The absence of Dr. Daniel Van Durme from the White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2027 and induction of 11 members of the Class of 2024 into the FSU Chapman Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society loomed large Friday at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.

Memories of “DVD” were woven into the speeches throughout the event. A faculty member at the College of Medicine for 20 years, 
Van Durme died in May from injuries sustained when a car struck the motorcycle he was riding. The family medicine professor was also the college’s chief medical officer and faculty advisor for GHHS.

Interim Dean Alma Littles asked the Ruby Diamond Concert Hall audience to join her for a moment of silence in his memory, as he was always the second speaker following the dean’s welcome to preside over the GHHS induction.

“In true ‘Van Durme’ fashion, his mentorship and leadership ensured that this role was not left void,” Littles said. “I now welcome Dr. Casey Rust, who is the new faculty advisor for the Chapman Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, trained by Dr. Van Durme, to tell us more about this year’s inductees.”

Dr. Alexandra “Lexie” Mannix (M.D. Class of 2014), the evening’s keynote speaker, shared something DVD often said as she urged the first-year students to care – care about their classmates, their patients, their colleagues and themselves. Patients, Van Durme said, “don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

When Medical Student Council President Jack Kramer took the microphone to lead the Class of 2027 in reciting the Student Oath, he introduced himself and gave an emotional tribute to “a man whom I revere as the most beloved and admired to have ever walked the halls of our college, Dr. Daniel Van Durme.

“Each year, he would welcome the incoming class to the medical profession – members of the audience may recognize it as the ‘welcome to medical school’ speech. With his booming voice but casual cadence, he would review the entire history of medicine, emphasizing the importance of failure and humility in the healthy growth of its disciples.

“He taught us the myriad meanings and utilities of the word ‘love,’ and each year, as his sermon came to its quiet conclusion, he challenged each of us to pursue a simple yet sacred goal: ‘Love your patient.’ With that I have to say, rest in peace, Dr. Van Durme. We love you, we miss you, and we will carry you with us forever.”

Nicole Bentze, D.O., dean of the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Sarasota Regional Campus, has been accepted into the 2023-2024 class of the Karl M. Altenburger, M.D. Physician Leadership Academy, sponsored by the Florida Medical Association.

Bentze, a board-certified family medicine practitioner, sets an example for her students as a lifelong learner, seeking opportunities to grow and pass on that knowledge to others. In 2022, she completed the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Leading Physician Wellness Certificate Program.

“In my role as Sarasota Regional Campus dean, I not only educate medical students but also serve as an ambassador for the FSU College of Medicine and its mission in Sarasota County and surrounding area,” she said. “Making meaningful connections with physicians, healthcare systems and other organizations will ensure the continuation of quality education sites for the students and strengthens their clinical experiences.”

The FMA Physician Leadership Academy is specifically designed to strengthen the skills of physician leaders so they can meet organizational and professional challenges, and improve health-care delivery for their patients, their communities, and the medical profession. The intensive 10-month program, a combination of in-person and virtual sessions, provides training in core aptitudes such as emotional intelligence, conflict management, strategic leadership, persuasive communication and building a healthy workplace culture.

It is funded by the Physicians Foundation, Professionals Resource Network and FMA’s Foundation for Healthy Floridians.

Bentze is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and a Fellow of the American Medical Women’s Association, where she has held multiple leadership roles.

“I strive to mentor and inspire the next generation to continue advocating for the needs of physicians and patients in Florida,” she said.

Joedrecka S. Brown Speights, M.D., professor and chair of the FSU College of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health, wrote an article on physician mental health that was published in the latest edition of Florida Family Physician, the official publication of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP).

“Practicing medicine is wrought with complexities and challenges that detract physician well-being,” Speights wrote in the article titled ‘Physician Burnout – Organizational Solutions for Well-Being.’

She outlines individual-level and organizational or systems-level intervention strategies to combat burnout, accompanied by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Well-Being Report recommendations.

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