
Beyond the BULLetin
By USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Alumni Society

Beyond the BULLetinMar 23, 2023

Exploring the Multispecialty Trend: Choosing Versatility over Single-Specialty Focus with Dr. Dan Duncanson
Join Dr. Valerie Riddle, the Associate Dean of Alumni Engagement, and a third-year USF Health Morsani College of Medicine student Rachel Cruz as they lead engaging discussions with alumni about their experiences in various medical practice models.

Personalized Healthcare: Choosing Concierge Care with Dr. Denise Edwards
Join Dr. Valerie Riddle, the Associate Dean of Alumni Engagement, and a third-year USF Health Morsani College of Medicine student Rachel Cruz as they lead engaging discussions with alumni about their experiences in various medical practice models.

Back to the Basics: The Growing Appeal of Direct Primary Care with Dr. Tania Velez
Join Dr. Valerie Riddle, the Associate Dean of Alumni Engagement, and a third-year USF Health Morsani College of Medicine student Rachel Cruz as they lead engaging discussions with alumni about their experiences in various medical practice models.

Beyond Borders: The Allure of International Medicine with Dr. Joe Pecoraro
Join Dr. Valerie Riddle, the Associate Dean of Alumni Engagement, and a third-year USF Health Morsani College of Medicine student Rachel Cruz as they lead engaging discussions with alumni about their experiences in various medical practice models.

Best of Both Worlds: Combining Academia and Private Practice with Dr. Danielle Walsh
Join Dr. Valerie Riddle, the Associate Dean of Alumni Engagement, and a third-year USF Health Morsani College of Medicine student Rachel Cruz as they lead engaging discussions with alumni about their experiences in various medical practice models.

Revolutionizing Patient Relationships: Embracing Direct Primary Care with Dr. Rachel Scheerer
Join Dr. Valerie Riddle, the Associate Dean of Alumni Engagement, and a third-year USF Health Morsani College of Medicine student Rachel Cruz as they lead engaging discussions with alumni about their experiences in various medical practice models.

A Change in Plans – Not the End of the World with Dr. Ali Wells
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni and program directors about applications, interviews, personal statements, and other steps of the residency process.

My Advice After Twenty Years as a Program Director with Dr. Bud Williams
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni and program directors about applications, interviews, personal statements, and other steps of the residency process.

My Approach to Matching in a Competitive Specialty with Dr. Hala Rogers
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni and program directors about applications, interviews, personal statements, and other steps of the residency process.

A Program Director’s Thoughts on Applications that Shine with Dr. Jessica Frakes
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni and program directors about applications, interviews, personal statements, and other steps of the residency process.

What If Your Specialty Choice Is Less Common? with Dr. Jordan McDonald
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni and program directors about applications, interviews, personal statements, and other steps of the residency process.

Thoughts from a Newly Minted Program Director with Dr. Vig Doraiswamy
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni and program directors about applications, interviews, personal statements, and other steps of the residency process.

So, You Plan to Couples Match? Listen to Drs. Claire Bethel & Olivia Hard discuss how they were able to match together
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni and program directors about applications, interviews, personal statements, and other steps of the residency process.

Dr. Sumi Mazzarolo: Balancing Family and Medicine – Going Part-Time
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni.

Dr. Kimberly Workowski: Experiences in Academic Medicine
Listen as Dr. Valerie Riddle, the associate dean of alumni engagement, leads a discussion with recent alumni.

Dr. Brooke Baldwin: Balancing Family and Medicine – Dual-Physician Household
Dr. Brooke Baldwin talks about experiences and challenges women have faced in their medical careers.

Drs. Madelyn Butler, Alicia Billington, and Eva Austin-Crooke: Fertility and Pregnancy as a Woman in Medicine
Drs. Madelyn Butler, Alicia Billington, and Eva Austin-Crooke talk about experiences and challenges women have faced in their medical careers.

Dr. Danielle Walsh: Experiences within a Male-Dominated Field
Dr. Danielle Walsh talks about experiences and challenges women have faced in their medical careers.

Dr. Valerie Riddle: Experiences Leaving Clinical Medicine
Dr. Valerie Riddle talks about experiences and challenges women have faced in their medical careers.

Alumni in the Uniformed Services- A Woman’s Perspective on Military Service
Dr. Candice Castro talks about being a woman and a general surgeon for over 30 years.

Alumni in the Uniformed Services - The Military and Academic Medicine
Dr. Eric Elster shares his journey of active duty/deployment, medical education, and academia as a General Surgeon in the Navy.

Alumni in the Uniformed Services - What is the US Public Health Service?
Dr. Suzette Peng talks about the USPHS and the opportunity it afforded her after serving time in the military.

Alumni in the Uniformed Services - Matching in a Military Residency
Dr. Jordana Herr talks about her experience when she did not match in her specialty of choice in the Navy and how that has led to other opportunities.

Alumni in the Uniformed Services - USAF Medical Readiness
Dr. James Sampson discusses his decades-long career in the Air Force and his current role advising the USAF Medical Readiness Agency.

Alumni in the Uniformed Services - Army General Surgery
Dr. Katryna Thomas talks about her decision to pursue a career in General Surgery and why she selected the Army for her training.

Alumni in the Uniformed Services - Active-duty Air Force to reservist
Dr. Zach Wilson talks about how his journey as an HPSP recipient has landed him in a place that is a great fit for him and his family.

In Memory of Bryan Dumais – Bryan’s mother, Leslie Black, and Bryan’s classmate, Dr. Charles Edwards, discuss the memory of Bryan and the scholarship named in his honor.
The Impact & Meaning of Scholarship: Hear from students, alumni, and family members as they share personal stories about what giving and receiving scholarships have meant to them.

Medical School with a Chronic Health Condition – Ethan Song talks about his diagnosis, going to medical school, and how scholarships have affected his ability to travel and present his research.
The Impact & Meaning of Scholarship: Hear from students, alumni, and family members as they share personal stories about what giving and receiving scholarships have meant to them.

Doors Opened and the Importance of Giving Back – Michelle Hummel and her mom, Diana, talk about the opportunities created by scholarships and how no amount is too small to start paying it forward.
The Impact & Meaning of Scholarship: Hear from students, alumni, and family members as they share personal stories about what giving and receiving scholarships have meant to them.

I Probably Should Never Have Gone to Medical School – Alicia Billington talks about her humble beginnings, the sacrifices her parents made and how scholarship help her to become a doctor.
The Impact & Meaning of Scholarship: Hear from students, alumni, and family members as they share personal stories about what giving and receiving scholarships have meant to them.

Dolores Lowe shares her journey around accumulated debt, paying it off, and coming to a place in her life where giving back became not only possible but a passion.
The Impact & Meaning of Scholarship: Hear from students, alumni, and family members as they share personal stories about what giving and receiving scholarships have meant to them.

Right Place at the Right Time: Drs. Brian and Ted Williams share how they met, one as a medical student applicant and one as a professor, and how that relationship has withstood the test of time and d
On Mentoring: Alumni and students discuss finding a mentor, being a mentor or a mentee, and the incredible value these relationships can bring.

Peer-to-Peer Mentoring: Dr. Valeria Pereira shares what the USF Health student-run organization, Plexus, is all about and how peer-to-peer mentoring can add another dimension to career advice and guid
On Mentoring: Alumni and students discuss finding a mentor, being a mentor or a mentee, and the incredible value these relationships can bring.

Finding a Mentor Through a Chance Meeting: Drs. Steven Vernon and Zach Wilson share how they met by happenstance and developed a decades-long mentoring relationship.
On Mentoring: Alumni and students discuss finding a mentor, being a mentor or a mentee, and the incredible value these relationships can bring.

Mentors with Different Perspectives: Dr. Patrick Mullen shares a conversation with his mentors, Drs. Deborah DeWaay and Ed Gonzalez, about how each helped him shape his vision for his career.
On Mentoring: Alumni and students discuss finding a mentor, being a mentor or a mentee, and the incredible value these relationships can bring.

Lessons Learned from my Friends Majoring in Business: Dr. Hala Daou Rogers shares her aha moment when she realized what her business major friends knew that she did not.
On Mentoring: Alumni and students discuss finding a mentor, being a mentor or a mentee, and the incredible value these relationships can bring.

Student Athlete Turned Physician: Dr. Chinyere Okpalake shares her story about starting with a celebrity mentor she never met and evolving to becoming the founder of a non-profit designed to mentor ot
On Mentoring: Alumni and students discuss finding a mentor, being a mentor or a mentee, and the incredible value these relationships can bring.

Psychiatrist Turns Clinical Trialist and Businesswoman: Dr. Mary Stedman talks about how she built a business around running investigational trials for new drugs in the psychiatry arena.
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Making Movies – Dr. Todd Yonteck shares how he turned a passion for digital production into a successful company while continuing to practice Emergency Medicine.
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

How I Moved from Hospital-based Pathologist to Quest Corporate Headquarters – Dr. Ron Kennedy tells his story about how he spent his career in a corporate setting.
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Pediatrician Turned Medical Reviewer and Entrepreneur – Dr. Phil Matar discusses how he transitioned to a role as a medical reviewer while building a telehealth business and pursuing a patent.
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Turning Passion into Opportunity – Dr. Joe Pecoraro and his wife, Rhonda, discuss their journey in building a health coaching business
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Health Technology Entrepreneur – Dr. Jeremy Corbett is an emergency room physician turned serial entrepreneur who shares his passion for using technology to change how patients interface with the heal
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Inventor and Chief Medical Officer – Dr. Gus Arrieta, an otolaryngologist and entrepreneur, discusses his experience in a start-up medical device company
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

From Private Practice to Physician Assistant Educator – Dr. Diane Duffy talks about her decision to move out of primary care pediatrics and into a medical education arena
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Me? Hospital President & CEO? -- Dr. David Parda speaks to the evolution of his career from radiation oncology to hospital leadership
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Is an MBA Right for Me? -- Dr. Aman Bhullar reflects on his decision to pursue an MBA and how it has impacted his career.
Beyond the White Coat. In their own words, alumni share the paths they have traveled that landed them in roles they never expected when they went to medical school!

Classmates Connect and Navigate the Pandemic in NYC
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Dr. Madeline Snyder Deutsch and Dr. Aresh Ramin reflect on their pandemic experiences at Jacobi Medical Center.

Networking and Interviewing for Residency Virtually
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Josh Mizels, Class of 2021, shares how he navigated building a network to land his orthopedic residency match.

A Virtual Vascular Surgery Acting Internship? Really?
Life in the Time of COVID-19 In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Dr. Mary Ottinger, Program Director, USF Vascular Surgery shares her creative approach to an acting internship

New to Tampa & New to Medical School in 2020
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Emma Johnson and Joel Cohen, Class of 2024, give their perspectives on being a first-year student during a year like no other

Finishing My MS3 Year and Adapting to a Pandemic MS4 Year
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Catherine Hanna, Class of 2021, talks about her transition to her final year of medical school and some of the unanticipated educational experiences she had during the pandemic.

What? Medical School from Home?
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Shelbi Erp and Jordan Stofan, Class of 2023, on what it was like to be students without a classroom.

Finding My First ‘Real’ Job During a Pandemic
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Dr. Joe Coffman, PGY6 (Cardiology), discusses lessons learned on finding a job with the changing tide of COVID.

Congratulations! You are an Intern in a New City in 2020
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Dr. Sarah Goodman, PGY 1 (Internal Medicine), speaks from the heart about how COVID impacted her family and her transition from student to doctor.

Elective Surgeries Canceled: The Other Side of COVID
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Dr. Brett Bolhofner on the side of COVID that surprised so many of us.

On Being an Internal Medicine Administrative Chief Resident
Life in the Time of COVID-19. In their own words: stories from alumni and students about navigating life during the pandemic, from starting medical school to finishing fellowship to being on the front lines and beyond.
Dr. Ashton Sequeira talks about transitioning to a leadership role in the midst of a pandemic