Falcone will start her residency in dermatology next year at West Virginia University, where she has attended the School of Medicine since summer 2013. As a candidate in the dual-degree MD/PhD program, Falcone splits time between labs, research, and working at a branch of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, studying the toxicity of welding fumes. On track to graduate in 2020, she plans to conduct clinical and translational research, with the ultimate goal of teaching in a large academic environment. For Falcone and many students like her, the medical journey might culminate at a big hospital or university—but it all began at a small liberal arts school in Winter Park. The First Step The Pre-Med Observership Program is the brainchild of Joseph Portoghese ’79. The son of an electronic technician at Lake Baldwin’s former Navy base, Portoghese was the first in his family to attend college. At Rollins, he majored in chemistry and pre-med before graduating from the University of South Florida College of Medicine, where he also completed his residency and surgical oncology research. After moving back to the Orlando area in 1989, Portoghese spent 17 years in private practice and assumed various leadership positions with Florida Hospital. Today, in addition to remaining a practicing surgeon, he’s the hospital group’s chief academic officer, overseeing all residency programs. In the mid-2000s, Portoghese began exploring ways his employer could provide opportunities for Rollins pre-med students. The result was the Pre-Med Observership Program, a partnership that allows participants to shadow doctors in a variety of specialty
“A 2-year-old drowning victim came into pediatrics, and they were able to save the patient. In the process, I got to see everything that goes into medicine—the teamwork, the leadership from physicians, the problem solving. It’s this huge, diverse group coming together to help people.” — Jacob Riegler ’18 areas during winter intersession and spring break. “When we started working on creating the program, I was thinking it could be year-round,” Portoghese says. “But it turned out that something shorter and more intense worked better for the students, so we just tried to adapt to what they needed. The goal is to give students a realistic idea of what med school will be like … a little more indepth knowledge about what they might be getting into with a medical career.” This spring, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the program he founded, Portoghese was recognized with a Rollins Alumni Achievement Award for his professional achievements and contributions to society. “I live in Winter Park, and my family has deep ties to Rollins, so it was easy for me to want to give back,” he says. “Plus, at Florida Hospital, we regard helping to create motivated, altruistic healthcare professionals of the highest caliber as central to our mission. So being able to give Rollins students an experience that communicates those values is really what we’re trying to do.” The Smells, the Sensations Brandon McNichol ’18 is a biochemistry and music performance major planning
to enroll in med school, with an eye on becoming a hand surgeon. For a week in January, he and 11 other Rollins students clocked in at Florida Hospital at 5:40 a.m., then spent up to 12-hour days making rounds with doctors and nurses in fields that included general surgery, internal medicine, emergency medicine, radiology, pediatric medicine, and osteopathic family medicine. In McNichol’s case, a day on the job usually meant observing a gallbladder removal or hernia repair. One time, an addict using dirty needles required surgery to reduce swelling in his arm. “Just reading a book doesn’t compare to when you’re there with a person and all the smells and sensations,” McNichol says. “It makes you think, ‘do I really want to do this?’ It helps you have a clear focus of why you’re doing it and what you’re working toward. The program really made me feel confident about going into medicine in general, about becoming a doctor.” With experience under his belt, McNichol began volunteering once a week in the surgical department at Florida Hospital Altamonte. Every Friday, he assists with cleaning rooms, prepping patients, and performing other routine tasks, all while continuing
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