WORKING
Hand in Hand
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FIU College of Medicine and Gastro Health Partner up in Education
n 20 0 9 Florida International Universit y opened the new Herber t Wertheim College of Medicine, the first public medical school in South Florida, with an initial class of 4 3 students. Two years before the first class started, the dean of the new medical school approached Gastro Health to form a partnership to develop the Gastroenterology curriculum. Dr. Daniel Gelrud of Gastro Health was named director of the Gastrointestinal System and Nutrition course. With the leadership of Dr. Gelrud, doctors from Gastro Health have developed the curriculum of what the new young doctors will learn about gastrointestinal diseases. The doctors from Gastro Health give lectures and participate in innovative case conferences that help students learn basic Gastroenterology as well as the latest advances in the field. Medical Students from FIU participate through hospital rotations with Gastro Health doctors at South Miami and Baptist Hospitals, as well as their Galloway Medical Park office located at 7500 SW 87th Avenue. The students are exposed to the latest advances and new technologies mastered by these doctors. Several Gastro Health physicians come from academic backgrounds. Dr. Javier Parra taught medical s tudent s and Gas troenterology fellows advanced endoscopic procedures including ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) and En teroscopy at t he University of Miami. Dr. Flavia Mendes was also a professor from the University of Miami with expertise in Hepatology before joining the practice. Dr. Daniel Gelrud was an assistant professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Gastro Health is a comprehensive gastroenterology group whose physicians have expertise in many areas. FIU medical students benefit from that experience. Dr. Rothman and Dr. Mendes have special interest in liver disease. Students learn about Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease from Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Leavit t. Biliary disease and complications of liver disease is taught by Dr. E . Hernandez and Dr. Leavit t . Dr. Rabassa introduces the students to important common conditions such as ulcer and reflux disease. Dr. Ruan explores the causes of diarrhea and constipation. Dr. Calleja tackles the common and important irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), while Dr. Baigorri digs into the complex issue of the obesity epidemic in the United States. The association between the FIU School of Medicine and Gastro Health proves the commitment of providing academic level state-of-the-art care to patients. This academic environment is conducive to the practice of excellent medicine that not only benefits patients, but also the future medical doctors who rotate through Gastro Health’s facilities.
Course Director Daniel Gelrud, MD Teaching Faculty Alfredo Rabassa, MD Andres I. Roig, MD Andrew I. Sable, MD Eduardo Ruan, MD Eugenio Hernandez, MD Flavia Mendes, MD Francisco J. Baigorri, MD Gustavo Calleja, MD George A. Sanchez, MD Howard Schwartz, MD James Leavitt, MD Javier Parra, MD Lawrence Rothman, MD Marc Leaderhandler, MD Stefania Vernace, MD
Care Center 11 Satellite Office Florida International University 885 SW 109 Avenue, Suite 131 Miami, FL 33199 305-856-7333
Gastroenterologists Alfredo J. Hernandez, MD Pedro Greer, Jr., MD Somal S. Shah, MD