge – to distressed African-Americans who provide care to a loved one with dementia. And the program, which uses lay pastoral-care facilitators, is continuing to recruit caregivers in North and Central Florida.

Mental illness is a growing concern for the Big Bend region, prompting a group of local mental health providers to work toward identifying and addressing issues. Among the providers involved is the FSU College of Medicine's Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine. Heather Flynn, vice chair of the department, comments on the need for such attention on mental health.

At a March 6 event sponsored in part by the FSU College of Medicine, St. Lucie County high school students interested in a career in healthcare had the opportunity to take advantage of workshops in soft skills, financial aid opportunities, career pathways and task management/critical thinking. The conference-style event presented various education and job opportunities, introducing many students to more potentially unfamiliar professions such as physician assisting, respiratory therapy and dietetics.

The FSU College of Medicine and Alzheimer's Project hosted the 33rd Annual Alzheimer's Disease Education and Training Conference for Caregivers and Professionals on Saturday, Feb. 10.

After a year of fundraising and a 40-hour marathon, Dance Marathon at Florida State University raised $2,152,328.19 for the Children's Miracle Network, surpassing their goal of $2 million. Fifty percent of the money raised is donated to UF Health Shands Children's Hospital in Gainesville and the rest is donated to the Florida State University College of Medicine's pediatric outreach programs.

Screening kids 12 and older for depression has been happening in Collier County for many years through the Naples Children & Education Foundation. NCEF has funded $9 million since 2007 for the integrated system of care, locally called Beautiful Minds. The initiative is possible because four mental health groups agreed to work together to address shortcomings in services and long wait times. The four groups are HCN, the David Lawrence Center, the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Collier, and Florida State University’s College of Medicine in Immokalee.

On Friday, Feb. 9 the FSU College of Medicine and Winter Haven Hospital made their partnership for a family medicine residency program official with an announcement at the Winter Haven Hospital auditorium. The residency program was established to help Florida overcome a primary care physician shortage.

Leon County Emergency Medical Services is receiving national recognition after presenting the findings from a study done in conjunction with the FSU College of Medicine. The results were published in the journal Prehospital Emergency Care and presented at the National Association of EMS Physicians annual meeting in San Diego, California. The data showed that resuscitating a person in cardiac arrest via IV injection has a higher success rate than other methods.

Florida State University’s College of Medicine has established its fifth residency program with the announcement Friday of an agreement with Winter Haven Hospital. The college will establish a family medicine program in Winter Haven, about 45 miles southwest of Orlando.