Sept. 3, 2025 — A meaningful interaction with a mentor or colleague can sometimes make all the difference on a challenging day.

To recognize those impacting the culture of the University of Florida College of Medicine, a new initiative has been launched to gather feedback from medical students as they complete rotations in Gainesville and Jacksonville.

The initiative, “Making Gators Greater,” is a revamped reporting system to acknowledge exemplary faculty and residents at the institutions who create a positive learning environment for medical students on the Gainesville campus.

Initiated by Meredith Thompson, M.D., and Diane Howell, M.D. ’07, the goal of the program is to promote a positive culture shift by allowing medical students to submit experiences, keeping in mind not just where improvements can be made but also where there are opportunities to recognize and thank those contributing to a positive rotation experience.

A similar program, “Teach, Learn, Care” was started by by Frank Genuardi, M.D., M.P.H.; Elisa Zenni, M.D.; and Colleen Kalynych, Ed.D., at the College of Medicine – Jacksonville this past summer.

“We want the faculty and residents who are acting as shining examples despite the pressures around them to feel appreciated and recognized for their exceptional efforts,” Howell said. “By elevating them, we also hope it will inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”

Students can choose to identify themselves or submit their responses anonymously. All feedback, Howell said, is reviewed by area leadership and forwarded to relevant faculty or residents to formulate plans for improvement, if needed.

The emphasis on building and continuing a positive culture, Howell said, is the domino effect that results in impacting students, providers and patients.

“When you’re able to learn and care for patients in a positive and supportive culture, we challenge each other to be better, we feel more comfortable asking questions and collaborating in productive ways, our patients feel heard and well cared for and we shape students into care providers who can carry these important concepts forward to their future workplaces and patients,” she said.