Breaking the Mold by Myra Hurt | Page 93

Pictured on previous page: Groundbreaking day in February 2003. (College of Medicine photo archive) From left to right: Durell Peaden Jr., who in 1997 was a physician/legislator eager to tackle the physician shortage in his rural Florida Panhandle district. He took dreams of a medical school to… Sandy D’Alemberte, who was president of Florida State University and played a huge role in overcoming accreditation obstacles for the fledgling College of Medicine. But his key role at the beginning was to introduce Peaden to… Myra Hurt, who directed the Program in Medical Sciences. Designed to address the need for physicians in rural Northwest Florida, PIMS let students complete their first year of medical school at Florida State. Hurt wanted to create a unique student-centered medical school to produce diverse, patient-centered physicians. But that required legislative approval, the specialty of… John Thrasher, Florida State Class of ’65, who was speaker of the state House of Representatives. As leader of a U.S. Army medical evacuation team in Vietnam, he had learned the importance of competent, compassionate medical care. He became a staunch advocate for the College of Medicine – where a building is named for him. APPENDIX B: TIMELINE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EARLY YEARS December 1997: State Rep. Durell Peaden, R-Crestview, tells Florida State University President Sandy D’Alemberte that Florida State ought to have a medical school to help produce primary care doctors for rural Northwest Florida. D’Alemberte, who has been thinking the same thing, invites Peaden to learn more about FSU’s Program in Medical Sciences (PIMS) and its director, Myra Hurt. Breaking the Mold | 91