In 2019, Matthew Moronta had been offered full scholarships to medical schools in Connecticut and California, but Weill Cornell Medicine was his top choice. Still, Moronta, who grew up in Arizona and is a first-generation American, felt reluctant to ask his parents for financial support. “Growing up, my biggest anxiety was money,” said Moronta, a member of the Class of 2023. “My parents have always been worried about it. So when I was applying to medical school, it was hard for me to think of adding more financial insecurity to not only myself but also my family.”  Learn more.

 

A trio of Einstein medical students-Diana Perez, Juan Vazquez, and Obioesio Bassey-each have been awarded a coveted Diversity in Medicine grant from the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) for their commitment to caring for the underserved. Three of only five recipients selected this year, each will receive $42,000 to help defray the cost of medical school tuition and fees. Learn more.

 

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai unveiled BioMedical Laureates at Mount Sinai, a program intended to increase diversity among its basic and clinical research faculty and reinforce the school’s strong ethic of mentorship. BioMedical Laureates and a companion program, Junior Laureates, will both launch in January 2021, and will each announce new Laureates annually.  Learn more.

 

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) has announced the recipient of the newly established Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship Program. This award promotes the practice of medicine in underserved areas by offering tuition assistance to a TouroCOM Middletown student who has demonstrated financial need, outstanding academic work and dedication to improving the health of the local community.  Learn more.

“Pipeline programs are a vital avenue through which our participants gain invaluable experiences within science and medicine. We knew our students needed summer enrichment opportunities, and that a loss of such could reduce their future opportunities,” said Dr. Cara Stephenson-Hunter, program co-leader, director of Bronx HOPE, and assistant professor of family and social medicine.  Learn more.

 

For the third year in a row, Weill Cornell Medicine has been awarded the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, in recognition of its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. INSIGHT Into Diversity, the largest and oldest diversity-focused publication in higher education, plans to highlight the winners of the award, which is presented annually to health professional schools and centers, in its December issue.  Learn more.

 

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine received the 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award for its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. The announcement marks the third time the school has received the award, bestowed annually by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Learn more.

 

As some of you may recall, this past summer, I shared how Arturo E. Holmes II, M.D., Downstate Urology Resident, opened up about his experiences with racial profiling in a Washington Post opinion editorial entitled, I’m a Black Doctor. I Wear My Scrubs Everywhere, in which he discussed using his scrubs as a layer of protection from prejudice, hate, and any potential harm that may come to him.  Learn more.

 

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, CUIMC News has interviewed faculty members with Hispanic heritage who are helping the medical center achieve excellence in research, education, and patient care.  Learn more.

 

Medical schools across the country are reporting a record number of applicants amid the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. According to Rafael Rivera, MD, MBA, associate dean for admissions and financial aid at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the school is on track to exceed its application total from a year ago. NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s application pool jumped from approximately 6,000 to nearly 9,000 after offering full-tuition scholarships to all current and future students in its MD degree program regardless of need or merit.  Learn more.

 

The Office of Graduate Medical Education is offering a unique curriculum for house officers that leads to Distinction in Quality and Leadership when they graduate from the training program of their specialty. One of the requirements to achieve this distinction is training in “Lean applied to health care,” a discipline not commonly taught in the medical curriculum. The Lean course begins with 20 hours of online learning through the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, followed by another 20 hours of hands-on classes and training taught by Don Wiesenforth, director of Albany Med’s Center for Innovation.  Learn more.

 

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) released its Equity and Anti-Racism Action Plan, a five-year effort to strengthen diversity and inclusion at the Medical Center, address inequities in patient care and reduce health disparities in the Rochester community. “Our intent is to lift everyone up to become their best and healthiest selves, regardless of their identity or the challenges they face,” said Mark Taubman, M.D., CEO of URMC. “These have long been goals of the Medical Center, but now we’ve put a leadership structure and accountability measures in place to ensure we make progress.”  Learn more.

 

In years past, new students at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine received their first white coats on stage in a celebratory ceremony that includes families, friends, and classmates. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zucker School of Medicine’s tenth White Coat Ceremony, a traditional investiture ritual, was closed to the public. Loved ones still experienced the joy of this med school milestone by watching and participating in a virtual viewing, which was made available through YouTube. Learn more.

 

New York Medical College’s Shreya Makkapati, who is a med student from the Class 2021, the New York City chapter co-director, and fundraising chair of Mask Transit, and Sarriyah Hanif,  a member of the Class of 2023 and Mask Transit volunteer, along with medical students from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, were on hand to help distribute more than 10,000 mask kits to New York City youth organizations and schools on September 26. Mask Transit, a grassroots organization founded by medical students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic helps distribute masks and educational materials. Learn more.

 

Adeline “Addie” Fagan, MD, a graduate of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ Class of 2019, died Sept. 19 due to COVID-19 complications. She was 28. She was just beginning her second year of residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Houston. In July, she had started a rotation in an emergency department at a COVID-19 hospital, when she became ill with COVID-19.  Learn more.

 

There is no question that today’s young people demand more from those in power and seek to correct broken systems. The recent wave of protests, petitions, and activism following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans at the hands of the police brought front and center a change-making generation that refuses to stay silent against horrific injustices. We are outraged and reacting in the most effective ways we know how.  Learn more.

 

When Rachel Thommen, a  member of New York Medical College’s School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2024, arrived on campus, she wasted no time in getting involved in an issue of importance to her: voting and the political process. Ms. creating a collaborative multi-club initiative to involve the leadership of various organizations at NYMC to help spread the word to register to vote. “Our goal is to simply encourage our peers, including those in the School of Medicine, Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Practice and the Touro College of Dental Medicine, to register or re-register to vote, making sure their addresses and voting methods are up to date,” explained Ms. Thommen.  Learn more.

 

Lawrence G. Smith, MD, MACP, founding dean of the Zucker School of Medicine and Northwell Health’s physician-in-chief, has been named in Long Island Business News'”Power 30 in Healthcare” issue. This special section was developed by Long Island Business News to honor healthcare leaders and their roles in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Learn more.

 

Dr. Augustine M.K. Choi, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine and provost for medical affairs of Cornell University, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). As one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, NAM recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Dr. Choi is among 100 new members elected to the body in 2020, announced Oct. 19 in conjunction with NAM’s annual meeting. Learn more.

 

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH) have been named Leaders in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality for 2020 by the National LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Both hospitals received the top score of 100 on a survey encompassing non-discrimination and staff training, patient services and support, employee benefits and policies, and patient and community engagement.  Learn more.

 

NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) alumnus Humayun “Hank” Chaudhry (D.O. ’91) is nominated to Modern Healthcare magazine’s Annual List of 100 Most Influential Individuals in Healthcare. He is one of 300 individuals nominated to the list. Voting is open until September 29, 2020. Anyone may vote for up to five names from the list. Chaudry, who serves as the president and CEO of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) of the United States, is the only osteopathic physician nominated this year.  Learn more.

 

Students from across Columbia’s medical center presented their global and population health research projects at a virtual symposium on Sept. 17 hosted by the Program for Education in Global and Population Health (Global Pop) at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Students typically conduct their projects at worldwide destinations in coordination with faculty mentors during the summer before the symposium, but this year was different due to the pandemic.  Learn more.

 

Medical students presented their research projects virtually this year as part of the 17th Annual Medical Student Investigations (MSI) Day. Students submitted 145 scholarly research pieces spanning the disciplines of science, management, outreach, bioethics, advocacy in medicine, and more. Faculty and alumni reviewed the posters and video presentations online and provided feedback on the presentations that included such topics as Blood Type as a Risk Factor for Severe COVID-19 Infection, The Ethics of Prioritizing Mental Health in Cancer Care, and Patient Perspectives on Telemedicine.  Learn more.

 

Does convalescent plasma therapy work? Is a successful vaccine for COVID-19 on the way? Will it be suitable for senior citizens and available to minority communities that were hardest hit by the pandemic? These pressing topics are explored in a recent Aspen Ideas: Health panel discussion that was led by Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. Mount Sinai’s renowned vaccinologist Florian Krammer, PhD, and infectious disease specialist, Judith A. Aberg, MD, weigh in with informative answers to some of the nation’s most important health care questions.  Learn more.

 

Ruth O’Regan, M.D., chief of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care at the University of Wisconsin, has been named the next Charles A. Dewey Professor and Chair of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, pending approval by the University Board of Trustees. O’Regan brings more than 20 years of experience in academic medicine and a distinguished history of research and publication to her new role, which she will begin Jan. 1, 2021.  Learn more.

 

According to “Causes of Mortality Among American College Students,” suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding mental health challenges can prevent those at risk from seeking the help they need. In recognition of Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month, The Box sat down with NYITCOM’s Liat Jarkon, D.O., psychiatrist and director of the Center for Behavioral Health, to learn about the resources available to at-risk individuals and their loved ones.  Learn more.