Embarking on a journey together
A closer look at the UF College of Medicine class of 2021
Aug. 2, 2017 — In the South Learning Studio of the Harrell Medical Education Building, the excitement is palpable.
The 139 members of the UF College of Medicine class of 2021 anxiously await the moment they can open the mysterious packages placed in front of them during their first day of orientation. Finally, associate dean for student affairs Patrick Duff, M.D., and James B. Duke, M.D. ’85, president of the UF Medical Alumni Affairs Board of Directors, give the signal. A flurry of movement is followed by shouts of delight as the students place shiny stethoscopes around their necks. Made possible through gifts from alumni, family and friends to the UF College of Medicine Alumni Affairs Stethoscope Fund, the instruments represent the hope and trust placed in the future physicians.
First-year medical students test out their new stethoscopes, a gift made possible by the UF College of Medicine Alumni Affairs Stethoscope Fund.
Photo by W. Charles Poulton
“The stethoscope is an important tool that binds a physician to a patient. It enhances the physician’s ability to listen,” Duke said. “Booker T. Washington said, ‘If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.’ I think that embodies what we believe here at the UF College of Medicine.”
Of the incoming class, 75 are men and 64 are women. They have done international outreach projects in countries including Guatemala and Morocco. They have served in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and Hoops for Hope. They have worked as videographers, science fiction writers, journalists and late-night comedy producers. Though they are diverse in background and interest, they are united by a common goal: to serve others through the practice of medicine.
Class of 2021: By the numbers
Enrolled: 139
Men: 75
Women: 64
Medical Honors Program: 13
Students from UF undergrad: 51
Out-of-state students: 24
M.D./Ph.D. students: 6
Students with graduate/professional degrees: 13
Meet a few faces from the class of 2021
Tricia Sacks
Through her nonprofit baking organization One Tough Cookie, Sacks has been able to raise nearly $1,000 toward pediatric cancer research through a partnership with local charity Stop Children’s Cancer. As a first-year medical student, Sacks is excited to gain the skills necessary for a career in neurosurgery.
“People may not see the overlap between baking and surgery, but it exists,” she said. “Cake decoration is tedious, meticulous work that requires fine motor skills. I’m a very focused person, and seeing a challenge through to the end gives me a feeling of creative release. If I’m as dexterous with a scalpel as I am with an icing bag, my patients will be in good hands.” — TF
Akeem Bartley
Photo by Kyle Walker
A member of the Medical Honors Program, Bartley balances the stresses of studying by spinning records as DJ Krypton at multiple venues in downtown Gainesville. The first in his family to attend college, Bartley was inspired to become a doctor while growing up in a rural area of Jamaica.
“We had one clinic and a doctor who would visit every third Thursday, maybe. If you got sick, you had to wait until the doctor arrived or travel hours to the next hospital. When I was 8, my mom got sick, and it upset me that she couldn’t get care when she needed it. That’s when my interest in medicine sparked. I told my mom, ‘One day, I’ll be a doctor and I’ll be able to take care of you. You won’t have to deal with this anymore.’” — TF
Theo Jackson
Photo by Kyle Walker
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Jackson has been working toward a medical degree since childhood, when he would report to his mother all the science he was learning in elementary school. After Jackson lost his mother in high school, his passion to become a radiologist solidified. When he’s not studying, he’s writing music and poetry under his artist moniker Phrozone.
“I write music for the same reason I want to be a doctor – to help others,” he said. “My personal motto is, at the end of the day, all you can do is your best to impact others in a positive way.” — TF
Cynthia Guerin
Photo by Kyle Walker
For Guerin, her love of puzzles makes medicine a natural fit. After all, each person is like his or her own puzzle, she said, and it’s a physician’s job to examine the pieces and put together a method of care that helps give each patient the best quality of life possible. When the Oregon native isn’t studying, she enjoys traveling and practicing krav maga, a form of self-defense developed in Israel.
In 2016, she brought her passion for fitness to the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu — where, with the help of the country’s women in sports Olympic program, she worked to help mitigate Vanuatu’s rate of sexual assault by teaching krav maga to 150 women through Virginia Tech’s Honors College Odyssey Fellowship.
“I think of self-defense as preventative medicine,” said Guerin, who spent a month traveling to various villages, youth centers and schools during her time in Vanuatu. “This was one of the first times I was able to make an impact.” — SR
Yoni Nutovits
Photo by Kyle Walker
A long-time volunteer with programs including Florida Guardian ad Litem and AmeriCorps, Nutovits is passionate about helping others. He hopes to specialize in providing long-term care to pediatric patients, building close relationships with the patients he will serve and the classmates he will learn alongside over the next four years.
“Being able to give young people the health they need to pursue their dreams — or even the freedom to decide their futures — brings me great satisfaction and happiness,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working together with my classmates to create a family and a culture of positivity, teamwork and excellence.” — TF
Shivani Hanchate
Photo by Kyle Walker
Hanchate uncovered an interest in medicine through her middle school science courses, but her passion for the field came when she volunteered at hospitals in high school and college and discovered the humanistic, empathetic side of health care as she listened to patients share their stories.
The Jacksonville native said although empathy is one of her strongest characteristics, it’s a skill she’s developed over time by talking with people and undertaking new experiences while at the University of Miami, including meeting with a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor through the Holocaust Survivors Support Internship Program.
“He just wanted someone to tell his stories to, and I was glad to be that person,” she said. “That experience showed me how important listening is, especially in the field of medicine. I think many patients don’t think they’re listened to by their doctors. And even if it’s just staying for an extra two or three minutes to hear what their daughter is doing or what school their son is going to, I think that really makes a difference.” — SR
