From dancing doctors to singing students, members of USF Health will be showing off their talents for a good cause Friday night.
It's the third annual "BANDAids for BRIDGE," benefiting the USF Health BRIDGE (Building Relationships and Initiatives Dedicated to Gaining Equality) Healthcare Clinic.
Talent show creator, third-year Morsani College of Medicine student Madeline Snyder, says last year's event was a huge success, bringing in around $25,000 - quite an increase from the $2,000 raised the first year. She's hoping for similar results this year.
"This year's show will be composed of 22 acts. We have physicians, students and faculty members performing in the show this year in acts ranging from comedy, dance, singing and magic," Snyder said, adding that it's fun to see fellow students and teachers cut loose for a night.
"Students are used to sitting in lectures, being lectured (to) by these professors, working with these attendings in a hospital setting," she said. "But it's pretty cool to get up onstage and show them that they have talents outside of just science and medicine. It's really neat to see some of your attendings and professors get up onstage and sing a couple notes or play a couple beats on a drum, so it's a neat experience."
http://youtu.be/3Cm-TxFnjbM
The BRIDGE Clinic is run by students from departments across USF Health, under the supervision of faculty and other volunteer medical professionals.
"The BRIDGE Clinic is an excellent opportunity for (students) to go volunteer (their) time for a really great cause, deliver medical care to patients who really need it, but at the same time be in a learning environment, working with some of the top attending (physcians) within USF Health, top professors, and gaining that clinical experience that you don't necessarily have in a classroom setting," Snyder said.
The Clinic serves uninsured adults 18 and older who are more than 200 percent below the poverty level and live in the University Area Community bordered by Bearss Avenue, Fowler Avenue, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Florida Avenue.
The Clinic, which does not offer prenatal, dental or pediatric services, is located at the Morsani Center for Advanced Health Care and is open every Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m.
BANDaids for BRIDGE is at the T. Pepin Hospitality Center in Tampa Friday night, kicking off at 6 p.m. with a red carpet arrival ceremony and cocktail hour. Dinner and the talent show should start around 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 for USF Health students and $45 for faculty and the general public. More information can be found by clicking here.
