Medical Alumni Association Presents ‘Stethoscopes for Students’

Only minutes into their formal medical school education, the members of the Miller School of Medicine’s Class of 2021 were presented with perhaps the most-recognized symbol of the medical profession. The students were handed brand-new stethoscopes, donated by alumni and faculty as a way of welcoming them to the Miller School.

From left, Abby Ness and Carly Muller, M.D./M.P.H. candidates, Class of 2021.

“This much-used tool of the medical profession will be a continual reminder that an alumnus, alumna or faculty member from our school made an investment on the student’s behalf,” said Alex J. Mechaber, M.D. ’94, senior associate dean for undergraduate medical education and the Dr. Bernard J. Fogel Chair in Medical Education.

The stethoscopes were presented during the first day of student orientation by Robin Straus Furlong, M.D. ’82, the president of the school’s Medical Alumni Association (MAA).
In 2015, the MAA created the Stethoscopes for Students program as a way of helping the students forge a connection to the Miller School.

Every year, the MAA invites alumni and faculty to donate $250 to provide a stethoscope for an incoming student, as well as the option of providing a personalized note.
Gabriel Collie, M.D. candidate, Class of 2021, was pleased to find his note came from Dr. Mechaber.

“This is so symbolic of what it means to be a physician, and I’m so proud to see who it is from,” said Collie. “This is an excellent opportunity to reach out and see what this was like for him years ago, and to get any pertinent advice he might have for someone in my shoes.”

To learn more about how you can support the Stethoscopes for Students program, contact Melissa Szaja at 305-243-4853 or [email protected].

Tags: Alex J. Mechaber, Miller School of Medicine, Stethoscopes for Students, University of Miami