Camilla Brito, PA-C, a 2021 graduate of the FSU College of Medicine School of Physician Assistant Practice, has been accepted into the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program. 

Funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration, the NHSC program is specifically for students pursuing careers in primary health care. Recipients agree to practice in rural, urban and tribal communities that are designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). 

While the program offers up $120,00 in scholarships for current students, who must agree to work for three years at a designated HPSA site, it also helps recent graduates in the health care field pay off their student loans in return for committing to a similar three-year stint.
 
Brito has accepted a position with the Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) program in Pinellas County, which provides primary care to homeless and uninsured residents. Operating both a Health Clinic and a Mobile Medical Unit, HCH care includes treatment of illness or injury, as well preventive care, education, limited prescription coverage and referrals for lab work, specialty care, dental assistance, behavioral-mental assistance and substance abuse treatment.

The opportunity to work with underserved populations is important to Brito, whose family moved to the United States from Brazil when she was 12 years old. Her father worked in construction and her mother as a housekeeper, and both still do.

“We never had, nor could we afford, health care coverage,” Brito said. “When I started to think about going in to medicine, I knew I wanted to work with the underserved population, the people who were in similar situations as my family, unable to afford health insurance but still needing proper healthcare.

"I'm so excited for this opportunity to serve my community!"
 

Joedrecka S. Brown Speights, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health at Florida State University’s College of Medicine, will be among 10 women honored March 9 as part of Tallahassee Community College’s observance of Women’s History Month.

“Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” is the theme of this year’s program. After soliciting nominations from the community, the selection committee chose the honorees based on their embodiment of the theme. 

“We took a look at what they’ve done in the community, beyond just their jobs,” said Jarrett Phipps, co-chair of TCC’s Women’s History Month program along. “Her work in 

Brown Speights said she's "honored to be honored" and "humbled to be connected with women across the globe who are fearlessly changing the world through Atlantic Fellows," a set of global, interconnected programs that addresses the root causes of inequity and advances fairer, healthier and more inclusive societies.

In celebration of her honor, she chose to reflect on her late mother, Edna S. Brown, who taught her many valuable lessons but especially the power of love to heal and bring hope to present and future generations.

"I celebrate the legacy of my mom and all the women have contributed to our society, on the frontlines and behind the scenes, to making sure men, women and children thrive," Brown Speights said. "I celebrate women who live heroically overcoming and transcending racism, sexism, gender-based violence, and inequalities. I celebrate women who are leading in transformative ways in many areas, including the sciences and humanities, blending intelligence with compassion in making our world a better place."

Brown Speights, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Florida A&M University and her medical degree at Emory University’s School of Medicine, is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and fellowship-trained in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). She has served as chair of the Tallahassee-regional MCH Equity Collaborative since 2015 and on numerous advisory boards and committees. Her interests include promotion of health equity, especially MCH equity through community-engaged research, clinical care, advocacy, and education. She is also focused on faculty vitality, wellness promotion, and empowerment of women and girls.

In addition to the 10 community honorees, TCC will also honor five students who also embody the program theme.

The reception for the honorees and their guests will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the TCC Student Union ballroom, followed by the ceremony at 6 p.m. Andrea K. Friall, M.D., of North Florida Women’s Care and chief medical officer for Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare will be the keynote speaker. The reception and program are open to the public.

By Abigail Schirmer / Medscape Blog

March 02, 2022

One of the most difficult decisions in medical school isn't your rank list or what order to complete your clinical rotations; it's deciding on what your forever specialty will be.

For some, it's a decision they made years before. To others, it's a decision they thought they'd made, but changed with rotations.

With third-year clerkships really only giving a glimpse of certain specialties, it can be stressful to try to decide the rest of your life in such a short timeframe. I was someone who thought I had everything figured out when I entered medical school and that my mind would never be changed about which field I wanted to pursue.

I made it to the middle of my third year of medical school until I realized that my clinical and personal priorities in what I valued in a future career were much different from the specialty I thought I would pursue.

I think there are many important things to consider when trying to decide a future specialty. One thing I heard consistently throughout my third year was this: "To cut, or not to cut?" What this meant was, do you need operating in your future practice to be fulfilled or not? For me, the answer was yes. However, this isn't the case for everyone.

Once you've answered that question for yourself, I think it's important to "find your people." Which group of people do you feel you fit best with in clinical practice? Maybe you have a mentor who inspires you and is a cardiologist. Maybe you rotated in a dermatology office and felt immediately like you were a part of the team.

But finding your people isn't just the people you work with. Which group of patients do you see yourself caring for? Maybe you're interested in a subset of patients ages 0-18. Maybe you want to care for anyone who walks through the door regardless of insurance status, chief complaint, or prognosis. Recognizing your people, those who you will work with and those you will serve, is of upmost importance when deciding upon a specialty.

Last, I think it is very important to take a step back and think about what your own priorities and wishes are for your future. Don't make a life decision based upon what you think others want you to do. Don't make a decision based upon what you think is the most prestigious specialty. And just because you thought you knew what you wanted to do when you entered medical school, it doesn't mean that you can't change your mind.

Ultimately, you know what's best for you. Heed the advice of those who care for you, including your advisers, mentors, and dean. Maybe the decision of choosing a specialty was an easy one, or maybe, like me, it wasn't realized until scrubbing in to my first few surgeries. The good news is that with a little bit of time and introspection, it is possible to make the lifelong decision and fall in love with what you were meant to do for the rest of your career!

The views expressed by the author are those of the author alone and do not represent the views of any company or entity.

About Abigail Schirmer
Abigail is a fourth-year medical student at Florida State University College of Medicine. She is interested in general surgery, patient safety research, medical education, and providing compassionate care to patients. Outside of medicine she enjoys running, CrossFit, swimming, general aviation, playing piano, and baking.