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This month, we spoke to Dr. Kimberly Menezes, Morsani College of Medicine alumna and Resident Advisory Committee (RAC) co-chair, about her time at USF. Here is what she had to say:
You are both an alumna of the Morsani College of Medicine's Class of 2022 and an ophthalmology resident at USF. What motivated/inspired you to stay at USF for your residency?
I originally moved to Tampa for medical school just for a change of scenery but was quickly motivated to stay by the amazing community of friends and mentors I made. There are tons of things to do, restaurants to try (it seems like a new one opens every weekend) and the warm weather all year! Leaving the hospital and having it be sunny outside does wonders for my happiness in residency. I am hoping to stay in the area after training so it really is true that "U Stay Forever! "
You have been involved in many things during your time at USF. What are a few of your accomplishments? Is there one that stands out for you?
I tend to join organizations that hold meaning for me and work my way up to leadership positions because I like being invested in causes that I’m passionate about. In medical school, I was involved with Tampa Bay Street Medicine, a group that focuses on creating accessible health care for the unsheltered population in Hillsborough County. My roles ranged from coordinating medication supplies to running the weekend clinic to eventually being vice president and working with USF Health to get our patients vaccinated when the COVID pandemic hit. In residency, I joined the Resident Advisory Council (RAC) as an intern and then was elected in subsequent years. I have loved having such a direct role in advocating for trainees as well as working on specific efforts like creating a “Welcome to Tampa” guide for new residents, organizing social events such as attending a Tampa Bay Lightning game and Lowry Park Zoo visit last year, and now as co-chair, it’s been a great experience having a more supervisory position and interacting more with senior leadership in graduate medical education (GME).
Tell us a bit about your research into ocular syphilis. Was there a reason that particular topic interested you? Have you been able to present/publish your work?
We originally started this study because we were seeing an uptick in cases of ocular syphilis on our consults at Tampa General Hospital and wanted to see if it was reflected in Hillsborough County public health data. We found that cases of ocular syphilis have been rising linearly over the past decade which is important to be cognizant of as it is highly treatable especially when recognized early. Syphilis, in general, is also on the rise over a similar time period so it is important for all providers to be asking about ocular symptoms as we call it “the Great Imitator” in ophthalmology. It can present in almost any way in the eye and is very responsive to IV penicillin. I presented this work at the Women in Ophthalmology conference and am currently in the final stages of writing the manuscript.
Tell us more about your involvement in RAC.
I wanted to be involved in RAC since I first heard about it during clinical rotations as a medical student. RAC seemed like such a unique opportunity to have a direct voice from the residents to hospital administration and GME and seeing it from the other side has only reinforced that. In past years we have advocated for increased salaries, improved engagement with families and between programs with higher social event attendance and had resident representation on all GME subcommittees. These include having resident input on committees like patient safety council, surgical suites and GME design amongst many others. It has been so fulfilling to initially being a member and now having a leadership role on the council. More recently we have started our “RAC to the people” initiative to make sure all programs have direct anonymous peer to peer feedback outlets, developed a consult culture handbook and collaborated with Dr. Sullivan from the wellness committee’s Kudos program to encourage positive comments about residents. I am proud of the progress we have been making and continue to make to improve the overall resident culture and promote a sense of wellness throughout USF GME.
Anything else you would like to highlight about yourself and your achievements?
I’m a big proponent of wellness in residency and letting yourself enjoy life even during the hard times which I feel like is one of the hardest achievements especially in the earlier days of residency when everything is such a steep learning curve. I’ve kept up with my personal wellness through my book clubs, traveling when possible, trying new restaurants at least every month or two, doing pilates through Class Pass and recently have gotten into rock climbing with my boyfriend at the new gym that opened up! I also love plants and am proud of my patio garden that has taken hard work over the past two years.