Now that fall semester is in full swing and all of our students are enrolled, I’m sending this dean’s message to extend my hearty welcome back!
 
For those in Tallahassee, if you don't already know it, or haven't experienced this before, a jarring reminder of the fall semester's arrival at FSU has begun. Students are moving into campus dorms and the madness of campus traffic is already upon us. This would be a good time for me to remind you to look carefully in all directions before you cross the street (or sidewalk).

Our first- and second-year medical students, Bridge students and PA-2 students are back and the PA-1 Class of 2024 started last week. Our third- and fourth-year medical  students and clinical-year PA students have continued in clerkships throughout the summer and have moved seamlessly into the fall semester. The residents in our GME programs have moved beyond the July 1 start of their year and are continuing to provide excellent care to their patients. And at the top of this week, our new candidates for the Ph.D. in biomedical sciences arrived, just one of many reminders that – YES! – the College of Medicine has a vibrant and rapidly growing research program. There is considerable good news to share about new research grants at the college, including a $1.9 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant that has been prominently in the news this week.
 
The EPA put out a call for proposals nationwide and one school was selected for this grant. The proposal was written by our College of Medicine faculty members Gregg Stanwood and Javier Rosado, who will lead a four-year study involving nine FSU colleges. Sometimes I think people forget how much research we do here and it’s great to see us making the news again with this important part of our mission.

This will actually be my 21st year at the College of Medicine experiencing the eye-opening excitement of how the campus springs back to life each fall. My first six months (as of Aug. 1) as your interim dean have flown by – and we’re just now getting to the part where everything becomes a blur.

In September alone, we welcome the FSU Board of Trustees to the medical school for a portion of their fall meeting, host our fall clerkship directors meeting, celebrate the generosity of FSU students who have raised millions through Dance Marathon in support of our pediatric outreach programs, and welcome alumni to our annual reunion. The reunion (Sept. 22-24) and clerkship directors’ meeting (Sept. 20-22) both take place at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando.

Also getting underway:  the annual M.D. admissions cycle, which typically involves more than 7,000 applicants seeking one of 120 spots in our next class. Dr. Laywell recently encouraged faculty to become part of the interview committee that will get to know about 260 or more of those applicants who are invited to campus over the next 7-8 months. It’s an enormous team effort and vital to our success in producing outstanding future physicians.

This summer marked the 20th anniversary of our regional campuses in Orlando, Pensacola and Tallahassee. Much has changed since those campuses opened. Our first class began with 30 students in 2001. In 2003, 13 of those students went to our Orlando campus, seven to Pensacola and six to Tallahassee as the first at FSU to go through required and elective rotations in a community setting.  Those doctors are now enjoying tremendous success in all parts of the country.

Meantime, our numbers today always cause me to do a double take, considering I was here when those first students were meeting in trailers and the old Florida High building that once stood where our medical school’s central campus is located.  Today we have 1,846 M.D. alumni and our PA program, which graduates its fifth class in December, has another 160 alumni.
 
This week, several new faculty members at the College of Medicine participated in new-faculty orientation at FSU. As we continue to grow and produce more of the providers that Florida needs to meet its health-care needs, we also are bringing in outstanding faculty who teach, perform research and, in many cases, provide clinical care. I look forward to seeing you all together at our next faculty council meeting.

At the same time, we also are saying farewell to a number of outstanding faculty who are retiring or moving on to new roles elsewhere.
 
I’m happy to report that we have additional new faculty hires planned in the coming months to help us meet our growing needs.
 
And as for growing, the FSU Health initiative is starting to take on an identity that will naturally involve the College of Medicine in many ways.  I have been a part of numerous planning sessions as we discuss the development of a new, $125 million building that will start to come to life in the next few months near Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

I expect that this new facility will house TMH’s Family Medicine Residency Program, and we’ll also be expanding our clinical research efforts with new faculty researchers based in the new building, which will help us continue to expand our accomplishments in the area of discovery. The College of Medicine recently hit $150 million in research funding for the first time and I expect that growth to continue as the university invests in our future.
 
So, please, be careful out there as traffic intensifies and take time during this busy semester to embrace our mission and why you chose to be a part of it. I look forward to seeing those of you in Tallahassee at the fall Dean’s Ice Cream Social (look for an announcement soon), as well as many of you at the regional campuses during all-faculty meetings this fall. And, once more, Welcome Back!

Dr. Littles