College of Medicine

Dr. George Rust, M.D., has been recognized with the Faculty Advisor of the Year Award by the Medical Student Council for his exceptional leadership and mentorship with FSUCares. This student-driven service-learning organization makes a profound impact through initiatives like health screenings and community events.

Dr. Rust's dedication shines in his support of projects such as the Social Service Fair in Quincy and health screenings for blood pressure and diabetes at the homeless center. His efforts reflect the commitment of FSUCares faculty and students to advancing community health and wellness.

Below is the heartfelt letter Dr. Rust received with this well-deserved honor.

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RSO Advisor of the Year 2024 
FSUCares, Dr. George Rust 

You know those people who are just "light"? Those people who illuminate a room just by being the person they are? Our advisor, Dr. George Rust, is one of those people. He is a very soft-spoken person and carries himself with a quiet confidence, but his passion for health equity and sharing his fountain of knowledge with students is evident and unparalleled. As an advisor for FSUCares, we could entrust him with the basics like signing-off on any forms that needed to be processed, but more importantly, we valued him as someone who led, but also fostered student leadership and initiatives. We could always count on Dr. Rust to join us at our events which included our Cultural Humility Night, FSUCares lmmokalee Service-Learning Trip, FSUCares Service-Learning Trip Reflections Night, FSUCares Township Throwdown Fundraiser, PAEC Health Fair, and the FSUCares Service-Learning Interest Meeting. We are left in awe knowing that he would support our cause by offering one of the most valuable assets in life - time. Without Dr. Rust, service opportunities like the lmmokalee service-learning trip would not be possible as he is a faculty member who has consistently been willing to travel with students on a seven-to-eight-hour ride to lmmokalee, Florida where he stays alongside college of medicine students during their immersive experience for time spanning over five days. He is one of the faculty who keeps the spirit of the FSU COM mission alive. As quoted by some of this past years' service-learning trip participants, one of their favorite phrases of his is "it's re.lational over informational" in the context of serving underserved or marginalized communities. These coined phrases like the aforementioned by Dr. Rust are sayings students will carry with them throughout their journey in medicine. They emphasize the importance of seeking to understand and getting to know the people we will serve to build trust in them and the greater communities. Dr. Rust embodies what it means to be a compassionate physician who fosters humanism, and he empowers other students to strive towards that. We are grateful for the time he has committed to FSUCares and look forward to our continued work with him.