Warm embraces, heartfelt tears, laughter-- the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Class of 2014’s ten-year reunion was marked by a sense of timelessness.
On October 18, alums gathered at FIU to reminisce about their medical school days and share significant milestones from their professional and personal journeys since graduating.
See photos from the Class of 2014 reunion.
In 2010, only a year after opening its doors, FIU’s new medical school welcomed its second class of 42 students. These pioneering students would play a critical role in shaping the curriculum and establishing student groups and government, laying the groundwork for the success of over 1,000 graduates who followed their footsteps.
Today, these alums are successful physicians in Florida and across the nation. And 20 of them made it back for the reunion.
Dr. Neeva Bose is the medical director at a Charleston, South Carolina retirement community. The reunion marked her first time back on campus since graduating. “It fills me with great pride to see how far FIU has come,” she said.
“It’s great to be back,” said classmate Dr. Vinh Tonthat, an emergency medicine specialist in California. His father requested Dr. Tonthat take pictures in front of the old dorms where his dad helped him move in more than a decade ago. “It’s beautiful to reunite with everyone and see how much the campus has grown,” he said.
The College of Medicine has undergone significant transformations since these grads walked the halls in short white coats, dreaming of becoming doctors. Outdated auditorium-style classrooms have been replaced with modern, active-learning classrooms, the high-tech simulation center has expanded to include standardized patient suites, and the anatomy lab has just reopened after a $5M renovation. “We had to take a bus to UM to use their labs,” recalled Dr. Rebecca Arana, a psychiatrist at Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital and member of the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board. She and her classmates marveled at the cutting-edge technology in the new lab and warmly reminisced with lab director Ferdinand Gomez, a reminder of the invaluable connections made during medical school.
After touring the medical school, they attended an alumni reception in the Faculty Lounge, connecting with faculty and staff and celebrating the college’s achievements and personal successes over the past decade. “I am immensely proud to be part of this incredible community,” said Dr. Alejandra Alvarez. Dr. Alvarez is a family medicine physician with a practice in Miami and chairs the Dean’s Alumni Advisory Board. As a proud double Panther, having also earned her bachelor’s degree at FIU, she encouraged her peers to “come home” often, sharing ways they can give back to their alma mater. “Our school will always be a place where we can come together—whether as classmates, colleagues, or mentors—and we have the opportunity to support the next generation of students and physicians.”