Dr. Jose Lezama Honors Alumnus Inducted to the UF College of Medicine Wall of Fame
Former University of Florida (UF) Honors student, Dr. Jose Lezama, was recently inducted into the University of Florida College of Medicine’s Wall of Fame. After visiting campus as a child, his dream was to become a Florida Gator. The Florida Gators football team, the high rise of Century Tower, and exciting hustle and bustle of campus captivated his bright young eyes, and he knew it was where he belonged. Dr. Jose Lezama’s dream came true after getting accepted to the University of Florida and the UF Honors Program. Through the UF Honors Program, he met his life-long mentors and learned about different volunteering and shadowing opportunities at UF Health Shands Hospital. His first medical information session at Little Hall in 1989 helped to cement his goal of attending the UF College of Medicine. “This is where I wanted to go to medical school; right here at UF. I knew I was going to be in Gainesville for the next eight years,” expressed Dr. Lezama. Dr. Lezama praises Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez-Rothi and Dr. James (Jay) W. Lynch for their encouragement and motivation. They gave him confidence and helped him learn how to overcome the challenges he would face throughout his education and career. “Dr. Lynch said to me, ‘I think you are going to be a star as a physician.’ I still remember, to this day, exactly where we were standing and the exact day of the year when he told me this. It meant so much to me that a physician I looked up to would say those words to me,” explained Dr. Lezama. Dr. Gonzalez-Rothi showed Dr. Lezama just how special and exciting being a physician is. Both Dr. Gonzalez-Rothi and Dr. Lynch inspired him to mentor pre-medical undergraduates and medical students, just as they did for him. Throughout his time at UF, Dr. Lezama was the captain of all the intramural sports teams he participated in. Being a leader is not just in his blood; it is also his passion. He knew, from day one, that he was going to be a leader.
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Fall 2020
