Since its inception, the college has not wavered on its commitment to that mission.
Dr. Christie Alexander, a member of the inaugural 2005 graduating class, was trained as a family physician and became the college’ s first graduate to join the full-time faculty.
“ Being able to come back as faculty helped me to see that the mission was constantly reiterated,” Alexander said.“ It was ever-present in what we were doing. Whether it was explicitly stated or in the back of our minds when we were creating the course work or giving a lecture, it’ s just ingrained in who we are and what we’ re going to do. If we’ re going to be serving underserved populations, we should demonstrate that and show what that looks like.”
Alexander specifically cited the Rural Learning Experience that incoming medical students experience during their first semester, when they are bused out to rural medical sites in nearby counties, as a key component.
Livingston shares long view
Livingston was there when the college began and through its initial growth spurt. She saw class enrollment climb from 30 to 120 students, the expansion from three to six regional campuses and the addition of the Bridge and IMS pathway programs.
She was also on hand when Littles left TMH“ temporarily” to chair the college’ s Department of Family Medicine and assist with the school’ s ongoing accreditation battle with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education( LCME). A change in the college’ s leadership led to the appointment of Ocie Harris as dean, who asked Littles to become associate dean of medical education in August 2003. She moved into the administrative suite and hasn’ t left.
“ The eyes that open when they go to a community that is underserved or rural, they’ re like,‘ Whoa. I had no idea,’” Alexander said.“ It becomes part of who you are as a physician as you go through the College of Medicine.”
Littles, who was raised in one of those neighboring rural and underserved communities, is committed to upholding that part of the mission. It’ s the reason she attended medical school and returned home to open a private practice.
A mission with a future
Littles has embraced the idea of a partnership with TMH in an academic medical center, which would potentially provide a huge lift to the FSU Health enterprise that is still in its infancy.
She doesn’ t believe the introduction of an academic medical center to the college’ s community-based medical education program will deter the mission that has defined it from the start, despite critics of the idea.
“ When I think back to where we started, why we started, how we started … and what’ s happening now, there are a lot of comparisons and analogies that I make to the process,” Littles said.“ Starting a new medical school, there was a lot of resistance from multiple corners of the universe. Being able to get beyond that demonstrated a vision that many didn’ t have.
“ I see what’ s happening now as actually a necessary step to ensure that we are able to maintain what we started in the beginning and not lose that.”
She said expanded opportunities for research and discovery through an academic medical center can improve the health of the patients that our graduates care for and allow the medical school to provide additional direct care.
“ I actually see what’ s happening now as literally that next stage, but I do see some similarities as we’ re starting to grow and move into that future. It’ s exciting; for some, it’ s even more, or at least, as exciting as it was launching the new medical school.”
Helen Livingston, Ed. D.
“ When I got here it was‘ all hands on deck,’ push forward and get through [ accreditation ],” said Littles, whose long-term professional aspirations at the time did not include her current position.“ I really started loving what I was doing here and now, nearly 23 years later, I’ m still here. As far as the dean’ s job in 2002, it was nowhere on my brain.”
Livingston believes Littles is the right person to lead the College of Medicine forward.
“ She’ s amazing because she has kept her feet in her world that she came from and has achieved more than anyone expected," Livingston said.“ She’ s probably one of the smartest women I ever knew. She keeps her own counsel, but she’ s meticulous when it comes to getting things done the right way. I admire her very much.
“ Her being the face of this institution is the culmination of the mission and I think may be the saving grace of the future.”
When asked how the college’ s acknowledged founders – Hurt, D’ Alemberte, Peaden and Thrasher— would view the college today, with its success meeting those first legislative initiatives and continued growth, Livingston didn’ t hesitate with a response.
“ I think they would be proud of it,” she said.“ I know that Myra never felt like it was enough, so she probably would want to see what’ s on the next horizon; what else are you going to do?”
10 FSUMED | MED. FSU. EDU