by Tyler Francischine
UF College of Medicine class of 2016 graduate Sam Lipten has some words of wisdom for current and prospective students: keep the focus on the patient.
He says it seems obvious, but other concerns can obscure one’s focus.
“You may start to worry about your grades or an exam coming up,” he says, “but the last thing you need to do before you leave the hospital is have a conversation with your patients or their family. It’ll give you a more satisfying experience.”
Lipten currently interns at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a teaching hospital of Harvard University. He works 80-hour weeks in internal medicine, starting his days at 6:30 a.m. and interacting with patients throughout his shifts.
While a College of Medicine student, Lipten started a journal club for first- and second-year students, in which they analyzed clinical cases from the New England Journal of Medicine. He also spearheaded the formation of Physical Exam Finding Rounds, a process by which first-year students shadow residents as they perform patient physical exams.
In 2014, Lipten received the Smith Family Scholarship, which awards $35,000 annually to one student upon the conclusion of his or her second year of medical school at UF. He says receiving the Smith scholarship allowed him to pursue his dreams.
“It opened up my mind to focus on my future and what I want to do instead of worrying about money,” he says.