Much like a tapestry that is woven together from many
colorful, individual threads, the community at the UF
College of Medicine comprises distinct and diverse
voices. Each voice lends its unique value to the greater
conversation, and as a result, the quality of patient care
and medical education provided at the academic health
center continues to advance.
In the pages that follow are a number of threads of
our tapestry that, when woven together, connect the
history, current state and future goals of the UF College
of Medicine.
By Tyler Francischine
When Bill "Willie" Sanders became the first black
faculty member at the UF College of Medicine
in 1968, he created a legacy of broken barriers
and trails blazed, and his impact remains today.
When members of the UF College of Medicine faculty shared their
personal histories with discrimination and their desires for a pluralistic,
culturally sensitive approach to medicine during the second annual
Celebration of Diversity in April, they represented the college’s pursuit of
an inclusive and equitable culture.
When Cindy Medina Pabon, MD ’18, delivered her speech at the class
of 2018 commencement ceremony in May, she recounted an epiphany
she had while working in community medicine: When it comes to
patient care, who the patient is matters just as much as their symptoms.
This is a lesson she will keep close to her heart as she builds her medical
career and forges relationships with her patients.
The UF College of Medicine does not look the same as when
it opened its doors in 1956. Today, there is nearly equal gender
representation among the medical student population. The class of
2022 includes 67 women and 68 men. Yet, much work remains. The
current college faculty is 65 percent men and 89 percent white. With the
implementation of several pipeline programs that introduce high school
and undergraduate students of minority populations to careers in health
care, along with the appointment of UF’s first chief diversity officer, the
UF College of Medicine looks forward to a future in which a chorus of
diverse voices molds the future of health care.
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