Piecing together potential
Learning specialist James “Jim” Gorske, M.Ed., helps cultivate student success
July 23, 2024 — For James “Jim” Gorske, M.Ed., volunteering with the Special Olympics as an undergraduate student at the U.S. Military Academy in New York was the first puzzle piece in discovering his future career path.
He led outreach efforts for local organizations interested in bringing athletes to West Point to compete, but what he enjoyed most was working one-on-one with individuals participating in the Special Olympics.
That interest in building connections and tailoring support to an individual’s needs led him to a host of experiences in specialized student support, culminating in his role as the learning specialist with the University of Florida College of Medicine, where he empowers learners with the personalized tools they need to be successful.
A culmination of experiences
James Gorske in his office in the Harrell Medical Education Building
After spending eight years in the Army, where he served in military intelligence in Colorado, Turkey, and Florida, Gorske opted to go back to school, obtaining a master’s degree in special education from the University of Florida and taking weekend shifts at a group home in Gainesville. Upon graduating, the Wisconsin native worked first at a middle school in St. Petersburg, supporting students who were transitioning from special education classrooms to general education classrooms. He then shifted to higher education, serving as a disability services coordinator at a college in South Carolina, helping about 100 students annually in the late 1990s, just a few years after the Americans with Disabilities Act became law.
Life brought him back to Gainesville in 2007, when he joined the UF Disability Resource Center as director, leading efforts for nine years to support about 2,000 students annually. But he missed the one-on-one interactions — a realization that brought the final puzzle piece into focus.
As the College of Medicine’s learning specialist, a position he has held since its creation in 2016, Gorske leverages the lessons he’s learned from his previous roles. On any given day, he can be found meeting one-on-one with medical and physician assistant students to guide them through individual learning, test-taking, and time management strategies; presenting to classes on learning strategies; facilitating academic accommodations for students registered with UF Disability Resource Center; coordinating the College of Medicine Tutoring Program; and serving as a staff representative on the Student Advocacy Committee.
“Working with students at the undergraduate level is very different than working with students in PA school or medical school — I’ve had to learn a lot along the way,” Gorske said. “One key component is making sure students know if they have questions, are struggling academically, or want to learn more about disability resources, it’s OK to ask and support is available. We want students to be successful, and we need to make sure students can feel comfortable connecting. Every student and their concerns are unique, and trying to find the best way to support them on an individual level is where I focus my energy.”
Meeting a need
James Gorske in the Harrell Medical Education Building
Throughout students’ educational journeys at the College of Medicine, Gorske may interact with a third of each of the medical school and PA classes in some way, whether that’s a one-off meeting or more regular follow-ups. He is also available to support graduate students.
Mallika Bhatta, a medical student in the class of 2025, reached out to Gorske at the beginning of her first year and has met with him each semester since to ensure she is using the right resources for the material at hand and to talk through study plans. When she was not achieving her academic goals at the level she knew she could, she turned to Gorske for assistance with study strategies and saw improvement. She finds his encouragement, friendly demeanor and tactics — such as pairing students with tutors a class ahead — to be especially impactful.
“Mr. Gorske has helped me find the best and most efficient ways to learn and identify the ideal strategies for success personalized to my specific learning style,” added Ethan Jetter, a medical student in the class of 2026. “His support has been invaluable in maximizing my abilities as a student amid the demanding curriculum of medical school.”
Breann Garbas, DHSc, PA-C, a clinical assistant professor in the UF School of PA Studies, has worked with Gorske since she arrived at UF in 2016. Over the years, the two have created a pre-matriculation boot camp to help PA students develop study and note-taking skills prior to beginning their coursework, presented for national associations on academic success, and met with students who had difficulty with an exam to get to the root cause, whether that be a gap in knowledge or test-taking skills.
Garbas has referred many students to Gorske and sees him as an invaluable resource for the college. Those pursuing medical careers tend to be high-achieving, Garbas said, but what helped them find success as an undergraduate student or in other master’s programs isn’t always what will bring them success in medical or PA school. This is where Gorske comes in – he can sit down with the student to evaluate what is working and what isn’t, and provide new strategies tailored to the students’ needs and their academic program.
“Students always feel like they are his top priority,” Garbas said. “I don’t know how he manages to be one person supporting all the students and programs we have. It feels like there are a hundred Jim Gorskes running around. He always meets the need.”
When he’s not on campus, Gorske can be found taking walks with his wife and their Irish doodle, Scarlet; squeezing in 30 minutes of reading per day; caring for his father; or serving on the board of directors for the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida, a resource for people with disabilities in the region. His focus on supporting people brings together all the puzzle pieces of his experience.
“Seeing students’ growth is the most rewarding part of my job,” Gorske said. “There are times when there are tears and students are saying, ‘I’m never going to be successful.’ To see them take ownership of changes they’re going to make or supports they’re going to put in place; hearing them say, ‘I want to be successful, I’m going to find a way,’ and seeing them achieve their goals is why I do what I do.”
