Giving thanks to our mentors
College of Medicine students and alumni share gratitude for UF mentors who inspire and guide
Nov. 17, 2022 — As a community centered around education, research and patient care, meaningful innovation takes place year-round at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Through collaboration across departments and generations, the lives of our learners and patients are changed for the better.
This holiday season, we recognize the many teachers, caregivers and leaders who make our workspaces and classrooms places of true support. Hear from four past and present students below as they thank the mentors who helped inspire and guide their careers at UF.
Tomas Potlach, incoming first-year medical student and Medical Honors Program participant
UF College of Medicine student Tomas Potlach, center, and his mentor, Ellen Zimmermann, M.D., left, at the college's Celebration of Research Day
As an undergraduate freshman at UF, Tomas Potlach became interested in studying inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Upon reaching out to UF gastroenterology professor Ellen Zimmermann, M.D., in the hopes of interning in her lab, he landed a spot carrying out basic science benchwork techniques.
Under Zimmermann’s guidance and as part of UF’s combined B.S./M.D. Medical Honors Program, Potlach soon transitioned to a big data study leveraging the OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium, a large, statewide electronic health record database housed in the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and wrote his honors thesis investigating biologic medication use among a large cohort of patients with IBD in Florida. Zimmermann, who is also the associate dean for faculty development, sponsored Potlach and a peer in establishing an on-campus IBD support group for UF students and a panel discussion to help students with IBD effectively transition to college life.
“I am thankful for Dr. Zimmermann’s mentorship,” Potlach said. “She really uplifted me and opened my eyes to a future career in medicine. She constantly strives to help others, especially students, become the best version of themselves. Beyond this, Dr. Zimmermann continues to show me that research is an increasingly important facet of medicine. She helped me get into research, and one of my most memorable experiences with her mentorship was giving my first poster presentation at the UF College of Medicine Celebration of Research Day at the Stephen O’Connell Center.”
John W. Figg, third-year M.D.-Ph.D. student
UF College of Medicine student John W. Figg
John W. Figg, a third-year M.D.-Ph.D. student researching cancer biology in the UF College of Medicine, met his mentor Catherine Flores, Ph.D., over Zoom for the first time in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic while trying to choose a lab to join for his doctoral research.
From early conversations with her and her lab members, it was clear to Figg that Flores, an associate professor in the department of neurosurgery and a principal investigator of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Engineering Laboratory within the Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy and UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, was his ideal mentor.
UF College of Medicine associate professor Catherine Flores, Ph.D.
“I always felt included in her lab, and I greatly appreciated the relaxed and fun culture,” he said. “Her attitude about research, and science in general, motivates me to be a better future scientist and clinician and to apply many of her principles to my own future research. My time working with Dr. Flores has affirmed my desire to remain in academic medicine and to become a leader in clinical and translational research … She is extremely personable and not only cares about research but also about the people in her lab. Despite having years of training left, I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else other than Dr. Flores.”
Cyra Cottrell, M.D. ’19 alumna
UF College of Medicine alumna Cyra Cottrell, M.D. '19
UF College of Medicine alumna and incoming Mayo Clinic fellow Cyra Cottrell, M.D. ’19, always knew she wanted to work in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, or REI. From the beginning of her medical school journey, Cottrell said, OB-GYN REI professor Alice Rhoton-Vlasak, M.D., took her under her wing during shadowing opportunities, confirming for the young student that REI was a powerful field to be in.
Recently, Cottrell found out she matched at the Mayo Clinic for her REI fellowship — the same place Rhoton-Vlasak, a 1989 UF College of Medicine graduate, completed her fellowship from 1994-96.
Alice Rhoton-Vlasak, M.D.
Director of HOPE Network
Department of OB/GYN
“It was such a special moment for both of us,” Cottrell said. “Anyone who works with Dr. Rhoton-Vlasak knows what an amazing doctor and an even more wonderful person she is. I would tell everyone I wanted to be like her ‘when I grow up,’ and now I’m walking in her same footsteps. We still talk, and she continues to be my biggest role model and influence, even though I’m in residency in Georgia.”
Charlette Williams, fourth-year medical student
UF college of medicine student Charlette Williams, left, and her mentor, Adetola Louis-Jacques, M.D., right
While rotating through the department of obstetrics and gynecology, fourth-year medical student Charlette Williams first saw her future mentor standing on the labor and delivery floor. Adetola F. Louis-Jacques, M.D., a clinical assistant professor with the maternal-fetal medicine program, was brilliant, warm and welcoming, Williams remembered. After discovering they shared a passion for the art of doula, Louis-Jacques quickly helped involve Williams in her ongoing research.
“I gravitated toward her instantly,” Williams said. “I’m currently applying to OB-GYN residencies because I want to dedicate my career to helping alleviate Black maternal morbidity and mortality rates. The mentorship I’ve received from Dr. Louis-Jacques confirmed my choice to pursue obstetrics and highlighted the importance of physicians of color in spaces that have historically been homogenous.
“With Dr. Louis-Jacques, I’m able to speak my mind and get advice from a Black female physician who understands the daily hurdles students of color need to jump to exist in this space. I’m thankful for her guidance, compassion and commitment to alleviating health disparities. UF is truly blessed to have her.”
