FSU MED Magazine Fall 2020, Vol. 16 Fall 2020 | Page 10

“ Although life and the things you ’ ve seen can make you jaded , there is always the possibility of progress and the need to be vocal about what you care about . More now than ever am I aware of what kind of physician I want to be , characteristic wise , even if I am still unsure about what kind of physician I want to be , specialty wise . … I have also been reminded of my why . I may only be able to help few in my lifetime , but I will be sure to do it well . I am hoping these events will make us more conscious and compassionate providers .” Diamond Paulk , M . D . Class of ‘ 23
“ I ’ ve read memes suggesting that we press the restart button on 2020 and ones asking that we skip 2020 and go directly to 2021 . Neither of these would be an acceptable response . While the effects of COVID-19 and social unrest in our country have been devastating and tragic for so many , these events have had an indelible impact on medical education and the practice of medicine and those changes will be recorded among the greatest consequences of this chaotic year . I don ’ t have the crystal ball but I do believe one day we will be on the other side of this pandemic and we will see that many things we did for the first time or at least consistently for the first time will have followed us there . While not exclusively , we will see the continuation of routine meetings via virtual platforms . The use of telemedicine will become more intentional , as opposed to forced , while face-to-face visits with
patients will continue to be the foundation of the patient-physician relationship . Public Health has always been a part of our curriculum , but specific sessions on ‘ patient care and clinical training in pandemics ’ and ‘ elimination of structural racism in medicine ’ will be a routine part of medical education and faculty development .
“ I am extremely proud of our FSU COM team , who immediately shifted into making sure our pre-recorded foundational curriculum was ready to go , supplementing it with new material where needed . Faculty voluntarily created new courses for students in the clerkship years so that we didn ’ t have any breaks in our students ’ education , just a shift in the venue . It was a period of increased stress for most , but the resilience and compassion of the FSU COM has allowed us to continue moving forward in a positive direction .” Alma Littles , senior associate dean for medical education and academic affairs
“ Now , more than ever , understanding where patients are coming from – their understanding of viral illness , mental health amidst social isolation , hesitancy to get their chest pain checked out – is extremely important .” Alyssa Davis ( M . D ., ’ 20 ), internal medicine resident in Nashville , speaking to FSU MED in March .
“ Both COVID-19 and racial injustices have a huge impact on the health-care field . Five to 10 years later , our class will have the opportunity to bring about change as future residents and eventually as full-fledged physicians . Based on the interactions I have had with classmates , I am confident that the people at my school will inspire positive change and promote a better environment of understanding health disparities , public health measures , and patient-centered care .” Michael Hong , M . D . Class of ‘ 24
May

FSUMED

• USMLE testing sites reopen , but half the scheduled exams are canceled for social distancing purposes . More than 100 FSU students were registered for May , but administration of the exam becomes a fiasco and most end up rescheduling for between July and February .
• M . D . Class of ’ 23 , unable to do the Summer Clinical Practicum , gets a new course : “ Racism and the COVID-19 Response .”
• Only about one-third of those expected to have completed USMLE Step 1 by now have done so . National testing sites and the scheduling process remain in disarray .
• ‘ Away rotations ’ ( a . ka . ‘ audition rotations ’) are eliminated for foreseeable future ; 2020-21 residency interview cycle will not include in-person interviews ; COM pre-clerkship boot camp goes virtual with simulation equipment at the regional campuses ; Step 1 and 2 Clinical Knowledge scheduling debacle continues , and temporary testing sites are planned for individual medical schools .

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