Dear students,

Hopefully you had a restful Thanksgiving and you came back with the energy to make it through these last few weeks to your winter break! We know this is a stressful time, but we have faith in you – we believe you have the tools to finish this semester successfully. Please take a moment (or several moments) to think about all that you have accomplished this semester – you have grown in knowledge and skill and you should celebrate yourself!

Happy Holidays,

Dr. Z and Dr. D

PS – we wanted to give Dr. Pettibone a chance to share a bit about herself, now that she is here to lead the Student Affairs team and work closely with you all…

Kira Zwygart MD, FAAFP

Associate Dean, Student Affairs

Deborah DeWaay MD, FACP

Associate Dean, UME

I am excited to be joining the MCOM Team!

Originally from Ohio, my passion for helping students started at Ohio State. After earning my bachelor's degree, I was a high school life skills teacher before returning to education for my graduate degree. I am now a double gator, earning my M. Ed. in Student Personnel in Higher Education and Ed.D. in Leadership in Educational Administration from the University of Florida. I have been in Florida for 10 years and just moved here from Fort Myers, where I was working at Florida Gulf Coast University. When I am not at work you can find me at the beach with my dog, doing yoga, or reading a good book (recommendations welcome!).

I am passionate about helping you all reach your goals and can’t wait to see what all of you do! I have had the pleasure of meeting some of you already, between Thanksgiving break, studying for exams, and making plans for winter break. Keep up all the great momentum, you deserve the upcoming holidays to relax and spend time doing what you love.

I look forward to supporting all of you through your Medical School journey and celebrating all of your accomplishments along the way! You can find me in the MDD building Student Affairs suite anytime and I encourage you to stop by!

Jill Pettibone, Ed.D.

Director, Office of Student Affairs

In this section we share changes made based on your feedback!

Student Quiet Study

Every week, the Department of Medical Education identifies rooms to be used as “Student Quiet Study” spaces. These spaces are reserved for students to collectively use as quiet spaces to study from 7am-5:20pm. You will know that these spaces have been reserved for you in two ways:

the list of reserved room for quiet study are displayed on the 2nd floor monitors and
the Creston panel outside each reserved room will display that the room is reserved for “Student Quiet Study

Pong Tables at MDD

Pong tables are now in MDD 3rd floor under the stairwell. Paddles and balls can be checked out via the Office of Student Affairs 4th floor (they will soon be available 24/7 near the tables).

New Scholars Guide to Success - Required Curriculum

New Scholars Guide to Success (NSG2S) Curriculum is a requirement for all MSI students. Located in the SCC (BMS6991) and SELECT 1 (BMS6890) courses, it involves viewing the material and answering the associated quiz questions. The deadline for completion is December 16.

Core Students - Summer Scholarly Award Experience (SSAE)

The call for proposals for the SSAE is Tuesday, Jan 10th 2023 with the deadline for submission being March 7, 2023 11:59pm. Refer to the SSAE presentation from Nov 29th for more information (located on the RISE canvas page).

AAMC Year 2 Questionnaire (Y2Q) - Due Jan 3rd - Win Prizes and a Free Lunch!

You have received emails to fill out the AAMC's Y2Q. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. Any student who completes the survey and submits proof of completion here by Dec 16th will be entered into a drawing to receive a branded USFH MCOM backpack or CBSSA voucher worth $60 (total of 3 available for Step 1 prep!).

If your class reaches 85% participation by the Jan 3rd due date, the Office of Student Affairs will provide lunch for your class after your Jan 30th exam!

Tuition Due Date for Term 2

Year 3 Core and SELECT due date for tuition is Dec 9th.

SELECT - Dec 12th 6pm-7pm - Virtual Meeting w/ Financial Aid

Join USF Health Office of Financial Aid virtually via Teams on Monday Dec 12, 6pm-7pm. Drop in for some tips on ways to reduce your overall debt, learn more about the services we have to offer and to provide feedback on how we can better serve you. We want to hear from you! Link / meeting invite has been emailed to you.

Check-In Meetings w/ Collegia Faculty Advisors

All MS3s are to schedule follow-up check-in meetings with assigned Collegia faculty advisors

Tuition Due Date for Term 2

Year 4 Core and SELECT due date for tuition is Dec 9th.

Robert A. Good Honor Society (RGHS)

The call for self-nomination for consideration of selection as a Senior Inductee for the Society will be on January 9, 2023, with a deadline of January 29, 2023. Letters of Support are due February 12, 2023.

SELECT - Dec 12th 6pm-7pm - Virtual Meeting w/ Financial Aid

Virtual Residency Interviews

Rooms are available for you to conduct your virtual residency interviews.

Tampa campus: Please submit requests in 25 Live titled "Residency Interview - (Your Name)". On the day of your interview stop by the Student Affairs office (4th floor) and ask Aaron for an "Interviewing - please do not disturb" sign. OSDE has ring lights you might wish to use as you set up space - you can check the light out from Aaron when you pick up the sign. If you are having issues finding a room, please reach out to Aaron.
LV campus: Please email Dr. Brannen to book a room

Special Events Update

Match Day: March 17th - event kicks off just before noon (at Ulele in Tampa, The Dime in Allentown) - no guest limit

SELECT Awards Gala: March 23rd, 6pm at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks - one guest free per 4th year student - additional guests $50 per guest

Commencement: May 11th at 10am at the Straz - no guest limit

All Class Years

USF Health Research Day

For USF Health Research Day submission visit here. The deadline is January 10, 2023.

Reminder: if a Core student accepted an SSAE, the project must be presented at USF Health Research Day.

MS1s, MS2s, and MS3/MS4 Core - TGH Offsite Parking Garage for Student Parking

TGH has opened its offsite parking garage at the TGH Corporate Center (606 W Kennedy Blvd). The new parking garage will be open from 5am-12am for students to park. Students who arrive when the parking garage is closed, 12am-5am, will be able to park in the employee parking garage. Those students should have after-hours access to the garage added to their TGH ID. If students are unable to swipe in with the badge, use the call box next to the badge swipe. The parking office asks that students no longer park on the visitor's side of the garage due to the limited spaces and high volume of visitors. Students with concerns can contact TGHGMEOffice@tgh.org.

AY23/24 Academic Calendar is Posted

The AY23/24 Academic Calendar has been approved and is posted on the MD Web site (from the home page click on 'Calendar & Events' under the quick links section).

Exceptional Educator - December 2022

Dr. Aurelia Calero | Vascular Surgery

Thank you for your nominations. The committee has reviewed your submissions and selected Dr. Calero for the December Exceptional Educator!

"Dr. Calero stands out from the time I spent on my surgery clerkship because she was one of the few surgeons who took the time to get to know me and teach in the OR. She helped me remember that there is always a bigger picture when seeing patients, as she told me about the times that she diagnosed heart failure in surgery clinic because a patient's leg swelling was not vascular or surgical at all. At the time, I was months removed from my adult medicine rotation and was impressed that a surgeon was able to get me to think about congestive heart failure. When she heard that I was interested in pediatrics, Dr. Calero took the time to tell me about certain patient consults that stood out to her and even gave personal advice about staying grounded in medicine and dealing with difficult emotional cases. I will never forget her kindness and the way she actually made me feel like I was an important part of the team, and the way her questioning stuck with me and probably will for the rest of my life."

- anonymous MD student

Nominate an Exceptional Educator

Thank you to all those who have submitted Exceptional Educator nominees!

Have a faculty, physician, resident, or fellow who impacted you in a significant way? Please submit your stories on exceptional educators. We will highlight nominees in newsletters, on our website, and social media.

Click to Nominate an Exceptional Educator!

Upcoming Exams

Class of 2026

12/12 - Course 2 Anatomy Lab Practical

12/13 – Course 2 Test 3

12/15 – Course 2 NBME

Prize pickup for the Attitude of Gratitude challenge is Dec 1- Dec 15 from the Office of Student Affairs, MDD 4th floor

DIY Snow Globe building - supplies to be picked up from the OSA starting Monday Dec 12th at 11am

Have No Fear, We're Bringing The Holiday Cheer!

Stop by your assigned collegia room starting Dec 9th for a special holiday treat, courtesy of your USF Health Financial Aid team. Learn ways to avoid debt this holiday gift giving season.

FIRST Webinar: COVID-19 Student Loan Relief Measures, Loan Moratorium, Loan Forgiveness and Other Student Loan Updates - Tues Dec 13, 3pm EST

With regular changes to the federal student loan programs taking place, the AAMC FIRST team has created an informative webinar to help you navigate recent regulatory actions and prepare for your individual responsibilities regarding the management of your student loans. In this session, we’ll discuss the implications and current standing of the Biden Administration’s loan forgiveness program, the newly announced extension of COVID-19 relief measures, new regulations impacting the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and what the AAMC is doing to advocate for medical students. Join us for what promises to be one of the most informative webinars of the year.

Register to attend the webinar. Everyone who registers to attend (regardless of attendance) will receive a link to the recording.

Financial Aid Fundamentals Course

Join the online Financial Aid Fundamentals & Debt Management Course in Canvas. Be sure all notifications are turned on to avoid missing important information. All students are added.

Financial Aid Debt Management Challenge

Participate in December's Debt Management Challenge now open until December 30th. Participate for your chance to win $500 to pay directly towards federal student loans. In the Financial Aid Canvas.

MCOM Art Contest

We have the opportunity to make our student spaces in MDD more welcoming by adding art to our walls. We would love to have your help with this! If you have an artistic flair and would like to exercise that part of your brain, we would love to have the opportunity to view your art, and possibly share it with the MDD community. We will be hosting an art competition, with the plan to hang winning entries in the MDD halls. We plan to select the artwork in January, so if you would like to create your masterpiece during a break from your studies, you have the opportunity.

What are we looking for?

Artwork must fit inside of a standard frame of one of the following sizes: 6x8", 9x11", or 12x16"
At this time, we cannot accommodate art larger than the above sizes or 3D pieces
Accepted artwork includes but is not limited to: Photography, digital art, drawings, paintings, collages, etc.
Artwork MUST be family friendly
Please submit a digital copy/photo of your artwork. If accepted, we will contact you about obtaining your physical artwork.
Submissions will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Accepted artwork will be on display for approximately one year (subject to change)

Submit Your Artwork

Save The Date: 2023 Collegia Olympics Feb 10th 1pm-4pm

Collegia Points Update

We're now 2 months away from the 2023 Collegia OLYMPICS and Paracelsus is in the lead!!!

Collegia Spotlights

Our new Collegia Spotlight initiative will highlight a collegia each month from Sept-May. Here are our first two spotlights (click the images to watch the videos).

Debakey

Paracelsus

It's Elemental! Spotlight on 12.1 - Financial Aid

LCME Standard 12, Element 1 (a.k.a. 12.1) delineates that MCOM “provides its medical students with effective financial aid and debt management counseling and has mechanisms in place to minimize the impact of direct educational expenses (i.e., tuition, fees, books, supplies) on medical student indebtedness.”

The USF Health Office of Financial Aid offers an array of financial aid and debt management services that are available to all medical students to help navigate the financial aid process, secure adequate funding for educational expenses, as well as provide debt management and financial counseling. Two members of the financial aid team (of 6 total) are dedicated to supporting medical students and have offices in MDD on the 5th floor.

Students can request a one-on-one session at any time, and also have access to materials hosted on Canvas under the “course” titled “Financial Aid Fundamentals and Debt Management.” Please be sure to sign up and check it out! Both in person and online modules are designed to enhance financial literacy and provide tools that can be used to create healthy financial practices. The office also holds regular informational workshops as well as ‘meet and greets’ throughout the year. Please be on the lookout for emails advertising these events.

For further information about financial aid or for assistance, visit: https://health.usf.edu/WELL/financial-aid.