INSIDE

Central Office………..2

Admissions and

Recruitment………….4

FIU Collaborative

Programs……………..4

Financial Aid…….….5

Grades and

Records…………...…..5

Panther Learning

Communities…..…….6

Student

Programs…………..….7

Health and

Wellness ……………….8

Diversity and

Inclusion………..…….8

Dear HWCOM Community,

Academic year 2014-15 is shaping up to be an outstanding one for the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM). Walking around our campus one can’t help but notice the continued expansion of FIU. As we continue to grow and improve, so too do our many programs and services. With the opening of the new College of Public Health building (AHC5) and the soon to be opened FIU Ambulatory Care Center (AHC 6), we are well on our way to developing an academic health center that will have a major impact on the health of the South Florida community and will train and graduate the next generation of leaders in healthcare.

Consistent with our institution’s growth, the HWCOM Office of Student Affairs has undergone a number of changes over the past year designed to enhance and improve the delivery of programs and services necessary to support our medical education mission and to help our students achieve their professional goals. This newsletter serves as an introduction to these changes. I encourage you to read through the information provided and to refer to our new webpage. If you have any questions or require guidance to access services, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our main office number remains the same: 305-348-0644. This is an exciting time for all of us in OSA and we look forward to working closely with each and every one of you to maximize your experience at HWCOM. We wish you all a very successful and productive 2014-15 academic year!

Sincerely,

Robert L. Hernandez, Jr., MD

Executive Associate Dean for Student Affairs

The Office of Student Affairs

September 10, 2014

OSA COMmunicator

Editor: Jessica Lewis, MA

“As the new Associate Dean for

Student Affairs, I am looking forward

to working with Dr. Hernandez and

the OSA team to help develop new

programs that will not only enhance

our current

student’s medical

school experience,

but develop new

recruitment

programs that

will help us meet

our goals and the

mission of this

university. I also

look forward to

working with other members of the

HWCOM community to learn more

about other impactful programs and

resources to make this college a

Worlds Ahead institution. “

- Adrian L. Jones, JD

Associate Dean for Student Affairs

2 Continued...

OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS CENTRAL OFFICE

Location - The Office of Student Affairs has moved from the sixth floor of AHC2. You will now find most of our units, including the OSA Main Office, Admissions, Grades & Records, Financial Assistance and Student Programs on the third floor. This move puts us near the Panther Learning Communities. The only OSA office that remains outside of AHC2 is the Counseling and Wellness center which remains in the Green Library. Click HERE to find a directory of our offices. Organization - Several individuals have joined our leadership team over the past few months, including Adrian Jones, JD, our new Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Dean Jones joins us from Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine where he served as the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Recruitment. In his new role, Dean Jones will assist Dr. Hernandez in overseeing all programs and services offered through the Office of Student Affairs. His office may be found in AHC2 395.

Another new member of the OSA team is Cheryl Brewster, EdD. Dr. Brewster remains in her role as Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for the HWCOM. As a member of the OSA team, Dr. Brewster will increase her involvement in the recruitment of students underrepresented in medicine, as well as expand services and programs for currently enrolled students. Dr. Brewster has also taken on a new role of Faculty Fellow for Panther Learning Community Hippocrates. The roles of the Faculty Fellows are described more fully later in this document. Her office has been relocated to AHC2 378, within PLC Hippocrates.

Barbra Roller, PhD remains an Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, but has taken on a new role overseeing our collaborative programs with FIU. Dr. Roller will assist in developing programs that enhance the recruitment and retention of FIU undergraduates who wish to enter the field of medicine and attend HWCOM. She has just helped launch a new upper level course being offered by The Honors College called Challenges in Healthcare. Among her many projects is the development of combined degree programs with other colleges at FIU, including a BS/MD program. Dr. Roller’s office is now located in AHC2 368A.

The Office of Admissions and Recruitment is now under the supervision of Andria Williams, MBA, Director for Admissions and Recruitment. Andria is currently overseeing a major redesign of the admissions process, including a new admissions committee, interview panel, secondary application, and interview day. We hope these changes will improve our holistic admissions process and allow us to better identify applicants who want to train here and are the “right fit” for HWCOM. Ms. Williams office is located in AHC2 361A.

Robert Dollinger, MD also remains an Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, however his role will now focus primarily on the Panther Learning Communities. Under his leadership, the PLC’s will be launching several new signature programs this year designed to enhance the medical degree program and provide opportunities for students to acquire competencies in the areas of teaching, mentorship, and leadership.

Inside...

The Office of Student Affairs

3

New programs will include the Clinical Skills Peer Training Program and the Peer Mentoring Program. Dr. Dollinger also assists with Clinical Skills I course, and serves as the Faculty Fellow for PLC Anderson, his office is located in AHC2 370.

Heidi von Harscher, PhD has taken on new responsibilities within OSA. In addition to serving as the Director for the Counseling and Wellness Service, she will be expanding the Fit and Well Program and will be assisting in the delivery of the new OSA curriculum. She will also provide support and guidance to students who are experiencing any sort of difficulty or who require professionalism counseling. Taking on the role of a Faculty Fellow, Dr. von Harscher’s office has moved from the Green Library to AHC2 366, PLC Semmelweis.

We have created a new unit called the Office of Student Programs. This unit is under the supervision of Scarlett Aldana-Bosch, MBA, Associate Director for Student Programs. Scarlett’s team includes Carmen Carter, MS, Career & Professional Development, Emily Ginsberg, MSW, Community Outreach Coordinator, and Brittany Cooke, MS, Student Organizations & International Programs Coordinator.

Jessica Lewis, MA has joined the central unit as the Communications Coordinator under the supervision of Natalie Hernandez, MS, Director of Operations. In this new role, Jessica’s primary goal is to improve communication with all units in the Office of Student Affairs and the student body through various formats including our website, e-communications, and social networks.

Although he is not formally a member of the Office of Student Affairs, Alan Wells, PhD, MPH joins the OSA team as a Faculty Fellow for PLC Pasteur. Dr. Wells will continue to serve as Course Director of the Community Medicine Practicum. His office is located in AHC2 374, PLC Pasteur.

The renovation project for the Student Lounge (AHC2 360) has been completed. The

lounge has many IT upgrades, including two new 70” LCD monitors, a computer station, and

AppleTV. Foldable tables and chairs with a capacity of up to 36 people have also been added.

The room will be used by OSA on certain Mondays, Tuesday mornings, and Fridays for

Admissions Interviews and Committee meetings. The remainder of the time is open for

student use. Medical students can reserve the room for meetings. A meeting schedule will be

placed outside the door on a weekly basis to update you on availability. To place a reservation

request for the Student Lounge, please contact OSA at 305-348-0644 or by email

at comosa@fiu.edu.

Right: The updated

unit model for the

Office of Student

Affairs showing all

new units currently

residing in OSA.

3

OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS:

IMPORTANT DATES

September

Class of 2016 Town Hall:

Guide to the Match – 9/19/14

Class of 2017 Financial Aid Meeting:

Managing Medical School Debt – 9/23/14

Class of 2015 Town Hall:

Residency Interviews – 9/26/14

October

Class of 2017 Wellness Meeting:

Empathy & Burnout Feedback – 10/14/14

Class of 2016 Town Hall:

USMLE Survival Guide – 10/17/14

November

Class of 2017 Town Hall:

The Competitive Applicant – 11/18/14

December

Happy Holidays!

January

Class of 2017 Town Hall:

Surveying the Alternatives – 1/27/15

Class of 2018 Workshop:

Careers in Medicine – 01/30/15

Class of 2015 Town Hall:

ROLIC, Match, & Graduation – 01/30/15

February

HWCOM Event:

Residency Fair – 02/07/15

March

Class of 2018 Financial Aid Meeting:

Debt MGMT & Loan Counseling – 03/13/15

Class of 2016 Financial Aid Meeting:

Debt Management & Residency – 03/20/15

HWCOM Event:

Match Day – 3/20/15

Class of 2017 Financial Aid Meeting:

Debt MGMT & Loan Counseling – 03/27/15

April

Class of 2015 Financial Aid Meeting:

Exit Counseling – 04/03/15

Class of 2016 Town Hall:

Match Outcomes – 04/14/15

Class of 2015 Graduation:

Commencement Convocation: - 04/26/15

ADMISSIONS AND RECRUITMENT

The Office of Admissions and Recruitment,

consisting of Andria Williams, MBA –

Director, Cristina Marino Arabatzis,

MBA – Coordinator, and Aray Rivera –

Program Assistant, now has six years of

experience in selecting students who thrive

at HWCOM. The office is developing and

streamlining the admissions process, and

have made some exciting changes to their

previous model. These changes improve

efficiency while maintaining the quality of

the admissions review process. Medical

students continue to participate on the

Admissions Committee- adding value and

richness to the selection process of future

medical students who will fill our

classrooms, serve in our communities,

represent HWCOM, and eventually graduate

as physicians from our institution.

As the Office of Admissions and

Recruitment continues their mission to

recruit and admit students who are the right

“fit”, the “semi blinded” interview model has

been implemented to the interview process.

Interviewers will now receive a snapshot

with the applicant’s experiences, personal

statement, and responses to the HWCOM

Secondary Application questions. This will

drive the conversation, help the interviewer

to delve deeper, and ultimately get to know

the applicant better. Medical students have

also been selected to participate as

interviewers on the Interview Panel, as their

perspective is important in this process.

Additionally, published minimum academic

requirements have been removed and AAMC

data is being used to determine academic

readiness. The Interview Panel will now

focus on a holistic view of the applicants.

For more questions on admissions and

recruitment, contact Andria Williams,

Director of Admissions and Recruitment.

FIU COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS The mission of the FIU Collaborative Programs division is to create, administer, and

assess programs that will lead to the enhanced preparation of FIU students and other

well-qualified Florida applicants, prepare high school students for matriculation into

FIU premedical programs, and to create joint degree programs to enhance recruitment

and accommodate the interests of HWCOM medical students.

To assist in meeting these goals, Dr. Barbra Roller, Assistant Dean for Student

Affairs, has created programs to augment and complement our current efforts in these

areas.

Summer Residential Programs- Programs designed for undergraduate premedical

students, such as Doctors of Tomorrow, have been offered for three years and will

continue to be enhanced. Summer residential programs for high school students are

being created.

Honors College Courses - These courses represent the first ever collaboration

between The Honors College at FIU and the HWCOM. The courses are part of a two

semester sequence titled Challenges in Healthcare and are designed for students who

wish to learn about healthcare issues and to gain experience in thinking critically and

developing lifelong learning skills

Premedical Mentoring – This new program in the Office of Student Affairs will be

working with the FIU Office of Pre-Health Professions Advising and its premedical

advisors. This program will also be working with FIU premedical clubs and societies.

Combined Degree Programs - We are currently exploring the development of joint

degree programs: BS/MD, MD/MPH, MD/MBA.

For more information on any of these programs, please contact Barbra A. Roller, PhD.,

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.

Vivian T. Obeso, MD, Medical Director of

the HWCOM Simulation Center

demonstrates Harvey to the Doctors of

Tomorrow students.

Dr. Barbra Roller and the 2014 Doctors of Tomorrow students pose in the Medical Library

Doctors of Tomorrow students practice

intubation in the HWCOM Simulation

Center

The Doctors of Tomorrow Program (DOT),

through FIU Collaborative Programs, is an

intensive 5-day residential program designed

to help college students navigate the

complicated process of applying for medical

school and provides the tools for them to

become more competitive applicants.

HIGHLIGHTS:

DOCTORS OF TOMORROW

4

GRADES AND RECORDS

FINANCIAL AID The Office of Financial Aid at HWCOM

continues to provide assistance to help the

students achieve their educational

aspirations while successfully managing

their finances. The staff, which consists of

Marissa Miles, MA - Director of

Financial Aid, Maria Jose Araya, MPA -

Senior Financial Aid Coordinator, and

Michelle Troche - Program Assistant, are

committed to providing the best possible

financial resources, counseling and

customer service.

Currently, the Office of Financial Aid is a part of a HWCOM collaborative team working

on a Debt Management Initiative to address student debt levels, as well as

implementing initiatives that will successfully lower student debt within HWCOM. The

implementation of the Debt Management Program in the 2013-2014 academic year

resulted in a return of student loans totaling over $390,000.00.

Scholarships: The Office of Financial Aid has awarded almost $3,000,000 in

scholarship funds to current HWCOM students in the 2014-2015 academic year. The

funds consist of HWCOM, Foundation, and external funding sources.

For more information, visit medicine.fiu.edu/financialaid, or contact Marissa Miles,

Director of Financial Aid.

Grades and Records is transitioning to a paperless office using ImageNow, a software suite that enables us to organize content from different sources. Files will be processed and stored in a secure, organized, and searchable database that links student and course data with Panthersoft. The acquisition of ImageNow allows us to now process name and address changes internally. Visit medicine.fiu.edu/registrar for more information regarding our office and services.

All requests including transcripts, enrollment verification, name change, address change, and residency reclassification should be submitted electronically via comregistrar@fiu.edu.

NOTARY SERVICES: The Office of Grades and Records provides FREE notary services to all HWCOM students, faculty, and staff.

For any questions regarding Grades and Records please contact Almi Rodriguez, Director of Records and Registrar, or Tatiana Felix, Assistant Medical Registrar, at comregistrar@fiu.edu.

5

Total Students : 119

Mean GPA: 3.68

Mean BCPM: 3.60

Mean MCAT: 30.4

Average Age: 23

Fee Assistance Program 17 (14%)

Gender

Females 60 (50%)

Males 59 (50%)

Diversity/Ethnicity

Asian/Asian Indian 18 (15%)

Black/African American 13 (11%)

Hispanic 41 (34%)

White/Non-Hispanic 42 (35%)

Not Reported/Other 5 (4%)

Residency

Florida 97 (82%)

Out-of-State 22 (18% )

Institutions

Florida:

FIU (21); Ave Maria (1); FAU (2);

FSU (4); UCF (4); UF (26); UM (17);

USF (7)

Out-of-State: (37)

5

CLASS OF 2018 STATISTICS

FROM THE OFFICE OF

ADMISSIONS AND RECRUITMENT:

A new tradition was started this year with the

inaugural Panther Day that concluded

orientation week. Panther Day included fun

activities, ice breakers and team building

within PLCs – as well as friendly

competition between PLCs. Students,

parents, faculty and staff were all in

attendance.

The Panther Communities are now called the “Panther Learning Communities (PLC)

to emphasize their overall mission in complementing student’s curricular experiences.

The PLCs continue to provide a variety of programs that address specific learning

outcomes which characterize the overall educational experience, professional

development, professionalism, social engagement, personal wellness, service learning,

research, community health, and peer mentorship of FIU pre-medicine and first-year

medical students.

Robert Dollinger, MD, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, leads the new PLC team of

an Administrative Coordinator, Grace Jutan, and four Administrative Assistants. The

Administrative Assistants who provide the day-to-day management of operations for their

respective Panther Learning Community are Katherine Alonso - PLC Pasteur; Christina

Covoletski – PLC Hippocrates; Sachay Fernandez – PLC Semmelweis; Amy Salinas – PLC

Anderson.

A new program in the PLCs this year is the integration of Faculty Fellows, an appointed

member of the OSA faculty who promotes strong relationships between students, faculty

and staff as a member of a PLC community. They share their diverse backgrounds with

their PLC students by providing mentorship, counseling, and guidance to meet their

professional and personal goals, and to assist with academic or personal issues. The

Faculty Fellows also participate in strategic and operations planning. Each Faculty Fellow

is assigned with an office in each PLC: Cheryl Brewster, EdD; Assistant Dean for

Diversity (PLC Hippocrates), Robert Dollinger, MD; Assistant Dean for Student

Affairs (PLC Anderson), Heidi von Harscher, PhD; Director of Counseling and

Wellness (PLC Semmelweis), Alan Wells, PhD; Assistant Professor, Department of

Humanities, Health, and Society (PLC Pasteur).

New PLC Signature Programs

Peer Mentoring Programs: 1) The Peer Mentoring program consists of trained M2

students in each PLC who will help mentor M1 students based on personal

interests and professional aspirations. 2) The major FIU pre-medicine/pre-health

undergraduate student organizations will be assigned to each PLC, providing

opportunities for trained PLC peer mentors to provide guidance and information

about the great opportunities for promising FIU undergraduate pre-medicine

students –providing a pipeline for FIU undergraduates to attend the HWCOM.

Clinical Skills Peer Teaching Program: An opportunity for M2 students who

performed well on their OSCE’s to be trained to assist and teach M1 students in

their respective PLC on the appropriate history and physical examination skills to

complement their Clinical Skills I course.

Fit and Well Challenges: Starting Fall 2014, students will monitor their daily steps

using a smartphone app and compete as a PLC team in virtual races. In January,

students will receive voluntary coaching from personal trainers at the FIU

Recreation Center to track percent body fat as part of the PLC Fit and Well Team

Challenge.

Medical Spanish Review and Certification: Each PLC will monitor and track

the progress of their students’ participation in the Canopy Medical Spanish online

program and encourage students to achieve national certification.

Service learning opportunities with Green Family Foundation NeighborhoodHELP™

continue to be a significant part of the PLCs as they have been since the first class of

medical students. In addition to these signature programs, students have opportunities to

pursue leadership positions such as PLC Mayor, appointed chief of a PLC program, and

membership on the PLC Steering Committee. For more information on the new PLC

structure, please contact Robert Dollinger, MD, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs.

PANTHER LEARNING COMMUNITIES

6

Dean Hernandez and Dean Jones

compete in the three-legged race.

Members of PLC Anderson cheer for their

PLC teammates.

PLC Semmemlweis celebrate their

Basketball Victory.

HIGHLIGHTS:

PANTHER DAY

6

day management of operations for their

health

: Starting Fall 2014, students will monitor their daily steps

Student Programs, the new unit in the Office of Student Affairs,

provides students with wide-ranging programs, support

services and activities to further develop skills in the areas of

professional development, career guidance, student-led

initiatives, community involvement, and international student

opportunities. The Student Programs team work to enhance the

quality of the medical school experience and strengthen the

growth and development of students through a positive,

professional, and team based learning environment.

The new team, under guidance of the Associate Director for

Student Programs, Scarlett Aldana-Bosch, MBA, consists of

the former Panther Community Coordinators who now oversee

specialized areas:

Emily Ginsberg, MSW, Community Engagement

Coordinator –The Community and Engagement

Coordinator’s main focus is to plan and implement health fairs,

educational outreach, and other medical student programs and

services for the South Florida community. These programs

include those that are sponsored by the Office of Student

Affairs, in collaboration with community partners, and other

departments within the medical school.

Brittany Cooke, MS, Student Organizations and

International Affairs Coordinator- The Student

Organizations and International Affairs Coordinator oversees

programming and funding request for all student organizations,

including interest groups, subcommittees and student-led

initiatives. She also manages workshops and trainings for

student executive boards that will assist with leadership

development, communication skills, and the application of

funding procedures.

Ms. Cooke will also serve as lead liaison to the Global Health

Learning Initiative Opportunities (GHLO) program via AAMC.

Additionally, additionally works directly with the students to

identify both, credit and non-credit opportunities (i.e. fourth

year electives, mission trips), and provide support to students

seeking to participate in programs available through Visiting

Student Application Service (VSAS).

Carmen Carter, MS, Career and Professional

Development Program Coordinator – The Career and

Professional Development Coordinator will oversee a four-year

career guidance program by providing services for medical

students utilizing the AAMC Careers in Medicine model as a

resource. She will also track professional development

programs and assist medical students in keeping an up-to-date

portfolio to meet short and long term career plans.

For additional questions on Student Programs, please contact

Scarlett Aldana-Bosch, Associate Director for

Student Programs.

STUDENT PROGRAMS

7

New Panther Learning

Community Operations

Flow Chart

7

The Medical Student Counseling & Wellness

Center is where students can enjoy

confidential counseling services designed

specifically for medical students and provided

by licensed psychologists in a private office

suite in the Green Library. The Center also

provides useful student enhancement

modalities such as biofeedback, aromatherapy,

nutrition and health counseling, stress relief

and therapeutic assessment. Please contact

the Center for an appointment (305)348-1460.

In addition to overseeing the Center, Dr. von

Harscher now serves as a Faculty Fellow in

the Panther Learning Communities and assists

students by reinforcing the importance of

holistic health and wellness services. She will

also help point students to many other

available resources, depending on the student

needs or requests. As a member of the

HWCOM faculty, she will continue to function

as the faculty advisor for AMWA , WHOLE,

and with the “Behind the White Coat” series,

and will act as student liaison to

administration and faculty, particularly in the

Department of Health, Humanities & Society

and in the Professional Behavior strand.

Dr. von Harscher also has new duties that

include overseeing, synchronizing and

expanding Wellness programs that occur in

HWCOM, including increasing wellness

activity offerings on the academic side.

Another change in student wellness

programming is that most social events within

the Panther Learning Communities will now

fall under the “Fit & Well” program - a

program established by Dr. von Harscher in

2009 (originally “De-stress with the Docs”) in

response to medical student health and

wellness needs. In addition to offering medical

students programs that promote healthier

physical, emotional, spiritual, cognitive, intra

and interpersonal well-being, wellness will

now oversee other stress-relieving,

team-building, social activities such as Field

Day and fit walk to San Francisco, just to name

a few.

For more information on Health and Wellness,

contact Heidi von Harscher, PhD, Director of

Counseling and Wellness.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI)

completed its fourth year of the Summer STAR

program. This fourth cohort of students

showcased the importance of offering

programs and learning opportunities to

students typically underrepresented in

medicine. Students participated in a range of

activities including conducting an eight week

biomedical research project, shadowing

clinicians at the Faculty Group Practice, and

working with NHELP.

As the faculty advisor for the Gay Straight

Alliance, Dr. Cheryl Brewster encourages

the students to engage their fellow students in

LGBTQ related learning activities. This year

the group was interested in gaining a better

understanding of knowledge, attitudes and

beliefs their fellow students held towards

providing medical care to the LGBTQ

population. A survey will be conducted with

all students in September.

Graduating culturally competent students is

part of our mission. To ensure we have an

environment conducive to promoting cultural

competence, ODI has been conducting cultural

competency workshops with various

departments throughout HWCOM.

Departments interested in hosting a workshop,

contact Cheryl Brewster, EdD, Assistant Dean

of Diversity.

Central Office

Robert Hernandez, MD— AHC2 387

Natalie Hernandez , MS— AHC2 398

Jessica Lewis, MA—AHC2 382

Ricardo Abreu—AHC2 390W2

Adrian Jones, JD—AHC2 395

Melissa Fernandez, MS—AHC2 390

Sanford Markham, MD—AHC2 361

Cheryl Brewster, EdD—AHC2 378

Admissions and Recruitment

Andria Williams, MBA—AHC2 361A

Cristina Arabatzis, MBA—AHC2 362

Aray Rivera—AHC2 362

Grades and Records

Almi Rodriguez, MS—AHC2 397

Tatiana Felix, MPA—AHC2 391

Financial Aid

Marissa Miles, MA—AHC2 394B

Maria Jose Araya, MPA—AHC2 392

Michelle Troche—AHC2 390W2

Panther Learning Communities

Robert Dollinger, MD—AHC2 370

Grace Jutan—AHC2 369

Alan Wells, PhD—AHC2 374

Amy Salinas—AHC2 368

Christina Covoletski—AHC2 377

Katherine Alonso—AHC2 373

Heidi von Harscher, PhD—AHC2 366

Sachay Fernandez—AHC2 365

Student Programs

Scarlett Aldana-Bosch, MBA-AHC2 379

Brittany Cooke, MS—AHC2 385

Emily Ginsberg, MSW—AHC2 384

Carmen Carter, MS—AHC2 381

FIU Collaborative Programs

Barbra Roller, PhD—AHC2 368A

OSA NEW OFFICE

DIRECTORY

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Above: Rosalyn Aaron (Summer STAR student), Dr. Marisela

Agudelo, Department of Immunology (Summer STAR Co-Director,

Dr. Cheryl Brewster, Assistant Dean for Diversity (Summer STAR

Director), Tiffany Tolbert (Summer STAR student)