Print

Mar 31, 2020
USA Today
PRESS RELEASE

As a third-year neurosurgery resident, Myron Rolle's (M.D., '17) life is typical of doctors across the country
during this time of crisis. “Our neurosurgical floor has been transformed into a floor just full of COVID-19
patients," he told ESPN last week. “It is hectic, that’s for sure.”

Print

Apr 01, 2020
USA Today
PRESS RELEASE

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, the belief that the flu vaccine can cause people to test positive for coronavirus is circulating. Since coronavirus isn't in the flu shot, the shot won't give anyone symptoms of the coronavirus or cause them to test positive, said Associate Professor Christie Alexander.

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Apr 01, 2020
U.S. News & World Report
PRESS RELEASE

As of Tuesday, March 31, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had not yet issued a “stay-at-home” order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. “I would be doing a stay-at-home order” across the state, said Les Beitsch, chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at the College of Medicine. “It tells people this is serious and we are doing something unprecedented.”

Print

Mar 31, 2020
Tallahassee Democrat
PRESS RELEASE

As of Tuesday, March 31, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had not yet issued a “stay-at-home” order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. “I would be doing a stay-at-home order” across the state, said Les Beitsch, chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at the College of Medicine. “It tells people this is serious and we are doing something unprecedented.”

Television

Mar 30, 2020
How former NFL DB Dr. Myron Rolle is helping in the COVID-19 fight (ESPN)

Dean's Message, March 2020

Mar 31, 2020

Dean’s Message

     These are challenging times for medical education in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. All of our M.D. and PA classes have been seriously affected.

  • M1s and PA1s are both taking online courses in lieu of lectures, and our faculty are developing creative solutions to how to address clinical skills, decision-making and small-group activities.
     
  • M2s were on study block, and the testing centers for Step 1 are closed for the next month, so we’re asking them to be flexible. We’ll have them do their “boot camp” prior to clerkships online, and waive the requirement for Step 1 passage to early third year. 
     
  • M3s and PA2s were taken off their clinical rotations based on guidelines from the AAMC on March 17. Fortunately most had already accomplished the objectives for this six-week clerkship in 4½ weeks, so they took their end-of-clerkship exams March 27. The next rotation involves two four-week online electives in hopes that they will return to clinical experiences around June 1.
     
  • Our M4s celebrated their Match results virtually online March 16 with a fine performance by the FSU main campus “players” and introduction of our seniors and their matches by each of our regional campus deans. While not as raucous as the Ruby Diamond event, students appreciated the efforts to make this a special day. Unfortunately the calendar is flying by, and it looks like we’ll have to do our commencement virtually also. More details to follow.  

     During Match, we also held our Clerkship Directors Meeting, usually here in Tallahassee, virtually. The dialogue among the clerkship and education directors, along with education leadership and regional deans, was amazing, and there was a true sense of mission to do what is best to produce the best physicians for the future. I am impressed each day with the energy, dedication and professionalism of our faculty and staff, who are responding to this national emergency in creative and impressive ways. Our challenge will be to take advantage of these great ideas once we return to “normal.”

         Our students and faculty continue to excel and make us proud.     

         Be safe and stay healthy!  J.    

John P. Fogarty, M.D.

Dean

Florida State University College of Medicine

 

News of the Week

Alumnus JD Byrd to lead Marianna program

Steven Spence, who has served as clerkship administrator for the College of Medicine's rural clinical training program since its inception in 2006, is relinquishing that role as of April 10. His replacement will be one of his former students - John D. (JD) Byrd (M.D., '14).

In addition to leading the clerkship for 14 years, Spence maintained his practice in internal medicine and taught students in that specialty. He also oversaw the College of Medicine's switch to a longitudinal integrated clerkship in Marianna.

Byrd, who came to medical school at Florida State from the small, Panhandle town of Graceville, was recognized at graduation with the college's Mission Award, honoring the student who most embodied the school's mission to care for the underserved.  Byrd also received the Internal Medicine Award, presented by the Department of Clinical Sciences and the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians. He also was inducted into the Chapman Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.

Following completion of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of South Alabama, Byrd returned to Graceville to practice at Campbellton Graceville Hospital, where he has been teaching FSU medical students from the Marianna program.

 

Television

Mar 30, 2020
Florida’s medical and nursing students ready for coronavirus fight (WFLA)

Print

Mar 30, 2020
Tallahassee Democrat
PRESS RELEASE

Monday, March 30 is National Doctors' Day. Read the perspectives of four local doctors watching and working as the COVID-19 epidemic unfolds. College of Medicine professor and director of FSU's Center for Medicine and Public Health, George Rust, is featured.

Television

Mar 30, 2020
Christie Alexander answers more coronavirus questions (March 30) (WCTV)
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