Brody welcomes largest class in school history

GREENVILLE, N.C.  —   East Carolina University’s newest medical students wrapped up their first week at the Brody School of Medicine today as they received their symbolic white coats.

From left, Brody Scholars Diana Nicole Spell of Raleigh, Jordan Ray Preiss of Charlotte and Daniel James Goble of Marion are among the 78 students who began medical school at ECU this week. Shown with them is Carole Novick, president of the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation. Photo by Cliff Hollis

The 78 members make this class the largest in school history. The 39 men and 39 women in the class range in age from 21 to 43. As usual, they are all North Carolina residents with 31 counties of residence listed. They earned their undergraduate degrees from 25 different colleges and universities with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill having the most graduates, 21. ECU has 15 alumni in the class and North Carolina State University has 10.

Dr. Harry Adams, professor of medicine and recipient of the Clinical Science Faculty Award from the Class of 2009, addressed the new medical students.

He offered the following advice: read something non-medical every day, be patient and focus on first-year courses, and as a mantra for life, be diligent and do the right thing. “If you’re diligent, and you do the right thing, you will succeed in medical school and as a physician,” Adams said.

Students spent this week in traditional college orientation sessions, took a basic life support class where they learned CPR and also tackled ECU’s ropes course, where challenges build teamwork and confidence. Classes begin Monday.
“I think we’re ready to get started, really,” said Hunter Mahaffey of Waynesville, who received his bachelor’s degree from ECU in May.

Among the class of 2013 are the three newest Brody Scholars: Daniel James Goble of Marion, Diana Nicole Spell of Raleigh and Jordan Ray Preiss of Charlotte, who described her classmates as a little anxious but also eager to learn.

“Everyone was a little more worried about the first two years with classes and more excited about getting with patients in the third and fourth year,” said Preiss, who graduated from Duke University in May.

The Brody Scholars program honors J. S. “Sammy” Brody, who died in 1994. He and his brother, Leo, were among the earliest supporters of medical education in eastern North Carolina. The legacy continues through the dedicated efforts of Hyman Brody and David Brody. Subsequent gifts through the Brody Foundation have enabled the medical school to educate new physicians, conduct important research and improve health care in eastern North Carolina.

The scholarship is administered through the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Foundation.The symbolic white coats are a gift to class members from the Brody School of Medicine Alumni Society, said Karen Cobb, director of development for the foundation.