As part of an ongoing effort at the University of Florida to provide extensive resources to departments hiring employees, a group of experienced administrative partners are working together to develop a College of Medicine faculty recruitment guide.

Led by Jenna Glendinning, the assistant director of health care administration in the department of emergency medicine, the project is part of the people pillar of the college’s strategic plan, first introduced in December by Dean Colleen Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A. With the help of Adrienne Smith, an administrative specialist in the department of neurology, and Jennifer Barghout, an administrative specialist in the department of anesthesiology, Glendinning said she is working to compile the recruitment guide to share with the college in early 2023.

“We are learning from each other, and we’re hoping this guide can provide departments with new opportunities to learn about proactive recruitment ideas they maybe haven’t thought about before. The goal is to then give departments a chance to build out their own strategy specific to their recruitment goals,” she said.

The UF College of Medicine is home to many female scientists and health care providers. To celebrate Women in Medicine Month this September, the college is spotlighting five trailblazing women educators, researchers, leaders and clinicians from its schools and departments.

Breann Garbas, DHSc, MPAS, DFAAPA; Malú Gámez Tansey, Ph.D.; Donna M. Parker, M.D. ’90; Elizabeth Shenkman, Ph.D.; and Oluwadamilola T. Oladeru, M.D., M.A., M.B.A., represent the importance of gender inclusion in medicine and exemplify the impressive accomplishments and impact of women in their fields. 

“Role models matter,” Parker said. “Teaching and mentoring students to become strong leaders and advocates is very rewarding, and I know many of them in turn will also lead and mentor. Some are already filling those roles. Having teachers who look like and who have had similar experiences to students provides a sense of belonging to those students, allowing them to be their best selves and to become the best physicians.”

Grandparents establish the legacy of their families, shaping the generations to come. In some cases, their contributions can reach far beyond their family trees.

George T. Harrell Jr., M.D., and Albert L. Rhoton Jr., M.D., founded legacies much larger than their last names, impacting the future of medicine. Their dedication to patient care and medical education influenced their own children, and eventually their grandchildren, to continue following in their footsteps after their passing. Descendants of these two College of Medicine pioneers share the far-reaching impact of a grandfather’s love and wisdom.

“It’s amazing how some of his former students talk about what a profound impact he had on their professional development and their outlook on patient care,” said Grant Harrell, M.D. ’10, an assistant professor in the department of community health and family medicine and the grandson of the college’s founding dean, George T. Harrell Jr., M.D. “That always gave me a feeling of gratitude.”