Class of 2017 M.D. student\u00a0 Katie Peacock came up with the theme for the holiday event after seeing a decades-old picture of physicians in an anatomy lab and realizing\u00a0 how far medicine has come. \u201cEspecially in this world of medicine, we continue to build on the shoulders of giants,\u201d Peacock said as she introduced the event.\u00a0 \u201cI hope each of you will have your own interpretation of the theme, and feel inspired by it as we open up this holiday season.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cResidual Volume,\u201d the student a cappella choir, began the showcase with \u201cSeasons of Love\u201d from the musical Rent, which highlights the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. \u201cIn Rent, the characters sing about a time when people will be living with\u2014not dying from disease,\u201d choir member and first-year M.D. student Jessica Fernandez told the crowd. \u201cThe research and medical milestones fighting this scary giant have redefined the implications of an HIV diagnosis.\u201d Fernandez encouraged the audience to \u201ccherish and be thankful for every moment, whether we measure our year in sunsets, smiles, journeys, love or 525,600 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Second-year student Priya Katari sang a medley featuring \u201cThe Scientist\u201d by Coldplay in tribute to her classmates, teachers and parents who supported her through thyroid cancer diagnosis and treatment last year. \u201cI remember looking at my guitar for months, and saying that it I could sing this time next year, that I would do it,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThe support I\u2019ve seen from the COM is something I\u2019ll remember for the rest of my life. We are already well on our way to becoming \u2018giants\u2019 who will inspire and motivate our patients through hard times, the way so many of you have for me this past year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Students, faculty and staff showcased their musical talent on a variety of instruments including piano, French horn, bass, violin, flute, and saxophone. Assistant Dean for Simulation, Dr. Juan Cendan serenaded the crowd with a classical guitar performance of \u201cExcerpts from La Catedr\u00e1l.\u201d Peacock performed an original dance which interpreted the mistakes of giants in U.S. history that had caused discrimination and injustice. Simon Ho, of the class of 2017, recited an original poem called \u201cAsia America, Where Have You Gone?\u201d about his quest for self-identity as a child of immigrants.<\/p>\n
Planners of The Holiday Showcase also had charitable motivations, collecting toys for the Children\u2019s Home Society of Florida and selling 28 prints that raised more than $320 for OMA.<\/p>\n
The showcase closed with the a cappella choir singing \u201cDon\u2019t Stop Believing.\u201d Choir member and first-year student Lindsey Woody, introduced the song by saying the students hope one day to become giants for the next generation of physicians and scientists. \u201cAs we move forward in our medical careers,\u201d she said, \u201cwe must continue believing in ourselves, each other, and the power we have through medicine to make an impact on the lives of others.\u201d<\/p>\n
To see a video version of this story, please visit:<\/p>\n