A time to recall lifelong memories

Alumni Weekend brought back memories of friendship and learning for UF College of Medicine graduates. Photo by Jesse S. Jones

Alumni Weekend brought back memories of friendship and learning for UF College of Medicine graduates. Photo by Jesse S. Jones

Alfred W.H. Stanley Jr., M.D. ’66, recalls with great clarity what it felt like to ride in Dr. Robert Cade’s old, gray Studebaker in 1966. The nephrology professor took Stanley and Alan Bartel, M.D. ’66, back and forth to Jacksonville for their senior rotations. One evening, as they stopped at the usual pub halfway between Gainesville and the coast, Cade presented the pair with a proposition.

“He said, ‘You know, the Gators just run out of gas in the second half,’” Stanley said. “He told us, ‘I want to do an experiment, and I want you to help me.’”

A few days later, Stanley and Bartel were running laps at Florida Field, plastic bags strapped to their elbows in order to collect and measure the sweat they lost. Cade ran some tests and then approached the Gator football team for five more test subjects. The rest is history.

Alma Littles, M.D. '86, delivers the Notable Alumnus Lecture during Friday's Alumni Weekend festivities. Photo by Jesse S. Jones

Alma Littles, M.D. ’86, delivers the Notable Alumnus Lecture during Friday’s Alumni Weekend festivities. Photo by Jesse S. Jones

“In those days, it was thought if you drank anything before exercise, it would make you sick. Gatorade revolutionized not only how people in sports are treated but how we treat patients with low hydration,” Bartel said. “Back then, we did it because it sounded cool and interesting  anything to make the Florida team play better.”

Alumni of the UF College of Medicine agree that the memories they made on campus will last a lifetime. Alumni Weekend 2016 provided many, including Stanley, with two days of events Oct. 14-15 in the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building.

At Friday’s research roundtable, three physician-scientists on UF faculty enumerated their latest findings. Carol Mathews, M.D., a professor in the department of psychiatry, discussed her current study on hoarding syndrome: Does a fear of making an error  throwing something important away, forgetting a memory  lead to this compulsive collecting of objects, usually rendering one’s living space uninhabitable? Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, spoke about the recent revolution in personalized cancer vaccines, which boost one’s immune response during chemotherapy treatment. Adam Polifka, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of neurosurgery, explained his techniques in endovascular therapy for stroke patients.

During Friday night’s Celebrating Classes dinner, College of Medicine dean Michael L. Good, M.D., presented Robert L. Phillips Jr., M.D. ’95, MSPH, and Richard “Jude” Samulski, Ph.D. ’82, with plaques honoring their induction into the UF College of Medicine Wall of Fame. Samulski is the first Ph.D. recipient of this honor.

UF College of Medicine graduates tour the Harrell Medical Education Building.

UF College of Medicine graduates tour the Harrell Medical Education Building. Photo by Mindy C. Miller

Saturday’s events included a student and alumni speed networking session, in which current medical students spent six minutes each with various alumni, specializing in radiology, psychiatry and orthopaedic surgery among others. A family-friendly tailgate party featured catering from 4 Rivers Smokehouse, face painting and a photo booth complete with Gator props.

Orlando pediatrician Janelle Barfield, M.D., ’06, called returning to her alma mater, now housed in the $46 million Harrell Medical Education Building, a bittersweet experience.

“It brings up questions like, what would it have been like if we went to school now? What would the advantages have been?” she said. “But, at the same time, we can better appreciate the changes and advancements since we attended medical school 10 years ago.”

Charlotte, North Carolina, family practice physician Kisha Young, M.D. ’06, says this weekend filled her with feelings of nostalgia and awe. Before attending alumni events, she took a drive through Gainesville — by her old apartment, on UF’s campus — to see how time has treated it.

“I still feel a sense of familiarity here, even though so much has changed,” she said.

For more photos, visit the UF College of Medicine Alumni and Friends Facebook page