Students of Indian origin will be selected for the scholarship based on their academic achievement and financial need.<\/p>\n
The check was presented to Dr. Deborah German, vice president of medical affairs and dean, by CAPI President Dr. Uday A. Desai, a transplant nephrologist and medical director of the Pancreas Transplant Program at Florida Hospital. The November 9 meeting at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel included a presentation by Jarrod Fowler, medical economics policy analyst for the Florida Medical Association, on healthcare reform. Residents and medical students of Indian descent also presented research posters on topics ranging from cardiovascular disease to medical education.<\/p>\n
CAPI is comprised of 600 physicians and dentists with heritage from South East Asia who practice in Central Florida and is the second largest ethnic physician group in Florida.<\/p>\n
“We are pleased to be able to donate this endowment to our new medical college here in Orlando,” said Dr. Desai. \u201cWe are a strong medical community and want to open the door for the very best students across the country to attend UCF. This endowment will be a permanent reminder of CAPI\u2019s commitment to creating future physicians and assuring they will complete their medical education with the least amount of debt possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
As an endowment, the donation will earn that will fund scholarships into perpetuity. Such gifts allow the College of Medicine to compete for the best and brightest students, said Charles (Chip) Roberts, the medical school\u2019s assistant vice president for development.<\/p>\n
In thanking CAPI members, Dr. German talked of the college\u2019s growth from cow pastures to the educational cornerstone of an emerging medical city. Community support and generosity was a key factor in helping the college grow from 40 students in 2009 to today\u2019s enrollment of 360 and the \u201cmilestones\u201d of the last year, including the medical school\u2019s full accreditation and first commencement.<\/p>\n
Some of the attendees at CAPI\u2019s event wore traditional Indian attire and many expressed delight at celebrating Indian culture while recognizing the importance of Indian healthcare professionals in the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was reminded of how many people of Indian origin that I have had the honor to work with or to teach over my 28 years in Orlando. \u00a0In many ways, it felt like going to a family reunion,\u201d said Dr. George Everett, internal medicine program director at Florida Hospital.<\/p>\n
Meshal Soni, a second-year medical student at UCF, said the event \u201callowed me to interact with physicians in the Orlando area and learn more about the health initiatives taking place in our community. I especially admire how CAPI strives to engage medical students and am so appreciative of the organization\u2019s contribution to the College of Medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n