- College of Medicine
You’ll excuse graduating UCF medical student Christin Giordano if the last few months seem like a blur. She’s matched into a highly competitive residency at Vanderbilt, her top choice; she’s house hunting in Nashville; she was profiled as a young female leader for UCF’s Women’s History Month and on April 4 was selected for the Order of Pegasus, UCF’s top student award.
“I am so incredibly honored to represent the College of Medicine in this way,” she said of being selected as one of 20 undergraduate and graduate students for the honor, which recognizes academic excellence, leadership and service. Five of the honorees were from the medical school.
Giordano is an active member of several academic societies and has also mentored other students pursuing medicine. She’s been a chief peer academic coach, and serves as a member of the medical school’s admissions committee. She has also co-authored six journal articles. She has also earned the Academic Excellence Award, the Excellence in Clinical Skills Award and took first place in the Florida American College of Physicians’ medical student poster.
On March 18, she matched into Vanderbilt’s internal medicine residency, where she will do her graduate medical education. She loves primary care because she says it allows her to have an ongoing relationship with her parents. “With internal medicine you have a unique opportunity to prevent disease and improve a person’s quality of life,” she said. “Whether you’re providing a vaccine or helping someone lose weight, you are having an impact on that person’s life and health.”
A Connecticut native, Giordano did her undergraduate training at Brown University. UCF’s new medical school was not at the top of her list for getting her M.D. until she came for an interview and heard Dean Deborah German talk about UCF being a place that helps students fulfill their dreams. “During my entire four years here, everyone – faculty, staff, advisors – have helped me go after that dream,” she said. Her goal in doing the Women’s History Month feature was to continue that inspiration. “I hope my words can encourage other women to take the steps and show the leadership to achieve their dreams,” she said.