Keri Wortherly knew she’d be in the spotlight twice during Saturday’s College of Medicine commencement ceremony, the first time to be hooded with her Pensacola Regional Campus classmates and the second to be promoted from second lieutenant to the rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force.

As the Jacksonville native returned to the stage in her uniform, all eyes in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall were on her, as the only graduate in the M.D. Class of 2024 headed into the military. She matched in general surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and Joint Military Base San Antonio.

Her eyes shone with pride as the audience gave her a standing ovation.

Most years, between four and 10 M.D. graduates head to residency in one of the military services, according to Dean Emeritus John P. Fogarty, a career physician with the U.S. Army who retired at the rank of colonel before moving into academic medicine. He added the military promotion to the commencement ceremony while dean; both the College of Medicine’s M.D. graduation and Armed Forces Day fall on the third Saturday in May each year.

“Whether one or many, it’s always the same,” Fogarty said, “ending with a standing ovation to thank them for their service.”

Service members are “pinned” at a special ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Later, after being hooded by their respective regional campus deans, military grads slip backstage to change into their uniforms for their promotion ceremony. Once all new physicians have been hooded, an official representative of the military – now Fogarty, since his retirement in early 2023 – reads the orders promoting each from the rank of 2^nd lieutenant to captain, or the equivalent in that particular military branch. Each officer repeats the oath he or she took when first joining the military, and then is presented with an FSU veterans’ coin. FSU President Emeritus John Thrasher, a decorated Army veteran of the Vietnam War, presented Wortherly’s coin “as a reflection of the past, present and future and her linkages to FSU,” Fogarty said.

To give the newly-promoted officers time to get backstage and change back into their academic regalia, the ceremony leader calls “Cue the music!” and the Armed Forces Medley is played. Anyone in attendance who served in the military is invited to stand when “their” song is played.

Senior Associate Dean Paul McLeod, M.D., who also serves as dean of the Pensacola Regional Campus, stood for “Anchors Away,” the U.S. Navy anthem, moments after Wortherly received her orders.

Although Worthley is the only active-duty officer, four other members of the Class of 2024 are military veterans and were recognized: Jason Conner, who will begin residency in emergency medicine at Orlando Health; Christopher Davidson, who matched in FSU’s emergency medicine program at Sarasota Memorial Health Care; Hunter Paterson, who will join Wortherly in general surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio; and Michael Sussman, who matched in obstetrics and gynecology at Tulane University School of Medicine.

On the eve of commencement, one of the most significant days in the life of a medical student, the Florida State University College of Medicine Class of 2024 gathered inside the John Thrasher Building for one final time to celebrate.

Friday’s annual Presentation of Awards ceremony drew a full house inside the Durell Peaden Auditorium as 40 students from the 110-member M.D. class, many accompanied by family and friends, were feted.

Those recognized at the ceremony included members of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society and the Chapman Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), as well as winners of 17 separate awards covering a host of medical specialties and eight college-wide awards selected from nominations by students, faculty and staff.

Sarah Hicks, who will be moving on to residency in pediatrics at the University of Alabama-Birmingham following graduation, had quite a day. In addition to being inducted into both the AOA and GHHS, she and classmate Anabelle Rosenthal were recipients of the Frank C. Walker Jr., M.D., Excellence in Pediatrics awards.

With family and friends on hand, who Hicks said “really made me who I am,” she was visibly moved when presented the final award of the night by the college’s interim dean, Alma Littles, M.D.

The J. Ocie Harris Outstanding Student Award, named in honor of the College of Medicine’s dean from 2003 to 2008, is presented to the student showing the best all-around promise of becoming a physician of the highest caliber.

“It made it really, really, special,” Hicks said between congratulatory greetings at the post-event reception. “It was not expected at all. When I stood up there and looked out at all my peers and so many amazing physicians who have already done so many amazing things, it meant so much to me and I’m so grateful.”

COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD WINNERS

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Soon-to-be physician Joey Cyriac began his FSU career eight years ago as an undergraduate member of the Honors Medical Scholars program, one of several pathway programs the College of Medicine offers for those exploring medical careers.

“The Honors Medical Scholars program was a big reason why a lot of us came to Florida State University,” said Cyriac, one of four HMS graduates presented awards. “The (HMS) mission statement is sort of similar and aligned with the College of Medicine, so our recognizing that as seniors in high school drew us to the College of Medicine. That sort of resonated and has grown stronger as we continued through our education. It’s a big reason why all four of us have stayed.”

Cyriac, along with Hanna Lateef, received the Linda Stine Interprofessional Leadership Award. Fellow HMS alumni in the M.D. Class of 2024 Sheena Chege, Khari King and Rida Darji, were multiple award winners.

Chege was honored with the Nobles/Brown Altruism in Medicine and the Luther W. Holloway Award for Pediatrics, in addition to being inducted into AOA and GHHS, where she was joined by King. Darji collected the J. Orson Smith, M.D. Scholarship in Internal Medicine and along with classmate Julian Melchor, was presented the Access to Care Award in Honor of Robin McDougall. Each of those was awarded by the Capital Medical Society Foundation.

Sharing the awards stage with his HMS classmates made it more special for Cyriac.

“The emotion that sticks out is appreciativeness,” he said. “Not only for the colleagues that we are so fortunate to have that are like-minded and driven that we were lucky to have over the past eight years, but also the mentors, faculty and staff, the countless people that kind of helped us come to where we are.

“I’m so thankful for the mentors, the relationships and everything else this journey has provided.”

Among the other major awards, Class of 2024 President Nick Thomas was presented the Myra M. Hurt Leadership in Medicine Award by his mentor, Dr. Anthony Speights, senior associate dean of Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences.

In addition to the honors society and M.D. Class of 2024 Presentation of Awards ceremonies, the College of Medicine also held a ribbon-cutting for the Chapman Wellness Garden and presented the second Hippocratic Award to Fort Pierce Regional Campus Clinical Assistant Professor George Fyffe, M.D.

Contact Bob Thomas at robert.thomas@med.fsu.edu

Ann Centner, Ph.D., a researcher in the biomedical sciences lab of Assistant Professor Stephen Chelko, Ph.D., has been named a finalist in the American Society for Nutrition’s (ASN) Postdoctoral Research Award Competition, an educational activity that recognizes early-career scientists and clinicians presenting outstanding research.

Six finalists were chosen from 80 applicants and will be recognized during NUTRITION 2024, the ASN’s annual flagship meeting to be held June 29 to July 2 in Chicago. Centner’s abstract is titled “High-Fat Diet Amplifies Disease Phenotypes in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.”

“The Postdoctoral Research Award Competition recognizes early-career scientists and clinicians by providing a juried abstract review of submitted abstracts for ASN’s annual meeting. ASN and the ASN Early Career Nutrition Interest Group congratulate the selected finalists who demonstrated significant scientific accomplishments this year,” said Liliana Markes, Ph.D., a research assistant professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health who serves as chair of ASN’s Early Career Nutrition Interest Group.

Centner earned her Ph.D. in nutrition sciences at FSU in December 2022 and joined the Chelko Lab in January 2023. Chelko is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and his lab traditionally has studied pharmacological interventions to combat arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a genetic heart disease characterized by cardiac fibrofatty infiltration, reduced ejection fractions, and arrhythmias.

Centner, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition-related fields at the University of Georgia, brings her expertise in nutritional inventions to the team.

Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (IMS) students and staff from the College of Medicine program collected several university-wide honors at the April 9 Leadership Awards Night and the April 15 Torchbearer 100 program.

Elizabeth Foster, Ph.D., associate dean of Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences and advisor to the Honors Medical Scholars Society (HMSS), was selected as Advisor of the Year. Nominated by her HMSS students, Foster was chosen based on her contributions of time and expertise as a volunteer to a student organization.

Mia McSheffrey, a senior IMS student majoring in clinical professions and an Honors Medical Scholar, was honored as an inductee to the 2024 Torchbearer 100 program. The longstanding tradition, which includes the presentation of a medallion to wear at commencement, recognizes undergraduates who best exemplify the university’s core values: inspired excellence; dynamic inclusiveness; transformative daring; responsible stewardship; and community engagement.

In addition, McSheffrey, who will enroll at the College of Medicine in May as a member of the M.D. Class of 2028, was recently recognized as the college’s undergraduate nominee for the FSU Humanitarian of the Year Award. Dedicated to making health care more equitable, McSheffrey has volunteered both locally and abroad in Peru through the Global Scholars program and participated in public health research. Her medical education journey has been inspired by her younger brother and his experiences with a rare genetic disorder.

IMS Program Manager Ann DelRossi received a Faculty/Staff Seminole Award, recognizing those demonstrating exemplary attitudes, enthusiasm and extending themselves for the benefit of the students they serve. DelRossi was one of three recipients of the award.

IMS’ Catherine Wondra was one of seven students to receive a Student Seminole Award, recognizing those making special contributions to the university in the areas of leadership and service. There were six winners of Outstanding Student Leader Awards, including Matthew Daniels from the IMS program. The recipients share impressive involvement across multiple areas of campus and demonstrate leadership regardless of position or title.

The University Health Services Student of the Year Award, presented annually to either a single student or a group of students demonstrating outstanding leadership and achievement in promoting health issues, was presented to the Medical Response Unit (MRU). IMS student Bryce Hickey was among the MRU members on hand.

In addition to the IMS students, Honors Medical Scholar Naomi Katumalla was the individual recipient of the Student Engagement Impact Award. It recognizes the person whose acquired skills have led to constructing programs promoting professional development and wellness habits, measuring their impact on the student body.