Julia Revell St. Petery, M.D. Scholarship in Pediatrics

DR. JULIA REVELL ST. PETERY’S LEGACY CONTINUES…

Florida State University College of Medicine graduate, Dr. Blaire Coté, is the first recipient of the Julia Revell St. Petery, M.D. Scholarship in Pediatrics. The named scholarship, honoring the late Dr. Julia St. Petery, was created to commemorate her passion for the practice of pediatric medicine and her humanitarian spirit and determination to provide all children the same access to healthcare. FSU College of Medicine’s Pediatric Clerkship Directors nominated the recipient. The Capital Medical Society Foundation (CMSF) awards the scholarship based on its criteria. This year’s $2,500 scholarship was presented on May 20, 2022, at the FSU College of Medicine’s Awards Presentation. Dr. Louis St. Petery, CMSF President Dr. John Mahoney, and CMSF Executive Director Pam Irwin attended the presentation.

Dr. Louis St. Petery shared his congratulations during the award presentation, “I am excited to

learn that the first recipient of my wife's scholarship is a female! Our 3 children and I were overjoyed that an anonymous donor had created this scholarship, and we so wanted to require that the recipient be a female, but quickly learned that the criteria could not be gender specific. Thanks Dr. Coté! You have made our dream come true! And, all of your accomplishments are outstanding. How ironic it is that you have worked with the Medical Students Committee of the Florida

(L-r) Dr. Louis St. Petery presented the scholarship check and plaque to Dr. Blaire Coté and her husband. Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. I served as the first Executive Director of the Florida Chapter from 1981 to 1994 and the first Executive Vice president of the Florida Chapter from 1994 to 2015! I shall look forward to meeting and speaking to you in person. I think we have lots to discuss! Again, my

most sincere congratulations!” During the scholarship presentation, Dr. St. Petery shared photos of him and his late wife at University of Florida. It was a deeply personal presentation.

(L-r) Dr. Blaire Coté and Pam Irwin.

Hoping to follow in Dr. Julia St. Petery’s footsteps in pediatrics, Dr. Coté plans to practice pediatrics in Florida, preferably the Big Bend area, upon completing her residency. Blaire is originally from the Tallahassee, FL area. She and her husband will be moving to Gainesville while completing her residency at the University of Florida College of Medicine - Shands Hospital Pediatric Residency, Gainesville, FL.

Her goal is to become a primary care pediatrician. Her husband has worked in the Wakulla/Franklin County area for the past two years, and Blaire grew up visiting her grandparents in Jefferson County. She and her husband hope to return to the Big Bend area upon completing residency, jobs permitting, as both of their families live in the area.

“I especially enjoy working in the rural, underserved areas common in the Big Bend. It would be an honor to

one day serve the community that raised me,” said Dr. Coté.

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Dr. Coté has extensive involvement with FSUCOM’s Pediatric Interest Group’s (PIG) advocacy efforts. She served as a team lead on an informative webinar project educating future healthcare providers on the Human Papilloma Virus as part of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Medical Student Committee. Dr. Coté was responsible for information-gathering, health department contact for each county in Florida, webinar content creation, webinar filming, webinar distribution to PIGs and other clubs at each medical school in Florida, and survey data collection. She contacted Pediatric Interest Groups at the other medical schools in Florida to encourage viewing the webinar, distributing it to at least five schools. Those interested can view the webinar at http://ow.ly/QAwT50Ihvvs.

Dr. Coté has exhibited a commitment to serving underserved patients, as evidenced by her resume, which includes the following activities:

Mobile COVID Testing Center via Healthcare Network, Immokalee, FL, Volunteer Collaborated with HealthCare Network staff to collect and test over 70 rapid and PCR COVID swabs utilizing their mobile outreach clinic in southwest Florida. Obtained direct experience in mobile health settings and served the rural community during the COVID pandemic - 2021.

Chapman Community Health Program, FSU College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, Executive Director and Co-President, supervised by Christie Alexander, M.D. Organized health screenings monthly.

Dr. Coté graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science. She has a major in biochemistry, a minor in zoology, and a certificate in Spanish for the Professions. She was a member of the Gator Marching Band for four years, serving as section leader for the saxophones her last two years. She was an active member of SPF (Skin Cancer Prevention Force), a pre-med club that focused on skin cancer education and awareness among underserved populations in Gainesville. Additionally, Dr. Coté worked in the lab of Dr. David Bloom as a student research assistant for two and a half years, culminating in an honors thesis focused on the reactivation of HSV under different types of radiation, with implications for future space travel. She also traveled to Brazil's Amazon River region to volunteer with underserved communities on several medical outreach trips. She has volunteered at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, Westminster Oaks in the health clinic, and Alzheimer's Project day respite program. She enjoys playing saxophone and piano, eating Mexican food, traveling, and spending time with her family and loved ones in her free time. As a past Capital Medical Society Foundation scholarship recipient, she has volunteered at the CMSF Holiday Auction to help raise funds for future CMSF medical school scholarships.

“Congratulations, Dr. Blaire Coté! We are very proud of you and wish you the best in your residency program and pediatric practice. On behalf of the Capital Medical Society Foundation Board of Directors, we are quite proud to be a participant in the awarding of a scholarship to our first recipient of the Julia Revell St. Petery, M.D. Scholarship in Pediatrics to Dr. Blaire Coté. It is a great honor to be with you on this day. The CMSF Board of Directors wishes you the very best in your chosen profession and hopes that you and your family will consider Tallahassee your future home. Our medical community needs you,”

shared John P. Mahoney, M.D., CMS Foundation President.

Following the presentation, Dr. Coté wrote her thanks to the Capital Medical Society and the many donors who made the scholarship possible (see next page).

May 20, 2022 Dear Capital Medical Society Board of Directors, Dr. Louis St. Petery, & the Julia Revell St. Petery MD Scholarship in Pediatrics Endowment - Thank you for selecting me as a recipient of the first Julia Revell St. Petery MD Scholarship. I am so thankful for your generosity in providing this scholarship to medical students pursuing pediatrics at Florida State University College of Medicine. It is truly an honor to receive this scholarship and award named after such an important member of the pediatrics community. I was saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Julia St Petery last year. I know that her work in Tallahassee area has made a big impact on so many children and their families. I am about to graduate medical school, and am looking forward to transitioning to my pediatric residency training at University of Florida – Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. It is a privilege to train at the same facility that Dr. Julia St. Petery did. I have the goal of making a difference in the life of each patient in which I come in contact, because each patient deserves a judgement-free zone where they can seek physical, mental, and emotional help. I strive to be a caring and compassionate doctor who can serve the underserved in the community and abroad. I look forward to continuing my work with underserved and minority populations, as well as pediatric advocacy with the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Choosing to attend Florida State University’s College of Medicine in the north Florida region was the best academic decision I have made, as I know that the patient-centered, community-driven education will make me into the best doctor that I can be. I am thankful to have been a medical student member of the Capital Medical Society, and have met many of its wonderful physicians throughout my training. Again, I thank you all for your generosity in providing this scholarship to me to finance this transition into residency. Please feel welcome to keep in contact with me if you would like updates on how I continue to enjoy my medical training. Best wishes,

Blaire Cote FSU College of Medicine Class of 2022