title: Alligator attack: an illustration of the impact of early clinical exposure.
abstract: CONTEXT AND PROCESS: The authors recount the importance of mentoring during medical education. A personal narrative of clinical exposure as a University of South Florida (USF) student at Tampa General Hospital illustrates the unparalleled value of unique clinical situations such as the emergency care of a patient following an alligator attack. The benefits of early clinical experience and integrated medical education to be obtained through a mentor relationship are explored.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical exposure of medical students is central to their development as clinicians.
authors.affiliation: MS-2, University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Tampa 33612, USA.
authors.forename: Mario C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Roy G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Soto
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards*; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008611:Mentors