Posters, award presentations and praise! The 2023 Celebration of Resident and Fellow Education and Research Day at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville honored the research and contributions our trainees are making in the field of medicine. Posters filled the Learning Resource Center Atrium; while auditorium mics amplified the voices of resident and fellow physician researchers presenting their work. Rounds of applause were given as graduating resident and fellow physicians came to the end of their journey as trainees.
A message from the UF College of Medicine - Jacksonville
To our residents and fellows, we are grateful you have allowed our leadership, faculty, program directors and coordinators to guide you for the extent of your time at the UF College of Medicine – Jacksonville. As we say goodbye to many of you, we know that you are well equipped with the skill and expertise to thrive in any medical environment and will keep the mission of UF COMJ to heal, to comfort, to educate and to discover close to your hearts. It will guide you as you treat patients in communities across this country and the world.
In celebration of graduating residents and fellows, we would like to share some of their experiences at UF COMJ and where they are heading next.
Mojibade Hassan, MD, PhD, emergency medicine resident
“I chose UF COMJ due to the exceptional emergency medicine training. The patient pathology, resident autonomy and procedure numbers are second to none in the country. Being near a beach is an added bonus. The amount of critical care medicine performed in the emergency department was a major highlight of my time here in addition to building relationships with colleagues in and out of the department and making UF COMJ a fun working environment. I am excited to continue my journey in medicine and will be completing a Medical Education Fellowship at the University of Kansas and plan to have a career in academic emergency medicine.”
Raman Michael, MD, ophthalmology resident
“There were two reasons for me choosing the ophthalmology program here. First, I had solid expectations of training based on the attending physicians I had interviewed with. Second, given the relative newness of the program, I felt that I could make a lasting positive impact on it. The highlight of my time here was saving a trauma patient from unnecessary emergency surgery by making a somewhat obscure diagnosis and managing it at bedside. Starting this July, I will spend one year in Oklahoma City to complete a Glaucoma Fellowship at the Dean McGee Eye Institute, after which I hope to work in a private practice setting as a glaucoma/anterior segment specialist.”
Jose Rivas Rios, MD, cardiology chief fellow
“I had the opportunity to start a position as a post-doctoral researcher in the division of cardiology at UF COMJ. I immediately realized that this institution is a place of opportunities to grow as a researcher and physician, but also as a human being. I was impressed with the high-quality level of care provided to the patients and the diverse patient population. Also, the learning environment was very nurturing, promoting critical thinking and medical curiosity among med students, residents and fellows. The attending physicians were invested in teaching, truly representing an inspiration for the trainees.
Without a doubt, UF COMJ represents the best place to be trained as a physician. I started in the research department in 2015, following by internal medicine residency in 2017 and now finishing the cardiovascular disease fellowship. The diverse pathology and patient complexity I encountered allowed me to feel prepared for my career following the completion of training. Additionally, the comradery and collegiality present during my training aided me to form some of my strongest bonds and friendships. I am planning to stay as a faculty member in cardiology at UF COMJ and pursue a career in academics. My interests are cardiometabolic, preventive cardiology and cardiology imaging.”
Stephanie Rothweiler, MD, internal medicine resident
“I was looking for a residency at a large university hospital with a wide array of pathologies and patient demographics. While interviewing I was impressed with the breadth of knowledge and procedural skills the internal medicine residents exhibited and decided this was where I wanted to train. One highlight during my residency is having the privilege of serving as chief resident. It is a role that allows for personal growth with a main focus on teaching residents and other learners. I plan on proceeding to a Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship as a chief resident.”
Lauren Terpak, MD, MS, neurology chief resident
“My training at UF COMJ started in 2019. I felt that this program was a great model of an academic institution deeply rooted in the community. Additionally, it is a place where everyone I met including future colleagues, faculty, ancillary staff and others were welcoming and content. One of the highlights of my training was being able to provide exceptional care for those who have little resources in their time of need. As a resident physician here at UF COMJ, you feel that you are making a tangible impact. After graduation, I will be pursuing a Movement Disorders Fellowship at The Queen’s Medical Center and the University of Hawaii.”
Congratulations to all residents, fellows and faculty who received awards. Thank you for your commitment to advancing medicine.
Platform Presentations
Faculty, residents, fellows, staff and medical students submitted research for judging. The highest rated submissions are chosen.
Allison H. Feibus, MD, a urology resident, presented in the clinical research category on her research titled, “Distinct clinical genomic variations among men with localized vs metastatic prostate cancer.”
Issa Hanna, MD, a pediatric emergency medicine fellow, presented in the clinical research category on his research titled, “Diagnostic accuracy of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in confirming feeding tube position in neonates admitted to a level III neonatal intensive care unit in a teaching hospital: A feasibility study.”
Florinda Islamovic, MD, a pediatric resident, presented in the quality improvement and patient safety category titled, “Quality education: Improving and standardizing STI education in the pediatric emergency department.”
Cameron G. Kahn, DO, an internal medicine resident, presented in the quality improvement and patient safety category on his research titled, “Deploying an opt-out HIV screening strategy during the annual wellness visit to improve HIV screening rates.”
Roger A. Vazquez Gomez, MD, an emergency medicine ultrasound fellow, presented in the medical education category on his research titled, “Anonymous collaborative residency feedback in emergency medicine residency.”
Jessica A. Restad, DO, an emergency medicine resident, presented in the medical education category on her research titled, “Hands off! Interactive virtual training is not inferior to in-person training for ultrasound image acquisition.”
Poster presentations
The following are the winners, who were recognized for their discoveries in four categories.
Allison H. Feibus, MD, a urology resident, won in the clinical research category for her poster titled, “Novel genetic mutations in smoking-associated prostate cancer.’’
Melanie D. Vega, MD, a pediatric infectious diseases fellow, won in the clinical vignette category for her poster, “Travel does more than widens one’s horizons.’’
Eric P. Deloso, DO, an anesthesiology resident, won in the quality improvement and patient safety category for his poster, “Decreasing surgical case delays associated with nerve blocks.”
Alex M. Moses, MD, an orthopaedic surgery resident, won in the medical education category for his poster, “Lack of year-round study for the orthopaedic in-training exam is a predictive factor for poor examination scores.’’
Photo Contest
Aleem Ali, MD, a gastroenterology fellow, won the photo contest for his project titled, “Bowel Gone Black – Cocaine Colitis.”
Award Winners
The following are key awards that are presented annually and announced during the Celebration of Resident and Fellow Education and Research Day.
Ann Harwood-Nuss Resident Advocate Award — Stephanie Rothweiler, MD, internal medicine
Denise T. West Outstanding GME Administrator Award — Sonya Newsome, C-TAGME, hematology-oncology; pulmonary disease and critical care medicine
Excellence in Student Education Resident Award — Lauren Terpak, MD, MS, neurology
Excellence in Student Education Faculty Award — Reetu Grewal, MD, community health and family medicine
Leon L. Haley Jr. Resident Award for Inclusive Excellence — Abi Krishna, MD, psychiatry
Leon L. Haley Jr. Faculty Award for Inclusive Excellence — Madeline M. Joseph, MD, emergency medicine
Louis S. Russo Resident Award for Outstanding Professionalism in Medicine —Kevin Green, MD, pulmonary disease and critical care medicine
Louis S. Russo Faculty Award for Outstanding Professionalism in Medicine —Jeremy L. Coleman, MD, community health and family medicine
Robert L. Wears Outstanding Resident in Quality and Patient Safety Award — Maryuri Cannon, MD, pediatrics
Rosilie O. Saffos Outstanding Resident Teacher Award — Laren Alexander, MD, child and adolescent psychiatry; Lisa Awe, MD, pediatric hospital medicine
Golden Apple Award in the Clinical Sciences — division of general internal medicine
Distinguished Alumni Award — Richard Milani, MD, FACC, FAHA
Milani was chosen by the selection committee from an outstanding group of very impressive candidates. He earned his medical degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville before completing his internal medicine training and residency and a fellowship in critical care medicine at the University of Florida. He currently serves as Chief Clinical Transformation Officer for Ochsner Health and is also the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Cardiology, Professor of Medicine at Ochsner Clinical School – The University of Queensland School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana.