UF College of Medicine educator Watson honored for service to medical students

A top educator with the University of Florida’s College of Medicine has been honored by the Florida Medical Association for supporting professional activity among medical students.

Robert Watson, M.D., the college’s senior associate dean for educational affairs, received the Advocate for Medical Students Award for Outstanding Service by a Physician Mentor to Medical Students at the association’s recent annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla.

Watson serves as adviser to the UF FMA Medical Student Section and opens his home to officer meetings of UF’s student section of the American Medical Association, FMA’s parent organization. He was the second person to receive the award.

“I enjoy seeing student interest in something that is more for the profession and less for self-interest,” said Watson, a neurologist and a 1969 graduate of the college. “I have a feeling that you have a better chance to be a well-rounded, more humane physician if you take time to do things other than 100 percent schoolwork.”

UF student section members made a group decision to nominate Watson for the honor due to his strong support of the organization, which includes almost all UF medical students, said M.D./Ph.D. student Kevin Cahill, who wrote the letter of nomination and presented the award.

“Another reason we nominated him is because he always has an open door for medical students if we have any questions or problems,” said Cahill, who is in his third year of medical school. “He’s always our advocate.”

UF medical students also won honors and appointments at the event. Third-year student Karly Kaplan received the Gerold L. Schiebler, M.D., Scholarship from the Florida Medical Foundation. The $5,000 scholarship, named for the well-known UF chairman emeritus of pediatrics, is awarded each year to a Florida medical student who demonstrates outstanding dedication to organized medicine and public health.

Second-year student Krystal Tomei was elected vice chairwoman of the student section’s Governing Council and appointed medical student representative to the FMA Council on Legislation. Sarah Slovin, also a second-year student, was appointed medical student representative to the FMA Council on Medical Education and Science.