First Meeting of the Semester

After a much deserved winter break and a busy first week of classes, old and new AMSA members were excited to attend the first general body meeting of the spring semester.

Tonight’s speaker was Dr. Scott Teitelbaum, a board certified pediatrician and the Vice Chair of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Teitelbaum has a very unique and inspiring story. He did his undergraduate degree in psychology, but he took two years off in the middle of it to go out west. During those two years, it became increasingly apparent to him that he wanted to become a doctor. He went back to school and worked hard during the last two years of undergrad. He got into the University of Rochester School of Medicine and studied to be a pediatrician. He held a very successful practice in pediatrics loving every minute. However, he, as a practicing physician, went through a phase in his life in which he became addicted to smoking cocaine. He went from leading a successful practice in pediatrics, to being treated for his addiction.

“The truth of the matter is, drug addiction can happen to anyone,” he said. “One in seven people have addiction.” That means that one in seven neurosurgeons or one in seven CEO’s have one too.

He recovered and went on to pursuing a fellowship in addiction medicine and child psychiatry. He now treats many professionals who go through addictions. One of the most important lessons of the night was that it is a huge misconception that people with illnesses cannot be successful people.

Dr. Teitelbaum should be an inspiration to all of us pursuing medicine. He demonstrates that people do not have to follow the “standard” path to achieve their dreams, and that everybody’s story is unique. Most of all, it is important to enjoy the path to get there. In spite of the challenges, Teitelbaum said, “I encourage you all to enjoy the journey.”

AMSA kicked off the new semester with a great first meeting. Study Edge and Princeton Review came to offer good deals exclusively to AMSA members. Many exciting upcoming events for AMSA were announced, such as going to support the UF gymnastics team at their meet, the 15^th annual Medical College Forum and the Karma Cream fundraiser. There are also some worthwhile programs to apply to, such as the Equal Access Clinic, Camp Boggy Creek, and the UF Mentee project. For the prospective members that were sitting in the crowd tonight, spring applications are open! The applications can be found on ufpremed.org/apply and will be due Friday, January 27, 2012.

Written By: Patricia de la Cabada