MedMatters
UF Health podcasts and articles on research and clinical advances at UF Health Shands Hospital.

Department Grand Rounds
Participate virtually in weekly presentations.

UF Med Talks
Sponsored by the UF College of Medicine Office of Development and Alumni Affairs and the UF Medical Alumni Board, UF Med Talks is a virtual series to share the latest and greatest happenings in research and patient care at the UF College of Medicine.
Jan. 28, 6-7 p.m.
Tiago N. Machuca, M.D., Ph.D., & Thiago Beduschi, M.D.
Join us for a discussion on the thriving transplant programs at UF Health with world-renowned surgeons and faculty members Tiago N. Machuca, M.D., Ph.D., surgical director of UF Health’s lung transplant program and chief of the division of thoracic surgery, and Thiago Beduschi, M.D., director of UF Health’s abdominal transplant program and professor of surgery. They will talk about how their landmark multi-organ surgery reversed a patient’s terminal prognosis.

Alumni Speaker Series
Created in collaboration with the Office of Student Counseling & Development, the Alumni Speaker Series is a platform where UF College of Medicine graduates can provide insight into their medical school and residency experiences, discuss various career paths, and share tips on topics such as work-life balance and budgeting with UF medical students.
“What I Wish I Knew in Medical School”
On Sept. 29 via Zoom, Gator graduates who are completing residencies in various programs across the country shared their medical school tips and answered students’ questions on how to navigate medical school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suzy Feigofsky, MD ’97, HS ’04
Finding your fit
On Oct. 26 via Zoom, Suzy Feigofsky, M.D. ’97, an alumna of the College of Medicine and triple Gator, shared her medical school experience and career path within her field of cardiology. She also discussed burnout and Imposter Syndrome.

Gator Grub
Check out healthy recipes submitted by alumni. Want to share a recipe? Email drgator@health.ufl.edu.
submitted by Brian Taschner, MD ’98
Vietnamese “Meat”balls
Dr. Brian Taschner is a cardiologist in Fort Myers, Florida, and an avid athlete who completed the Spartan Beast obstacle course and race. Founder of Vibrant Beat, an educational platform that promotes healthy lifestyle habits, he hosts lecture at venues throughout the community to promote the benefits of a plant-based diet on cardiovascular disease.

submitted by kavita rajasekhar, md ’09
Kitchari Recipe
Dr. Kavita Rajasekhar is a public health physician in NYC, serving as Associate Medical Director for a worker health protection program. She recently completed culinary school training at the Natural Gourmet Institute, a health-supportive, plant-based program, with an internship at Purple Kale Kitchenworks. Kavita enjoys learning and practicing knowledge on the healing properties of food and other lifestyle measures, especially yoga.

submitted by Wendie Moore, MD ‘92
Vegetarian Crumbles 7 Layer Dip
Dr. Wendie Moore is a retired Diagnostic Radiology Specialist in Ocala, FL, and has over 28 years of experience in the medical field. As a Triple Gator, Dr. Moore is also a past and honorary member of the Medical Alumni Association Board. She is a part of the interview process for new medical students. Dr. Moore has recently been inspired to shift to a vegetarian/vegan diet after attending the first-ever UF Culinary Medicine Conference. She is enjoying incorporating her conference’s knowledge to her Gator lifestyle.

Gator Arts & Medicine
View art submissions from alumni. Want to share your work of art? Email drgator@health.ufl.edu.
Submitted by Avan Armaghani, MD ’12
“Window to the Soul”
Dr. Avan Armaghani, an oncologist in Tampa, Florida, who enjoys dabbling in photography, captured this image in February at the Retirement Home for Horses at Mill Creek Farm in Alachua.

submitted by Sonja Rasmussen, MD ’90
Santa Fe Lake
Dr. Sonja A. Rasmussen, a professor in the UF College of Medicine’s departments of pediatrics and epidemiology, shares her passion for emphasizing the beauty in Gainesville and North Florida. The picture was taken during a boat ride on Santa Fe Lake.

submitted by anthony j. pizzo, md ’71
Justified Decisions
Dr. Anthony J. Pizzo, a plastic surgeon from Tampa, Florida, shares valuable lessons from his time as a student at the UF College of Medicine and how a phrase from today’s headlines has led to a deeper understanding of events in his medical career, presented in one of the many forms of art — an essay.

submitted by kyle n. seifert, phD ’04
Dr. Kyle Seifert is a professor and associate department head in the department of biology at James Madison University, a primarily undergraduate institution in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Dr. Seifert is a firm believer in work/life balance, using his time away from the classroom and lab to build boats. He’s built a variety of kayaks, canoes, and a paddleboard, with plans to make many more in the near future.

submitted by wendy welch, md ’90
Wendy Welch, MD ‘90, MBA, CHCQM, is the Chief Medical Officer at Cardinal Innovations Healthcare, a specialty behavioral health plan serving Medicaid beneficiaries across 20 counties in North Carolina. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Atrium Health, where she teaches managed care literacy to faculty and residents. Dr. Welch shares her passion for beautiful surroundings like this photo captured by her camera lens.

Gator Family Fun
Check out these Gator-themed resources for the whole family.
art
How to draw an alligator
Watch this step-by-step tutorial on how to draw Florida’s mascot: the alligator.
Art
Printable coloring pages
Break out the orange and blue crayons and express your Gator spirit with these printable coloring pages.
SCIENCE
Why is the sky blue? experiment
Learn how the sky gets its orange and blue hues with this step-by-step science experiment.
SCIENCE
Orange buoyancy experiment
An appropriate activity for children ages 3 to 8, this experiment uses an orange to demonstrate why things sink and float.