March 31, 2011

Sportscasters call this time of year March Madness and the 2011 NCAA basketball tournaments have certainly provided excitement. March presents some of the same kind of frenzy within medical schools with prospective graduates learning where they will be spending the next few years of their GME training. No, our students are not at that stage yet, but in less than two years, they will be.

Since my last PEP talk a lot has happened at the college. We had a LCME Site Team visit in February and will learn the group’s decision on our provisional accreditation after its June meeting. As soon as that dust settles, we will begin preparing for the full accreditation visit in the fall of 2012. This is timed so the LCME Committee can make a decision in February 2013 on full accreditation before our charter class graduates in May. After that, accreditation will be determined every eight years.

College of Medicine students have also been busy. Our first-years have finished two of their seven modules. Human Body 2: Structure and Function is 17 weeks and the students did exceptionally well with their grades, an autopsy report of their cadavers and their memorial service honoring those first patients. I want to give many thanks to all the physicians who assisted students during multiple Anatomy Lab sessions.

Our Charter Class has ended its second year. Those of you who served as preceptors for these students taught them well as evidenced by their recent performance during the Objective Structured Clinical Exams (OSCE) in the Practice of Medicine Module. These students also finished strong with the Brain and Behavior Module, took the Comprehensive NBME Basic Science exam for the fifth time, presented their Focused Individualized Research Experience (FIRE) results and recently took a practice all-day NBME-like exam. Did I say MARCH MADNESS? Soon these students will begin their clerkships. In previous PEP Talks, I solicited your input on elective experiences you may want to offer. As clerkships approach, we need to know your interest and gather specific information so we can get appropriate programs approved by the state. Please contact Ms. Margaret Orr at margaret.orr@ucf.edu or 407-266-1139 if you are interested.

Finally, we are looking for Specialty Advisors in all disciplines for third- and fourth-year students. Previous experience counseling students about residencies is helpful, but not required. As a Specialty Advisor, you will give students guidance in applying for residency programs, with a particular focus on quality programs in your specialty. You also may help students with letters of recommendation, residency applications, and interview preparation. Students will select advisors as their specialty choice becomes clear in the third or fourth year. The Office of Student Affairs will provide faculty development to all advisors. The time commitment will vary depending on the time of year (busier times are in the fall during application preparation and interviews, and January/February as students prepare their rank order lists for the MATCH). If you are interested in serving as a Specialty Advisor, please contact Ms. Soraya Smith 407- 266-1355 or via e-mail at soraya.smith@ucf.edu.

As March Madness comes to a close, I want to thank you again for your continued support for the UCF College of Medicine,

Best regards,
Dick “PEP” Peppler, Ph.D.