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FIU's medical school charts a new course

Florida International University is four decades old, but it began a new era on Monday.

The school's multimillion-dollar Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine -- South Florida's only public medical school -- opened to an inaugural class of 43 students.

It's a stellar moment for a university of modest beginnings, built on the grounds of an abandoned airport off Tamiami Trail in 1972 -- ``a little engine that could school'' that has often lived in the shadows of the private University of Miami.

FIU says it will have to owe on parting bonus for Maidique

In appreciation for his 23 years of leadership, former President Modesto ``Mitch'' Maidique should get a $100,000 parting bonus, the Florida International University board of trustees said this month.

Problem is, there's only $50,000 in the school's private foundation coffers.

For now, the longtime college president will have to accept a $50,000 IOU.

FIU's future remains bright

T oday marks the end of a remarkable era for Florida International University -- and the beginning of all that FIU's outgoing president, Modesto ``Mitch'' Maidique, fought for during his 23-year tenure as FIU's top cheerleader.

Mr. Maidique steps down Monday at a bittersweet moment, as he opens the $118 million Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine with its first class of 43 students. This will be South Florida's only public medical school, a dream in the works for more than a decade that will have a tremendous economic impact on the region.

From the little commuter school that began on the grounds of an old airport off Tamiami Trail in 1972 with limited courses for juniors and seniors only, FIU has grown in prestige as a four-year institution with dozens of master's and doctoral programs and a Division I-A football team. Under Mr. Maidique's laser-focus on quality growth, the university has tripled in size, adding campuses in other locations and establishing a law school and colleges of engineering

New FIU medical program connects students to households

A new program at Florida International University aims to provide medical, legal and social assistance and advice to families in several North Miami-Dade communities.

The Medicine and Society program, a four-year sequence of courses led by FIU's new Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, targets households throughout the North Miami-Dade area, including Miami Gardens, Opa-locka and Aventura, says Dr. Luther Brewster, an assistant professor at FIU's College of Medicine who is the program's community director.

Under the Medicine and Society curriculum, FIU medical students will be assigned to households to identify their medical needs and possible care options. The students will not provide medical services, but rather, will serve as buffers between their assigned households and the health system and agencies, providing advice and information about access to services, Brewster said.

Florida International to graduate 5,500 this week

More than 5,500 Florida International University students will receive their diplomas this week, and many will take part in larger-than-ever commencements, with six ceremonies spread out over Monday and Tuesday.

There are other firsts:

FIU will charge some guests a $5 admission fee, and the first new FIU president in 22 years, Mark B. Rosenberg, will lead the ceremonies.