14th Annual White Coats-4-Care Initiative  Raises $250,000+ for Student Scholarships

14^th Annual White Coats-4-Care Initiative
Raises $250,000+ for Student Scholarships

              To Support FAU Schmidt College of Medicine’s Incoming Class

BOCA RATON, Fla. (August 16, 2024) – Driven by heightened donor generosity and commitment to educational advancement that grows and strengthens a vital healthcare community, the 14^th Annual White Coats-4-Care (WC4C) major scholarship fundraiser bestowed a warm welcome to 80 students enrolled in this year’s new class at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine (CoM).

Once again, civic and business leaders, healthcare professionals and community advocates joined to welcome and help “dress and equip” each incoming class of medical students by supporting the annual WC4C campaign. This initiative helps the CoM attract, recruit, train and educate the next generation of humanistic clinicians and scientists – doctors who care and cure in this community. With increasing the class size for a second year to 80 students, it heightens the need for scholarships and prompts exciting projects to expand classroom and study spaces.

This year, in addition to learning about CoM achievements and hearing about scholarship impacts from students, WC4C guests got an ‘insider” glimpse into the technology-centered learning modules in CoM curriculum.  Through a special interactive Tech Row Showcase, guests enjoyed demonstrations from CoM’s Clinical Skills Simulation Center and VR Lab that prepare students to make meaningful contributions to healthcare.

“The WC4C generosity creates and strengthens a path for CoM students, leading to a healthier and brighter future for our community,” shared Jennifer Caceres, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions and Professor of Medicine. “Our achievements would not be complete without our generous donors, sponsors, host committee, White Coat Society members and Dean’s Circle bequeaths. Such support is invaluable when increasing our class size, providing their first white coats and offering scholarship funds.”

She added that the CoM’s dedication to excellence continues to be recognized nationally, with its moving up significantly in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, and now placing among the top medical schools in both Research and Primary Care. To further FAU’s commitment to increase much needed medical residency positions in Palm Beach County and to ensure that the region continues to have an adequate and well-trained physician workforce, the FAU CoM Consortium for Graduate Medical Education (GME) works with five leading hospitals in Palm Beach County. The Consortium currently has five accredited residency programs in internal medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, psychiatry, neurology and several fellowship programs.

“Each year this initiative gets more and more meaningful, as we have now clothed 948 students in their first white coats, provided stethoscopes donated by the Palm Beach County Medical Society, and raised more than $2.5 million in support for students and programming since its inaugural year,” shared WC4C Co-chair Bonnie Kaye, who with her husband and partner, Jon Kaye of Kaye Communications PR & Marketing, created and co-chaired WC4C for 14 consecutive years since its inception.

With the average cost of medical education reaching $250,000 in-state to $400,000 out-of-state, 80-85 percent of the CoM’s talented students require financial assistance. Heavy debt often impacts both a student’s choice of medical school, as well as their medical specialty based on its income potential to repay loans.

“Scholarship monies raised through the annual White Coats-4-Care initiative give students the ability to follow their hearts, not their debts, into lifelong medical careers,” noted Co-chair Jon Kaye. “Since the inaugural reception, White Coats-4-Care has helped advance the College’s goal of ‘doctors without debt.’”

This year’s incoming class has a cumulative GPA average of 3.83 and an average MCAT score of 513, which is above the national average. Most of the major colleges in Florida are represented (University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Miami, Florida International University, University of Central Florida and University of South Florida), including several students who completed their undergraduate degrees at FAU. Other students in the class attended undergraduate institutions such as New York University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Notre Dame, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Ohio State University, University of California- Santa Barbara, University of Southern California, Brigham Young University, United States Military Academy, University of Alabama, and Georgetown University.

WC4C Co-chairs are supported by a dedicated committee, including Patricia Anastasio, M.D. and Thomas Mersch, Esq.; Melissa Azrack; Florida State Senator Lori Berman and Jeffrey Ganeles, D.M.D.; Donna and Joe Biase, M.D.; Alisa Cohen and G. Richard Cohen, M.D.; Phyllis and Michael T.B. Dennis, M.D.; June Gelb; Emily and Stephen A. Grabelsky, M.D.; Bonnie Halperin; Arlene Herson; Jaclyn Klimczak, M.D.; Margie and Alan Kaye; Deborah Leising; Jennifer and Gary Lesser, Elizabeth and Stuart Markowitz, M.D.; Nathan E. Nachlas, M.D.; Margie and Maurice Plough, Jr.; Ronald L. Rubin, D.M.D.; Constance Scott; Robin Trompeter and Janice Williams.

According to Senior Associate Dean Caceres, the College’s 14th class of new medical students was selected based on both their academic accomplishments and humanistic attributes, and their dedication to community remains at the forefront of the CoM.  During the traditional White Coat Ceremony on August 2, the students received their white coats, which represent integrity, compassion and trust and symbolizes their shared commitment to serve patients and recited their own oath (code of conduct) in unison which highlighted the tenets they will follow throughout medical school and when they are physicians.

Launched in 2011, CoM became the 134th allopathic medical school in North America and has swiftly become nationally recognized for its innovative curriculum. With an emphasis on teamwork and collaboration, the college is dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities in the community.

To learn more about the White Coat Society or other gift options, contact Sara Greene, Assistant Director of Development, Biomedical Science and Research Operations at 561.297.2984 or [email protected].

 

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