Bridge student Kelton Williams exams Alexa Harkness, who has been working as an SP for nearly two years.
First-year medical student Isabel Sewiol talks with standardized patient Bob Steele. Sewiol, who has a 2-month-old and lives in Lake City, Florida, drives nearly two hours to and from the college each day to attend classes. Sewiol credits her fiancé and her family for providing the support she needs to pursue her dream of earning an M. D.
Harkness said it’ s interaction with students and knowing she is helping them in their quest to become patient-centered healthcare professionals that makes it worthwhile.
“ What stands out to me is the way the students act— they get really excited about certain things,” Harkness added.“ My favorite part is when there’ s some kind of structure they are trying to find as they are giving me an exam and they’ re like,‘ That’ s the IVC,’ or‘ Oh! I see her gallbladder on the ultrasound’ and they’ ve never seen one before. They are genuinely excited. It’ s really cool to see because these people are just really interested in medicine— and being able to help them is really cool.”
Maritza Marquez, who’ s been an SP since 2018, is originally from Miami. She retired from the University of Miami Medical Center after 35 years working in scheduling and moved to Tallahassee to be closer to family. As an SP, she’ s been“ afflicted” with many maladies, but there is one scenario that really stuck with her— and that was when students were learning to break bad news to patients: cancer.
“ It was emotional,” Marquez said, adding she worked with an interdisciplinary team of three students on this case— one from the College of Medicine, one from the FSU College of Nursing and another from the Florida A & M University College of Pharmacy.
“ Let me tell you, they did a great job,” Marquez said.“ When we had a break, we were all looking at each other in the hall, wiping our tears. It was intense. The students were very in tune and sympathetic. It was awesome.”
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FALL 2026 | FSUMED 7