to defend their own rights and those of their neighbors. He considered them
plain in speech and often frank to the point of rudeness – but with a ready wit.
They possessed a spirit of daring, especially for causes that could bring good to
everyone.
It took Myra’s “spirit of daring,” “strong will” and “tenacity of purpose” when
she spoke about establishing a college of medicine that gave people on the margins
a fair shake – whether they were prospective medical students or future
patients. And though she was certainly frank, she was never rude. As a Southern
woman she knew how to tell the truth without ruffling too many feathers.
Once the law establishing the Florida State College of Medicine was passed,
Myra pulled together the right people to gather the information and understand
the environment in which we had to work. Training students not only to be the
best physicians possible but also to care about the patients who needed them
most became a mantra for all of us who worked with Myra.
She traveled throughout the country observing the few distributive models
of medical education, gathering friendly supporters all along the way. She and
I attended the Harvard Macy program for medical education, where Harvard
Dean Emeritus Daniel Tosteson became her mentor and quickly joined the
faithful who thought this new educational model was important. She made you
believe in the journey we had undertaken.
Often introduced as “the godmother of the College of Medicine,” Myra was
more than that. No one worked harder or saw more clearly the goal of the difficult
trek we undertook. She modestly says she was in the perfect place to see all
the pieces come together, but she fails to mention how instrumental she was in
putting the pieces together so others could see the big picture. She enjoyed forming
partnerships with people she respected. So in this book you’ll learn about her
work with state Rep. Durell Peaden, former FSU President Sandy D’Alemberte,
current FSU President John Thrasher, former Dean Ocie Harris, former Director
of Community Clinical Relations Mollie Hill and more.
My partnership with Myra lasted more than 20 years. Even though we had a
lot in common, our strengths were very different – but complementary. She was
the idea person, the scientific researcher, the consensus builder, the public advocate,
the unstoppable force behind educational innovation. I, on the other hand,
was the curriculum developer, the expert in student learning and performance. I
translated her brainstorms into concrete steps that faculty members could follow.
We worked together to create or rejuvenate PIMS, the College of Medicine, the
master’s-level Bridge Program and, most recently, the Interdisciplinary Medical
Sciences Program – which has become one of Florida State’s most popular undergrad
majors. Those were ideas I never could have dreamed up myself, but I had a
front-row seat at their birth.
Here at the close of our careers, people speak in glowing terms of those years
of educational innovation. No question, they were exciting times. But they
were also hectic, stressful times. Myra was pursuing a whole new approach to
Breaking the Mold | 5