Gladys M. Ayala, MD, who has served as vice dean and professor of medicine at NYU Long Island School of Medicine, recently became the school’s new dean and chief academic officer. Dr. Ayala’s appointment follows the retirement of the school’s founding dean, Steven P. Shelov, MD. She has led MD curriculum development and implementation and oversaw the areas of MD admissions and the Office of Students and Diversity at NYU Long Island School of Medicine since 2018. Learn more.

 

New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine uses VR and AR to give students new ways to visualize and learn about the human body. While the medical school still has human cadavers for students to inspect, they no longer dissect cadavers as part of the curriculum; they use VR and AR instead, says Greg Dorsainville, manager of immersive computing at the medical school’s Institute for Innovations in Medical Education. Learn more.

 

Since September 2021, equipped with just his cell phone and laptop, second-year medical student Justin Olivera has recorded a podcast every two weeks from his Einstein apartment. The episodes—interviews with physicians of color from diverse backgrounds—are intended to inspire the next generation of doctors from groups that are underrepresented in medicine. Learn more.

 

Launched by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at New York Medical College (NYMC) earlier this year, the Diversity in Research Study Group has received an extremely enthusiastic response from medical students at NYMC and even from other medical schools, with 50 students already engaged in the group and numerous research projects underway focused on health care disparities and other important health and medical education topics. Learn more.

 

Finding community and building relationships has been central to Kelsey Fisher’s time at New York Tech. After achieving her undergraduate degree in South Carolina, at Clemson University, she wanted to be closer to her childhood home on Long Island for medical school. “NYITCOM was located in the ideal area for me to remain home with my friends, family, and partner Spencer Shain (OMS-II),” she says. Learn more.

 

More than 160 faculty and students filled Uris Auditorium Dec. 5 to hear doctoral candidates deliver bite-size presentations of their research in an entertaining way. The catch? They had to deliver their work in three minutes or less. Oftentimes, the theses presentations were full of puns and good humor. Learn more.

 

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences medical students celebrated their multicultural backgrounds at the annual Taste of Culture event Dec. 2 at the Jacobs School building. The local chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) — the nation’s oldest and largest organization focused on the needs of medical students of color — sponsored the event. Students celebrated their backgrounds through a dinner, a fashion show and presentations of artwork. Learn more.

 

Fourth-year medical student Alex Levine jokes that he hadn’t always dreamed of becoming a doctor. What he really cared about, he says, was what made cities tick. As an undergraduate at Fordham University, he interned in the Bronx City Planning Department. “I wanted to pursue a career that was service oriented,” he says. Learn more.

 

Muhammad Choudhury, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Urology at New York Medical College, is the recipient of the 2023 Gold-Headed Cane Award from the American Urological Association (AUA) in recognition of his career dedicated to the education and training of urologists in the United States and Bangladesh. Dr. Choudhury will receive the award at the AUA Annual Meeting in May 2023. Learn more.

 

Rubia Khalak, MD, a neonatologist and professor of pediatrics at Albany Medical Center, has been accepted into The American Pediatric Society. The American Pediatric Society is the first and most prestigious academic pediatric organization in North America. It recognizes the contributions of child health leaders, teachers, scholars, policymakers, and clinicians on a national and international level. It celebrates their work and achievements to shape the future of academic pediatrics. Learn more.

 

In fall, Jean-Marie Alves-Bradford, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, began a new role as inaugural associate dean for medical school professionalism in the learning environment. In this role she will spearhead efforts to design and implement training programs for departments, clerkships, and courses related to student mistreatment issues. Learn more.

 

Stony Brook Medicine has named Todd Griffin, MD, MBA, as Vice President for Clinical Services and Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs. Dr. Griffin’s appointment, effective January 1, 2023, was announced by Hal Paz, MD, executive vice president for health sciences at Stony Brook University and chief executive officer, Stony Brook University Medicine. Learn more.

 

Women with endometriosis sometimes go seven to 10 years before their condition is diagnosed—a challenge one new member of the faculty of VP&S plans to confront. Other new faculty bring expertise in treating facial pain, using new therapeutic tools that target RNA, and generational care for hereditary colorectal cancer. Learn more.

 

hosted the Med Ed Galaxy Forum: Transforming Education in the Post-Pandemic Era, held at Convene on December 14 in Midtown Manhattan. The one-day conference was the first time since the pandemic that educators from medical schools across the tri-state area connected in person to share ideas, innovations, and insights learned over the past few years for improving education and, ultimately, the health of our region and beyond. Learn more.

 

Take a look back at the past year at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and see monthly news and highlights you may have missed. Learn more.