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HCMA Hosts Visionary Event
UCF-COM Students Debate Medicine’s FutureOn Feb. 2 at the InterContinental Tampa Hotel, the Hillsborough County Medical Association (HCMA) will host an historic debate involving students from the University of South Florida College of Medicine (USF COM), in conjunction with HCMA’s general membership dinner meeting.
“We wanted to know … ,” said Debbie Zorian, executive director of the HCMA, “What do medical students view as important now versus what will be important in the future? What kind of care do they think elderly patients should expect to receive during the next decade? The next 20 years? This opportunity will allow students to let physicians know what they think and how they feel about the future healthcare of our country and our state, and their careers in medicine.”
The HCMA-hosted student program was formerly known as “Students Say the Darndest Things” and held annually on the USF campus. After consulting with Chad Rudnick, the medical student representative on the HCMA Executive Council, Zorian revised the program curriculum to involve a panel of first, second, third and fourth year medical students discussing issues related to sweeping healthcare reform taking shape nationwide—and to combine the program with the annual HCMA membership meeting.
“HCMA is pleased to partner with USF students in planning this special event,” said Zorian. “We anticipate an exceptionally interesting and somewhat spirited evening.”
Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) and Visionary Healthware, Inc. are sponsoring the event, which begins with social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m., and the medical student debate at 8 p.m. Stephen Klasko, MD, dean of the USF COM, and HCMA president Humberto Coto, MD, will provide the evening’s opening remarks.
“From then on, it’s the students’ program,” said Zorian.
HCMA and USF COM collaborate throughout the year on various programs and events. Last September, Madelyn Butler, MD, past president of HCMA and president-elect of the Florida Medical Association (FMA), spoke to medical school students about healthcare reform efforts and the legislative process. Butler also discussed the structure of healthcare delivery systems in the United States, England, Cuba and Canada, and addressed the AMA’s and FMA’s position on healthcare reform. The USF AMA/FMA chapter and the USF Business and Entrepreneurship Scholarly Concentration group hosted the meeting, led by Professor William Marshall, PhD, and medical students Courtney Bovee and Elisa McQueen. “We’re very fortunate to have a leader like Dr. Butler, who continues to engage and mentor medical students,” said Bovee.
USF COM students recently established Project World Health (PWH) to fund annual medical mission travel with area physicians and nurses to the Jarabacoa region of the Dominican Republic. Every spring, the team establishes medical clinics—providing patient care, preventive medicine and health education—in communities where access to basic healthcare is severely limited.
“For this project’s continued success, Project World Health is in need of medications (that expire after May 2010) and supplies to take on the trip,” said Coto. “Pharmaceutical donations from community physicians are crucial to the success of their endeavor. Project World Health also depends heavily on charitable contributions from members of the medical community to fund the mission. Consider supporting our future physicians in their challenging mission.”
Furthering their educational focus, HCMA recently partnered with UMA, a career school focused on empowering students to excel in their chosen field.
“As part of their curriculum, UMA students are required to perform a clinical externship,” said Zorian. “UMA will place their students in HCMA members’ offices, performing support staff duties at no expense to the member or their practice.”
Depending on course requirements, externships involve up to 180 hours of service.
Tags:Debbie Zorian, HCMA, Hillsborough County Medical Association, Humberto Coto, InterContinental Tampa Hotel, Kenneth Louis, Madelyn ButlerBookmark:
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