News of the Week

Hogans-Mathews honored as 'exceptional mentor'

Shermeeka Hogans-Mathews, assistant professor in the FSU College of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health and a 2015 M.D. alumna, is one of seven recipients of the 2023 Exceptional Mentor Award, presented by the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA).

Hogans-Mathews said she “was in complete awe” when she learned she was being honored, especially on the national level, because “helping others to recognize their talents and abilities and finding avenues to bring these out is very important to me.”

Shermeeka Hogans-Mathews
Shermeeka Hogans-Mathews

“As a first-generation college student and physician, my path to becoming a physician and educator was filled with lots of hurdles,” Hogans-Mathews said, “and I want to ensure that I provide support to others so that their journeys can be smoother.”

According to the notification letter, the award “celebrates those who have made an impact on the lives of students in medicine. An ‘Exceptional Mentor’ goes above and beyond what is required and actively reaches out to those around them to help guide those individuals in their career path.”

Hogans-Mathews was nominated by Hayden Greene, a fourth-year medical student and a member and former officer of the Florida State University AMWA chapter.

Greene’s relationship with her mentor began her first year of medical school, when Hogans-Mathews was her faculty advisor. But, as Greene explained in her nomination letter, Hogans-Mathews did more than coach her academically.

“Outside of my academic performance, she made an intentional effort to always ask about my mental health,” Greene wrote. “In our meetings, she would emphasize the importance of making sure I prioritized time for myself, activities outside of school to help me combat stress and ways to reward myself after exams.

Hayden Greene
Hayden Greene

“She cared about me as a person more than me as a student; in doing so, I believe it made me start to value and prioritize myself more,” she continued. “From our meetings, I’ve been able to translate those tools to third and fourth year of medical school. I believe they’ve allowed me to be a more successful student, compassionate provider, as well as a better version of myself overall.

“I thank her for her guidance, as I think life would have looked differently without her influence.”

Hogans-Mathews said the award “showcases that we are making a difference as advisors, mentors and coaches here at the FSU College of Medicine.”

She will receive an award certificate and be recognized in the program for AMWA’s 108th annual meeting, March 23-26 in Philadelphia. The theme of this year’s conference is “Thriving with Tenacity, Humor & Hope.”

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Jan 09, 2023
South Florida Sun Sentinel
PRESS RELEASE

COVID-19 activity is picking up as a new subtype of the omicron variant - XBB.1.5 - makes its way across the United States.

Florida State University College of Medicine's Daniel Van Durme, M.D., said the new subvariant seems to bypass previous immunity and resist treatments such a monoclonal antibodies, though there has not been enough research to determine whether XBB.1.5 will be more severe than its predecessors.

"Get the newest booster," Van Durme said. "It can keep you out of the hospital and can literally save your life."

 

Spring 2023 DROP/ADD WEEK-Current FSU Students Wishing to Change Your Major into one of the three IMS majors

Jan 09, 2023

Spring 2023 registration will re-open on Saturday, January 7 at 12:01am. The Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences Degree Program will have Spring 2023 Drop/Add  Drop-In Zoom advising hours from 9:00am to 3:00pm January 9, 10, 11, and 12 due to high student volume. Please consult the IMS Announcement’s Module on the IMS Homepage for the latest information on Drop/Add procedures. For assistance, please read the below. We will be responding to email as time allows. 

1. You can find more information about our program here. You may email IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu for general information. 

2. You will need to be on track with our mapping milestones to be approved for a major change.  

a. To view the Clinical Professions academic map click here. 

b. To view the Community Patient Care academic map click here. 

c. To view the Health Management, Policy, & Information academic map click here. 

3. Submit our IMS Experiential Seminar Placement Form. Please click here for more information. 

4. After your IMS Experiential Seminar Placement Form has been reviewed by our office, you will be notified by email regarding your next steps. Note that this can take several business days, and we cannot guarantee that you will be approved for a major change prior to the end of drop/add. We appreciate your patience in advance. 

Spring 2023 DROP/ADD WEEK-Current IMS Students with Holds

Jan 09, 2023

Spring 2023 registration will re-open on Saturday, January 7 at 12:01am. The Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences Degree Program will have Spring 2023 Drop/Add  Drop-In Zoom advising hours from 9:00am to 3:00pm January 9, 10, 11, and 12 due to high student volume. The drop-in Zoom hours are only for students that have questions related to Spring 2023 course scheduling, or questions about holds. Please consult the IMS Announcement’s Module on the IMS Homepage for the latest information on Drop/Add procedures. We will be responding to email as time allows. If you need to speak with our advisors about something else, please schedule an appointment via Setmore or email us at IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu.   

 

• You can view more information about your holds in Student Central:  

  1. Under “holds” click on details. 

  1. Click on the actual hold link.  

  1. Follow the instructions given to you about your hold and how to remove it. 

  

  1. Off Track Mapping Hold 

  1. If you would like to stay in your current major, there will be a plan of action form you must sign before the hold can be removed.  

  1. Attend our virtual drop-in hours via Zoom to speak with one of our advisors.  

  1. You will sign the academic plan of action form to have Off Track Mapping hold removed. 

  1. If you do not wish to stay in your current major: 

  1. Contact the department of the major you wish to change into to see if you qualify for a major change.  

  1. If you are unable to change your major now, you will need to complete our Major Change Out Contract. Click here for major change out contract.  

  1. Indicate when you will change your major, which major you will change into, what requirements you must satisfy, and why you are changing your major. You will have to sign the major change contract before the hold can be temporarily removed.  

  1. Email your signed major change out contract to IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu 

  

  1. Must Change Major Hold or EL (Experiential Learning) Hours Must Change Major Hold: 

  1. You must change your major. 

  1. Look at the FSU Academic Program Guide for a possible new major.  

  1. Contact the department of the major you wish to change into to see if you qualify for a major change.  

  1. If you are unable to change your major now, you will need to complete our Major Change Out Contract. Click here for major change out contract.  

  1. Indicate when you will change your major, which major you will change into, what requirements you must satisfy, and why you are changing your major. You will have to sign the major change contract before the hold can be temporarily removed.  

  1. Email your signed major change out contract to IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu 

 

 

 

 

  

  1. Experiential Learning (EL) Hours Hold: 

  1. If you would like to stay in your current major, there will be an EL plan of action form you must sign before the hold can be removed.  

  1. Attend our virtual drop-in hours via Zoom to speak with our Community Coordinator.  

  1. You will sign the EL plan of action form to have your EL hours hold removed. 

  1. If you do not wish to stay in your current major: 

  1. Contact the department of the major you wish to change into to see if you qualify for a major change.  

  1. If you are unable to change your major now, you will need to complete our Major Change Out Contract. Click here for major change out contract.  

  1. Indicate when you will change your major, which major you will change into, what requirements you must satisfy, and why you are changing your major. You will have to sign the major change contract before the hold can be temporarily removed.  

  1. Email your signed major change out contract to IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu 

  

  1. IMS Academic Advising Hold: 

  1. Attend our virtual drop-in hours via ZOOM to discuss your Spring schedule ONLY.  

  1. Your hold will be temporarily removed to allow you to adjust your Spring 2023 schedule but will come back on January 13.  

  1. You must schedule an advising appointment with your IMS Academic Advisor to have the hold removed before spring registration opens. To make an advising appointment: please click here. 

 

  1. All other Holds: 

  1. Attend our virtual drop-in hours to discuss your hold or email IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu for assistance. You will need to sign a contract before your hold can be removed.  

Spring 2023 DROP/ADD WEEK-Current IMS Students Drop/Add Procedures

Jan 09, 2023

Spring 2023 registration will re-open on Saturday, January 7 at 12:01am. The Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences Degree Program will have Spring 2023 Drop/Add  Drop-In Zoom advising hours from 9:00am to 3:00pm January 9, 10, 11, and 12 due to high student volume. The drop-in Zoom hours are only for students that have questions related to Spring 2023 course scheduling, or questions about holds. Please consult the IMS Announcement’s Module on the IMS Homepage for the latest information on Drop/Add procedures. We will be responding to email as time allows. If you need to speak with our advisors about something else, please schedule an appointment via Setmore or email us at IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu.   

 

Chemistry:  

 • ADD a Course (lecture or lab): Attend the first day of class and instructor will provide information on how to be added to the course if seats become available.  

• NOTE: Check Student Central when drop/add opens on January 7 at 12:01am - all available seats will be shown. To see more information regarding the drop/add schedule please click here. 

 

Biology:  

• ADD a Course (lecture or lab): Attend the first day of class and instructor will provide information on how to be added to the course if seats become available.  

• NOTE: Check Student Central when drop/add opens on January 720 at 12:01am - all available seats will be shown. To see more information regarding the drop/add schedule please click here. 

 

English and Math:  

• Any student wishing to drop a Freshman Writing course (ENC 1101, ENC 2135) or a Mathematics course (MAC 1105, MAC 1140, MAC 1114, MAC 2311, MAC 2312, or MAC 2313), will need to contact the Division of Undergraduate Studies. The system will allow you to swap these courses for similar courses but will not allow you to drop them from your schedule. If you wish to drop one of these courses during the drop/add period or during the semester, please contact the Division of Undergraduate Studies at or undergradstudies@fsu.edu.  

 

Upper Division Elective Courses: 
• Any upper division student having trouble adding an upper division elective course from the IMS approved science or non-science lists posted on our Resources Webpage should email our office at IMSadvising@med.fsu.edu.  

 

AP/IB/AICE Scores: 
If you are expecting AP credits: 

Download your AP Score Report (PDF document) from College Board using this link:  https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/#/. Reply to this email with the PDF attached and include the Registrar’s Office at ar-recordsaudits@fsu.edu. Please do not send in a screenshot of your scores.  The Registrar’s Office will not post credits based on a screen shot. 

 

If you are expecting AICE credits: 

For your AICE credits, please have these two pieces of information handy: 

1. Your School Center Number 

2. Your Candidate Number 

If you are not sure of your information, you can ask your high school guidance counselor or check the email address you used while you attended high school. Reply to this email with these two pieces of information and include the Registrar’s Office at ar-recordsaudits@fsu.edu. The credit posting section will try to retrieve your AICE scores using this information.   

 

If you are expecting IB credits: 

First, make sure that you have properly released your scores to FSU using this website:  https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/requesting-transcripts/. Next, reply to this email and include the Registrar’s Office at ar-recordsaudits@fsu.edu to let us know that you have released your IB credits to FSU.  The credit posting section will try to retrieve your IB scores and will reach out to you if they have any difficulties.   

  

Departmental Prerequisite Checks:  

Many higher-level science and math courses at FSU require prerequisite coursework.  Departments such as Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics are currently running prerequisite checks for their courses to ensure that all students enrolled have completed the correct prerequisite coursework. If you have taken a course over the summer as a transient student or have received AP credit for a course that should cover a prerequisite, but you still receive communication that you will be dropped to due non-prerequisites, you will need to reach out to that department directly and provide proof that you have completed the prerequisite course(s). You will need to show them an unofficial transcript or AP/IB score report with the grade to see if they can work with you to remain in your course.  

  

Fall 2022 Transient Students: 

If you were a transient student over the fall term at another institution, you must request your final transcript sent to FSU for processing. You can request official transcripts from the Registrar’s office at the school you attended this summer. Some offices have this form online, and some require you to fill out the form in person; you will need to check with them to find out which you need to do. You must request a final, official transcript be sent to FSU to the Office of Admissions. Once the FSU Office of Admissions staff receives the final transcript, they will post your final grades to your student account here at FSU.  

Be sure you request a final transcript to ensure it has your final official grade. The transcript must come directly from the other institution for FSU to accept it. 

News of the Week

Neuro-ophthalmology conference accepts five FSU student papers

Getting a research paper accepted for presentation at an international Neuro-Ophthalmology meeting is quite a feat. Students at the FSU College of Medicine appear to have set a record with five papers accepted.

“To have one paper selected per institution is excellent, but to have five may be unprecedented, certainly in the history of this academy,” said Charles “Gerry” Maitland, M.D., professor of neuro-ophthalmology and neurology in the Department of Clinical Sciences.

The papers were representative of the work they had accomplished during their neuroscience summer rotation, he said.

Four of the medical students – Brooke Hartenstein, Lena Menton, Kayla Schusterman and Adam Shipley – are in the Class of 2024. The fifth student, Anthony Thompson, is in the Class of 2025. They presented to the 48th Annual Meeting of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society in Austin, Texas, earlier this year. Two papers were also accepted for presentation to the 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Here is their work:

  • Hartenstein: Breastfeeding Nystagmus Secondary to Tullio’s Phenomenon
  • Menton: Sudden Blindness and Deafness in an elderly man with Occult Neurosyphilis
  • Schusterman: Eye-Movement Disorders in Infancy: Sereotypic vs. Tic?
  • Shipley: Post-Streptococcal Intracranial Hypertension in PANDAS Syndrome
  • Thompson: Brainstem Gliomatosis Cerebri Presenting as a Cerebellopontine Angle Tumor

“The students were helped by several undergraduates,” Maitland said, “whose contributions were substantial.”

Six abstracts were also accepted this year at various meetings, he said. Also from the Class of 2025, Madison Patrick had two abstracts accepted, while Muhammed Alkaelani, Sarah Hegleh and Sammy Shihadeh each had one accepted. Chandler George, Class of 2023, also had an abstract accepted.

“I’m enthusiastic about what next year’s research group may accomplish,” Maitland said.

 

News of the Week

College of Medicine faculty honored at FAFP Winter Summit

Florida State University’s College of Medicine faculty and alumni were honored at the Florida Academy of Family Physicians’ Winter Summit, held recently at The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island.

Edward Forster, M.D. was named Family Physician of the Year, in recognition of outstanding performance as a family physician, dedication to the profession and service to the patient. He is an assistant clinical professor at the Tallahassee Regional Campus.

John P. Fogarty, M.D., earned the FAFP Family Physician Executive for his role as dean of the college, contributing to “excellence in the provision of high-quality health care” and for demonstrating “that family physicians can have an impact on improving the overall health of the nation.” He is retiring after 14 years at the helm of the College of Medicine.

Kristen Dimas, M.D. (Class of 2016) earned the FAFP Young Leader Award, which is given in recognition of outstanding service to the organization and the specialty of family medicine. She is an assistant professor in the family medicine residency program in Southwest Florida.

Christy Cavanaugh was elected president of the FAFP board of directors. She is assistant director of the family medicine residency program at Lee Health in Fort Myers. George Bernardo, M.D. was chosen as president-elect. He is dean of the Daytona Beach Regional Campus. Carrie Vey, M.D., a clerkship faculty member at the Daytona Beach Regional Campus, completed her term as board president and became board chair.

In addition, Robert Campbell, M.D.; Nathan Falk, M.D.; Michael Cromer, M.D.; and Matt Rensberry, M.D. continue their service as members of the board of directors. Campbell is associate dean for student affairs and admissions at the College of Medicine; Falk is an associate professor and the founding family medicine program director at BayCare Health System in Winter Haven; Cromer is on the clerkship faculty at the Sarasota Regional Campus; and Rensberry is on the clerkship faculty at the Orlando Regional Campus.

Maureen Padden, M.D. is also continuing her service on the board. Padden, clerkship faculty at the Pensacola Regional Campus, is also continuing to serve as a delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians. She is joined as a delegate by Michelle Brandhorst, clerkship faculty at the Tallahassee Regional Campus.

Dennis Mayeaux, M.D. just completed his term as president of the FAFP Foundation. At the Pensacola Regional Campus, he serves as curriculum director, as well as clerkship director in Geriatrics and Informatics.

Each of the medical schools in Florida has a student representative serving as a director. Gabrielle Yap Sam (M.D., 2023) is FSU’s current student director.

Also, Sana Azam, a 2021 graduate of the FSU College of Medicine, is one of three resident directors, serving as secretary/treasurer.

 

Gerend studies Black, Latina, and sexual minority women health discrimination

Dec 14, 2022

Mary Gerend, Ph.D., and her co-authors Cylena Stewart, medical student, and Karen Wetzel, graduate student, have studied intersectional issues regarding weight, race, and sexual discrimination. Relatively little is known of how weight discrimination interacts with other forms of negative bias. 

The study identified several key factors regarding the amplification of negative treatment and health consequences regarding socially marginalized women with high body weight. 

Read the study here.

News of the Week

College of Medicine research gains vast media attention

Recent peer-reviewed and published research from the Florida State University College of Medicine has received national and world attention, as evidenced by a wide range of media hits and web-generated numbers.

Most recently, the Dec. 8 article FSU research links common sweetener with anxiety, published on our website and disseminated by Florida State University News, generated 353,748 page views and 333,194 unique page views in the first five days. Equally impressive, readers were spending nearly four minutes, on average, with the article.

The research produced by lead author Sara Jones, who recently completed her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences under the guidance of professor and co-author Pradeep Bhide, was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). It generated a global audience from the science and medical communities and as of Dec. 14, was in the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric for PNAS, which also provides a complete list of related articles. 

A sampling of that list, including links, can be found below.

A recent study led by Angelina Sutin, professor in the college’s Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, found that the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to cause personality changes in young adults. The study, published in PLOS ONE, generated wide-reaching media attention.

“This research has by far received the most media coverage of any papers from our lab,” said Sutin. “It was featured in many prominent news outlets, both in the U.S. and abroad. It was also a number of firsts for us in terms of media coverage: 

“The first time the New York Times featured an article focused specifically on our work; the first time a news alert went out about our work; and the first time we had our work made fun of by Stephen Colbert.”

Data collected by Altmetric for PLOS ONE supports Sutin’s assertion, as the study generated 419 news stories from 367 outlets worldwide, which also includes articles from virtually every U.S. television network. 

“I think the broad media coverage of our study reflects a general interest in trying to understand how the pandemic has changed us and who changed the most,” she said. “It has been a great opportunity to be able to communicate our findings with the public and gratifying for there to be so much interest in our findings from all over the globe.”

A list of linked articles is also included below.

Aspartame and Anxiety Research Articles

healthnews.com, Dec. 14, 2022
A Common Artificial Sweetener Is Linked to Anxiety-like Behavior

sciencealert.com, Dec. 14, 2022
A Popular Sweetener Has Been Linked to Increased Anxiety in Generations of Mice

The News International, Dec. 14, 2022
Artificial sweetener might be linked to anxiety: study

onlymyhealth.com, Dec. 12, 2022
Artificial Sweetener May Cause Anxiety, Reveals Study

The Jerusalem Post, Dec. 11, 2022
Commonly-used artificial sweetener linked to anxiety

labroots.com, Dec. 11, 2022
Artificial Sweetener Linked to Anxiety-Like Behavior in Mice

tekdeeps.com, Dec. 9, 2022
Aspartame causes anxiety in mice

The Independent (UK), Dec. 9, 2022
Commonly used sweetener found linked to anxious behavior in mice

Personality Changes Linked to COVID Articles

The New York Times, Oct. 25, 2022
Did the Pandemic Change Your Personality? Possibly.

cbsnews.com, Oct. 10, 2022
Did the pandemic change our personalities?

cnbc.com, Oct. 6, 2022
Young adults are now more neurotic, less agreeable, study finds: The pandemic may have ‘disrupted maturity’

npr.org, Oct. 5, 2022
Personalities don’t usually change quickly but they may have during the pandemic

Smithsonian Magazine, Sept. 30, 2022
Has the Pandemic Changed Your Personality?

nbcnews.com, Sept. 28, 2022
Pandemic may have made young adults more neurotic and less agreeable

cnn.com, Sept. 28, 2022
People experienced some key personality changes during the pandemic

Millender and Wong Examine Dating Violence Among Adolescents

Jan 01, 2022

Eugenia Millender and Frank Wong are joined by other researchers in studying the lasting effects of adolescent dating violence (ADV) on youth well-being and development in Panama. Their findings conclude that a majority of the participants experienced some form of ADV at least once on an emotional, physical, or sexual front, though the proportions differed based on gender. The high report rate of ADV in urban public schools in panama support the need for programs to address ADV.

Read the Study

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