By Audrey Post
FSU College of Medicine

Just days before the seven students in the Florida State University College of Medicine’s Bridge to Clinical Medicine program graduated with their master’s degrees in biomedical sciences, they presented the results of their capstone research projects.

The 17^th annual showcase combined the final requirement of the intensive yearlong program with a graduation reception and a celebratory brunch acknowledging their hard work — a perfect sendoff as the students enter medical school exactly two weeks later as part of the M.D. Class of 2030.

After welcoming students, faculty and staff to the event, Elizabeth Foster, Ph.D., associate dean for Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences and research director of the Bridge program, introduced the faculty mentors who worked with the students. She noted that several had been volunteering as mentors for many years, including Antonio Terracciano, Ph.D., of the Department of Geriatrics and Karen Geletko, MPH, of the FSU Area Health Education Center, part of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine (BSSM).

“I began mentoring Bridge students in 2013 because I admire the program’s mission to expand the future of healthcare. Thirteen years later, it remains one of the most rewarding parts of my job.” Terracciano said. 

“These students bring novel perspectives to scientific questions. Seeing their hard work culminate in research presentations and scientific publications is incredibly gratifying.” 

This was Geletko’s 10^th year serving as a mentor, which gives her, as research faculty, an opportunity to still play a meaningful role in students’ education, she said. She and colleague Jon Mills, Ph.D., also research faculty in BSSM, worked as partner-mentors.

“I get to share my enthusiasm for research, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see them develop an appreciation for it,” Geletko said. “What makes this experience unique is that these students engage in research and make real contributions to the field before they even begin medical school, which isn’t always part of the traditional path.

“The Bridge students are consistently such an impressive group, and working with them leaves me optimistic about the future.” 

Anthony Speights, M.D., senior associate dean for medical education and academic affairs, got a little emotional as he congratulated the students. 

“Some of you know that I have taken on a new role and this is my last research presentation as director of the Bridge program,” he said. “It has truly been my honor to help guide you on this portion of your medical education journey. I am so proud of each and every one of you, and I know you’re all going to do great things.”

Speights spent 10 years with Bridge, the first two as clinical faculty advisor and the past eight as director.

[Link: As 2026 M.D. commencement speaker, Speights talks straight to the graduates.]

Robert Campbell, M.D., associate dean for student affairs and admissions, echoed Speights’ sentiment, reminding the students that as Bridge graduates, they have knowledge of the College of Medicine and how it operates that their non-Bridge classmates do not.

“You will be looked at as class leaders by your classmates … you will often become the go-to person for advice and teaching, even though these students will have access to TAs (teaching assistants) … your advice on how to survive and thrive will be sought,” he said. 

He challenged them to accept the Bridge leadership legacy as they begin medical school.

“Share your knowledge and advice. Calm the class when you can with your experience. … We are proud of you, and we are looking forward to the next step of your journey and the next mountain you will climb to become a great doctor,” Campbell concluded. “See you back here in two weeks.”

Alma Littles, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine, also added her congratulations. Nodding in Campbell’s direction, she said, “Rob, you’re getting a good group.” 

Research topics ran the gamut of the healthcare spectrum and included unmet needs among pregnant women in the United States; the association between perceived racial discrimination and vaping among adolescents; and how sleep quality and consuming ultra-processed foods influence metabolic syndrome risk in older adults. (A complete list of students, topics and mentors can be found at the end of this article.)

Aaliyah Fuller, class liaison officer, fought to stay composed during her remarks as she  thanked Foster, Speights and Linda Netherton, Bridge program manager who is moving to the dean’s suite as Speights’ executive assistant.

“To Mrs. Netherton, you are truly the glue that holds us all together. Thank you for being our biggest supporter,” Fuller said. “What you do for us behind the scenes does not go unnoticed, and we are grateful for the time and attention you pour into us as students.”

Fuller’s final remarks, however, were directed at her Bridge classmates.

“We did it! From late nights in the lab, stimulating discussions on ethics, and countless hours on our research projects, we made it,” she said. “I am very proud of how far each of us has come.”

By Patience Moseley
FSU College of Medicine

Yue “Julia” Wang, Ph.D., was awarded a $2.7 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, NIDDK, to unravel the mystery behind pancreatic beta cell failure in Type 2 diabetes. 

For Wang, this award represents more than an opportunity to continue her research; it’s a personal and a professional win. Her longstanding interest in molecular genetics of human disease has prepared her for this milestone. 

“During my Ph.D., I joined a lab that applied molecular and genetic tools to diabetes research, and that experience really shaped my path,” said Wang, a researcher in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University’s College of Medicine. “The more I learned, the more I didn’t know about diabetes; it is such a complex disease, involving genetics and environments.” 

Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 38 million American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, Wang gets to really dive into the research with her own scientific questions and a $2.7 million R01— a prestigious Research Project Grant — from the NIDDK, an institute within the National Institutes of Health, or NIH. The R01 grant is the flagship funding award from the NIH that provides financial support to high impact projects for 4-5 years. 

NIH awards these highly competitive research grants to only a small percentage of applicants whose research will address a critical problem to progress disease treatment or therapeutic strategies. Wang’s research does just that.

Using human-derived pancreatic beta cells, the Wang lab examines the effects of metabolic stress on insulin secretion. Pancreatic beta cells sense glucose in the blood and secrete insulin proportional to blood glucose levels. 

Too much glucose and lipid over time creates cellular mayhem – more scientifically called glucotoxicity – which induces metabolic stress. 

Under metabolic stress, beta cells shift into overdrive to compensate for reduced insulin secretion. They begin to work harder, physically growing larger in size and number to produce more insulin. The increased workload ultimately leads to cellular exhaustion and eventual cell death.

“Beta cells are somewhat like a balloon under pressure. They can stretch and adapt as demand increases, but if the pressure keeps rising, they eventually reach a breaking point,” Wang said. 

“Beta cells try to adjust and adapt, but with continuous exposure to high glucose and high lipid levels, they switch from adaptive to maladaptive. And they actually carry memory, too.”

Beta cell “memory” allows the cells to adapt and remain functional during temporary glucose spikes. However, consistently high blood glucose and high lipid levels overwork these cells as they remain in the adaptive state. Over time, beta cells can no longer keep up with demand, and they shift into a maladaptive, or dysfunctional, state. 

The overnutrition cell culture model the Wang lab uses mimics what pancreatic beta cells in our bodies might experience when exposed to chronic high fat, high sugar intake. 

With funding from NIDDK, the Wang lab will use genome editing and bioinformatic technologies to determine how beta cell stress contributes to Type 2 diabetes progression.

“We think the key memory marker is actually epigenetics,” Wang said. “We found a specific epigenetic modification that seems to really follow along the switch from beta cell adaptation to maladaptation.” 

Epigenetic modifications change how DNA is packaged, causing DNA to condense, making the cell’s instruction manual inaccessible to promote cell survival. In Type 2 diabetes, though, the instructions needed to sense glucose and secrete insulin aren’t readable, and beta cells overwork until they lose their function.

Wang’s lab has already identified several regulatory epigenetic processes involved in the switch from adaptive to maladaptive states, and Wang aims to use her recent grant award to fund molecular and genetic approaches to unravel these epigenetic modifications.

“This grant is taking advantage of all the technology development for the past decade,” she said. “With gene editing technology, we can open and close one regulatory region and basically make this region more active or make this region more repressive to see if it is really involved in the process.” 

Wang hopes these findings can be used to diagnose and even treat Type 2 diabetes.

Photos by Eduardo Miyar for the FSU College of Medicine.

By Patrick Crowley

FSU College of Medicine

The young boy who rode dirt bikes and loved everything mechanical brought a lot of joy to his family, particularly to his parents, Chris and Kellie Kraft of Tallahassee. 

“Oh, he scared me half to death racing those dirt bikes,” Kellie said, with a look of motherly concern. 

That little boy, Chris Kraft Jr., grew up tall (over six-foot!), enjoying life and everything he loved — especially cars and FSU sports. But he also grew up with something else — generalized epilepsy — the hardest to treat. And on Feb. 12, 2022, it took his life at age 36.

“When he passed away, I didn’t know how to process it,” said his brother, Chase Kraft. “We were so close. We practically did everything together. We played on ball teams together, carpooled together; we even sat next to each other on the school bus. It was a unique experience, and I was blessed to have that.” 

That bond between two brothers prompted Chase to establish the JR Foundation in honor of Chris Jr. shortly after his passing. 

“I found that doing the eulogy and speaking about him after he passed, I realized how much fulfillment he brought to my life, and that brought closure, peace and acceptance,” Chase said, adding that it motivated him to volunteer with organizations such as the Epilepsy Alliance of Florida, with which the Kraft family held fundraising events. 

“I found joy in that,” Chase said. 

Soon, an annual golf outing Chase and Chris Jr. took with their friends grew in attendance after Chris’ death and turned into a fundraiser with the goal of helping others with epilepsy. 

“We are celebrating the life of Chris Jr. We were raising a little bit of money, and I guess that kind of gave me the itch to jump in and do something more serious, more full-time, if you will,” said Chase, a successful entrepreneur with a variety of business ventures in New Orleans. “That’s how the JR Foundation came to be.”

With that same philanthropic bent and desire to help others with epilepsy and their families, Chris Sr., and wife Kellie were already involved with non-profit organizations, including the Epilepsy Agency of the Big Bend and the Epilepsy Alliance of Florida, where they underwrote the cost of seizure dogs for people with epilepsy. The Krafts were also holding fundraising events of their own, such as a Singer-Songwriter Festival at the Governor’s Club in Tallahassee, followed by a concert with one of Chris Jr.’s favorite bands, Molly Hatchet, at FSU’s Dunlap Champions Club. 

“We brought Molly Hatchet in for Chirs Jr.’s 40^th birthday,” Chris Sr. said. “We had over 450 people there. We filled up the ballroom.” 

When Chase came to Chris and Kellie with the idea of starting their own foundation, they were more than willing to help, as were Chris Jr.’s other siblings, Katie and Cody. 

According to Kellie, “Our four children were very close and Chris Jr.’s loss was devastating.” Kellie added that managing Chris Jr.’s epilepsy was a family effort, as everyone knew the signs of a pending seizure and how to handle one if it did occur. “As Chris got older, he could fake it with most people, but he couldn’t fake it with us. Mom knows!”
 

“The week we lost Chris Jr. — I think it was day three — Chase said, ‘We have to do something,’” Chris said. “He would call me from New Orleans and just say, ‘Dad, we can do this. We can take the pain and do something.’”

And do something they did. In January, the JR Foundation made its biggest, single gift: $250,000 to the FSU College of Medicine to endow a professorship in the lab of Sanjay Kumar, Ph.D., to further his epilepsy research. Kumar is now the proud holder of the JR Foundation Endowed Professorship in Epilepsy Research. 

“I am truly grateful to the JR Foundation and the Kraft family for their generosity in funding research from my laboratory; for their confidence in my abilities to undertake this research, and for selecting me for the endowed professorship in Chris Jr.’s name and honor,” Kumar said. 

It was by happenstance that the Kraft family and Bill Gilbert, treasurer of the JR Foundation, learned that epilepsy research was being conducted just a few miles from their Tallahassee home. They learned about it while talking to a friend at a golf outing who was familiar with the work being done at the College of Medicine. 

“I went out and started googling epilepsy research and what organizations help with it,” Gilbert said. “I put in some key words online, ‘Tallahassee, Florida, FSU, State of Florida, South Georgia,’ etc., and that is how I came about Dr. Kumar's page. I had no idea he was doing that kind of research here in Tallahassee, and as soon as I found it, I started reading, researching, and then had to let the family know.  The Krafts, even Chris Jr, are huge FSU fans, as you can imagine, so I knew it was lining up with multiple boxes we were looking to check, to be able to help out and possibly find a cure.”

Finding a cure and effective treatment for epilepsy is front and center for Kumar. 

“The ultimate goal of my research is to find a cure for temporal lobe epilepsy which has eluded us for so long,” Kumar said. “TLE is the most common form of adult epilepsies that has proven intractable to anti-epileptic medications. The realization that TLE can be a neurodegenerative disorder in addition to being a hyperexcitability/hypersynchrony disorder, which has come about from basic research in my laboratory, has allowed us to pursue this disease from novel therapeutic perspectives, bringing us closer to that goal.”

Without question, the gift from the JR Foundation is deeply personal for the Kraft family. If you would like to lend your support by making a charitable gift to the endowed professorship, visit give.fsu.edu/JRprofessorship. 

By Patrick Crowley
FSU College of Medicine

As the FSU College of Medicine celebrates its 25th anniversary, it’s fitting that the 2025 inductees into the Medical Hall of Fame consist of outstanding health care professionals who span the history of the institution — ranging from a member of the PIMS class (the pre-cursor to the College of Medicine), a dean emeritus, and alumni who continue their good work and serve as the college’s best ambassadors in their respective communities.

“Congratulations to each of these inductees,” said Alma Littles, M.D., dean of the college. “Through their hard work, dedication to our profession and commitment to medical education, they uphold the values and the mission of our college. Without question, they will leave a positive legacy in their respective fields, and it gives me great pleasure to welcome them into the hall of fame — it’s very well deserved!”

The 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. in the Champions Club at Florida State University’s Doak Campbell Stadium. The ceremony is part of the annual College of Medicine Alumni Weekend, Nov. 7-9.

THE 2025 INDUCTEES

Thomas Beardsley (M.D., ’14)
A two-time alumnus from Florida State University, receiving both his bachelor’s degree and M.D. from FSU, Thomas Beardsley, M.D., currently practices emergency medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, where he serves as an assistant professor.

Beardsley completed his Emergency Medicine residency in 2018 at Yale – New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut. In 2019, he completed a fellowship in Medical Simulation, also at Yale — a specialty he has pursued throughout his career. It has led him to hold assistant professor and medical director positions for the Center for Simulation Education and Safety Research in Jacksonville, where he continues to contribute to both medical education and patient safety initiatives.

In his role as center director, Beardsley leads the entire simulation curriculum for 46 emergency medicine residents, applying high level, simulation-based educational initiatives, allowing residents to learn high-stakes emergency medicine skills in a safe environment. As an assistant professor, Beardsley earned several awards, including: 
•    2020 and 2022: Emergency Medicine Residency Teacher of the Year Award
•    2023 and 2024: UF College of Medicine Jacksonville Exemplary Teacher Award

Angela Guzman (M.D., ’14)
To say that Angela Guzman, M.D., is the personification of all the good things FSU has to offer – the embodiment of its mission, vision and values – is an understatement. She first got involved in the College of Medicine’s pathway programs in 2005 as a freshman. With a strong interest in medicine and helping others, she was active in SSTRIDE’s collegiate component, USSTRIDE or undergraduate SSTRIDE, as well as MAPS, the Multicultural Association of Pre-medical Students, where she held several leadership roles. Guzman then successfully completed the college’s yearlong post-baccalaureate Bridge to Clinical Medicine Program. From there, she was admitted to the College of Medicine and earned her M.D.

Today, she serves as an OB/GYN clerkship faculty member at the college’s Orlando Regional Campus, associate program director for the University of Central Florida/HCA Osceola Regional OB/GYN Residency Program in Kissimmee, and as a hospitalist for Woman’s Health Centers.

While at the College of Medicine, Guzman was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism honor societies. As chief resident at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, she earned numerous awards.

J. Ocie Harris, M.D. 
Now bearing the title of Dean Emeritus, J. Ocie Harris, M.D., served as the second dean of the College of Medicine, a post he held from January 2003 through July 2008. During his tenure, he laid the foundation for growth and navigated the Liaison Committee on Medical Education process for the college to achieve full accreditation.

After a 30-year career at the University of Florida College of Medicine, Harris came to FSU in November 2000 as associate dean for medical education and was the first physician to serve on the faculty. He was responsible for overseeing the development of the regional campuses in Orlando, Pensacola and Tallahassee, and for recruiting many of the college’s clinical faculty. During his tenure, construction began on the building that now houses the college.  

In July 2003, the college grew with the establishment of the Department of Geriatrics, becoming the first medical school in the state with a separate department devoted to geriatrics training for medical students. In October of that year, under Harris’ leadership, the college was approved to begin its first doctoral program, a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences.

Since 2005, the graduating medical student or students showing the best all-around promise of becoming a physician of the highest caliber have been presented the J. Ocie Harris Outstanding Student Award in his honor.

Nariman Heshmati (M.D., ’05)
As the president of the inaugural graduating class of 2005, Nari Heshmati, M.D., was instrumental in building the infrastructure students today still enjoy.

Heshmati worked with the FSU Student Government Association to secure funding for many College of Medicine student interest groups and served as its first SGA student senator. He co-founded the Medical Student Council, which serves as the umbrella organization for groups within the college.

After completion of his OB/GYN residency, Heshmati moved to Washington state and joined The Everett Clinic. Ultimately, he oversaw all surgical and specialty operations and value-based care for both The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic. He also oversaw the labor and delivery unit at Providence Everett.

Heshmati served as the chair of the Washington Section of the American College of OB/GYNs and as president of the Washington State Medical Association. He was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to the Pandemic After Action Taskforce to analyze the state’s response to COVID.

In 2024, Heshmati returned to Florida to become the chief physician and operations executive for Lee Physician Group in Fort Myers. In that capacity, he oversees 1,250 clinicians at over 100 sites in Southwest Florida. He also has oversight over two FSU College of Medicine residency programs, including Family Medicine and Internal Medicine, and supports his teams in establishing a new FSU OB/GYN residency program.

Amy Neal (M.D., ’08)
By combining her ability to take on leadership roles, her thirst for knowledge, and her commitment to patient care and family and obesity medicine, Amy Neal, M.D., continues to make a positive impact on the medical profession, as well as on the lives of her patients and future physicians.

Neal earned three degrees from Florida State — an undergraduate degree, followed by her M.D. and an MBA in 2021. As a capstone to her M.D. degree, she received the Outstanding Graduate in Family Medicine award.

After completing her Family Medicine Residency at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare in 2011, Neal began her career at Capital Health Plan in Tallahassee in urgent care and then transitioned to primary care in 2016. She was elected president of the medical staff at CHP in 2016.

Neal was promoted to associate medical director in 2019 and holds that position today. She currently supervises and hires physicians and actively participates in 20 committees within the CHP organization such as quality, credentialing, new employment, and CHP electronic health record Nex Gen’s core team. Outside of CHP, Neal provides leadership on the Board of Directors of Capital Medical Society.

She currently serves as a clerkship faculty member in the College of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health, teaching medical students in her clinic.

Richard Rodriguez (M.D., ’09)
Through his work as an emergency medicine physician, advocacy for the medical profession, commitment to medical education and community involvement, Richard Rodriguez (M.D., ’09) is an outstanding ambassador for the FSU College of Medicine.

Rodriguez is a full-time physician with Excelis Medical Associates in Tampa, where he sees patients in the emergency departments of St. Joseph’s Hospitals. His dedication to patient well-being has been recognized with awards such as the "Physician of the Month" by the St. Joseph’s Professional Practice Council and as an "Alumni Belen Hero" by his high school alma mater for his efforts on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was voted by his peers as a Top Doc in Emergency Medicine for three consecutive years (2021-2023) and has been recognized as such in Tampa Magazine.

Rodriguez is deeply involved in medical education and mentorship, serving as Volunteer/Collaborative Faculty in the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, where he holds the rank of affiliate assistant professor.

Beyond his clinical and educational endeavors, he serves on the Board of Directors of Excelis Medical Associates. He is the associate medical director of Emergency Services at St. Joseph’s Hospital South and medical director of Emergency Transport Services at St. Joseph’s Hospitals.

A member of the Hillsborough County Emergency Medical Planning Council since 2016, Rodriguez has served as its vice-chair since 2021. The EMPC is a governmental body that reports to and advises the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. He has also been an active member of the Hillsborough County Trauma Agency and its audit committee, and in 2016, chaired the Spinal Immobilization Guidelines Subcommittee.

Rashad Sullivan (M.D., ’13)
Service to the community, the medical profession and the College of Medicine have been career hallmarks of Rashad Sullivan, M.D.

Following his 2006 graduation from Florida A&M University with a degree in biological sciences pre-med, with a minor in chemistry, Sullivan worked for the FSU College of Medicine’s SSTRIDE program, a pathway program for students in designated middle and high schools. He has attended and spoken at every SSTRIDE reunion since his medical school days, forming mentoring relationships with students interested in STEM careers.

In 2007, he co-founded Youth Motivation & Empowerment, a movement that seeks to persuade inner-city and rural teenagers in Florida’s Big Bend and South Georgia to make positive lifelong decisions. He has remained active in Y.M.E. ever since.

After starting the Bridge to Clinical Medicine post-baccalaureate program in 2008, he was a guest speaker at Lincoln High School’s Advanced Placement Summer Institute. Sullivan also volunteered with the Neighborhood Health. Following his acceptance into medical school, he continued his outreach to youth and volunteered at the Family Worship and Praise Center Ministry for the Homeless.

Sullivan earned his M.D. in 2013, completed an internship in general surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in 2014, a residency in orthopedics there in 2020, serving as chief resident, and a fellowship in adult total joint reconstruction at Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa in 2021. Throughout his journey, he has regularly returned to the Tallahassee area to continue his outreach efforts.

Today, Sullivan is a surgeon at Mid State Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic in Alexandria, Louisiana, and also works as a consultant from home.

Richard Sheridan, M.D. (PIMS, ’76)
The love of medicine runs deep in the family of Richard Sheridan (PIMS, ’76). As a proud undergraduate alumnus and a PIMS graduate, Sheridan watched with pride as his son, Stephen, graduated from the College of Medicine in 2015.  

Well after his own graduation from the PIMS program and a successful career as a neonatologist prior to retirement in Tampa, Sheridan has remained a staunch supporter and a great advocate for FSU and its College of Medicine.

At the college, he served on the FSU Medical Alumni Board and was the board’s president from 2021 through 2023. He’s also an active member of the Leadership Council of the College of Arts and Sciences, where he received his undergraduate degree.

Sheridan was a member of Phi Eta Sigma (1973) and Phi Beta Kappa (1976) honor societies,  recognizing academic excellence. He completed his internship and residency at the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis (1980-1982), specializing in pediatrics. From 1982 to 1984, he was a fellow in neonatal and perinatal medicine at E.H. Crump Women’s Hospital and Perinatal Center, University of Tennessee in Memphis.

Sheridan is board-certified with the National Board of Medical Examiners and with the American Academy of Pediatrics, where he is a fellow. He is also a member of the Hillsborough County Pediatric Society, the Florida Society of Neonatologists, and the Irish American Pediatric Society.  

Sanam Zahedi (M.D., ’14)
Committed to her profession and alma mater, Sanam Zahedi, M.D., continues to take on leadership roles in both. A member of the FSU Medical Alumni Board since 2021, Zahedi also serves as a HOST volunteer, a College of Medicine program in which people provide medical students with a place to stay when they need to travel as part of their education, whether for a specialty rotation offered at another campus or to interview for a residency or fellowship program.

Zahedi has made significant scholarly contributions to the field of plastic surgery. Her publications in leading journals, Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Annals of Plastic Surgery, showcase her research on the impact of social media on plastic surgery trends, breast augmentation and the implications of socioeconomic factors in breast reconstruction. Her research not only advances the field but also brings attention to important demographic and social issues that influence patient care.

Her leadership roles in the field are equally impressive. As a founding core host and marketing executive of The Loupe Podcast, she has contributed to global medical education by providing valuable resources and discussions for medical students, residents and surgeons. This podcast, which ranks in the top 2% of educational podcasts, serves as a crucial supplement for those preparing for plastic surgery exams and pursuing continuous learning. Additionally, Zahedi serves the American Society of Plastic Surgeons as a member of the Women Plastic Surgeons Steering Committee and the Annual Meeting Educational Program committee.

Our 2024 Inductees
Since last year’s Alumni Weekend was cancelled because of Hurricane Helene, the 2024 inductees will be officially welcomed to the Hall of Fame at this year’s event. Their information appeared in the Winter 2025 issue of FSUMED magazine. The 2024 inductees: 
•    Joseph Camps, M.D. (PIMS ’79)
•    Daniel Van Durme, M.D. (faculty member – inducted posthumously)
•    Geden Franck (M.D., ’14)
•    Shoshana Hallowell (M.D., ’10)
•    Myra Hurt, Ph.D. (First Acting Dean – inducted posthumously)

By Audrey Post
FSU College of Medicine

Almost half of the M.D. Class of 2026 at the Florida State University College of Medicine will be staying in Florida for their residencies, the next step of their medical education that culminates in board certification in their chosen specialty and a license to practice medicine.

Of the 115 students who participated in the National Resident Matching Program, the primary system matching applicants to residency programs with available positions at U.S. teaching hospitals, 55 (47%) matched in Florida. 

“Having almost half of our class stay in Florida bodes well for the future as Florida faces a serious physician shortage,” College of Medicine Dean Alma B. Littles, M.D., said. “Research has shown that almost half of all physicians establish their practices within 50 miles of where they completed their residencies.”

Littles herself is evidence of the trend. The Gadsden County native completed a family medicine residency at what is now Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare in 1989 and opened her practice in her home county the same year.

A little over 31%, 39 students, matched in another state in the Southeast, either Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia or West Virginia. When combined, 94 of the 115, or almost 81%, are staying in the Southeast.

In addition, four students headed for military service – two in the Air Force and one each in the Army and Navy – matched with military hospitals, and one matched in urology through a specialty match administered by the American Urological Association. One student deferred participating in the match to complete a research year. 

Almost one-quarter of the 120 students (23%) who participated in one of the match programs, 28 students, did so in internal medicine. Psychiatry was second with 15 (12%); pediatrics and surgery, both general and preliminary, each had 13 matches (11%), while family medicine had 12 matches (10%). Obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedic surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and diagnostic radiology each had four matches (3%).

Transitional programs, otolaryngology, dermatology, child neurology, internal medicine/psychiatry, radiation oncology and urology all had three or fewer matches.

The number of students who matched in primary care specialties, excluding obstetrics and gynecology, was 54 (47%). If ob/gyn is included, the number rises to 59 (51%). Currently, the Association of American Colleges does not count ob/gyn as a primary care specialty, which many medical educators think it should..

The annual residency match, conducted by the National Resident Matching Program, is the primary system matching applicants to residency programs with available positions at U.S. teaching hospitals. Graduating medical students across the country receive their match information at the same time on the same day.

Match Day is a festive affair at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, with the dean giving a brief welcome to the students, their families and friends, then calling on the graduating class members to “open your envelopes.”

The next few minutes were noisy pandemonium, with whooping, hollering, high-fiving and happy snapshots while showing off match letters. Students then began taking to the stage with their regional campus classmates, sharing their results while beaming loved ones stood alongside. 

Class President Alycia “Aly” Savage then addressed the crowd. A 10-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, she shared with her classmates a personal story of her disappointment on a previous “selection day” when she had completed flight training and learned what aircraft she would be piloting. She was assigned to her last choice.

“I did not want to fly the MV-22 Osprey. But the Osprey — an aircraft that combines the vertical takeoff and landing of a helicopter with the speed and range of a turboprop plane -- wanted me," she said. "More accurately, the Marine Corps needed Osprey pilots." 

She felt crushed that day, but looking back, she said she couldn't imagine her life any other way. "I became who I am because of a path I didn't choose.

So, whatever you felt today when you opened your envelope, feel it fully. Celebrate. Cry. Laught. Feel the relief, the excitement. If needed, feel disappointment, fear or uncertainty. And then, get to work," said Savage, who will be staying in Tallahassee for an FSU College of Medicine/TMH general surgery residency.

We may not always control where we land, but we absolutely control how we lead, how we serve, and who we become once we get there. Class of 2026, I am so incredibly proud of you," she said. "I cannot wait to walk across this graduation stage with you."

In her closing remarks, Littles reminded the students they were "almost to the mountaintop." 

"Eight weeks from tomorrow, we'll gather again in this same place and make it official," she said. "What a day it will be for all of us! See you then."

-- Contact Audrey Post at Audrey.Post@med.fsu.edu