News from AMSNY

The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) awarded its AMSNY Scholarship in Medicine to 38 medical students for the 2025–2026 academic year. The Scholarship, supported by the New York State Department of Health with additional funding from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, provides $45,000 per year for up to four years, reducing financial barriers that can prevent promising students from pursuing medical careers.

Awardees commit to practicing for two to four years in medically underserved areas in New York State after completing their medical education and training, reflecting AMSNY’s ongoing commitment to strengthening New York’s physician workforce. This year’s awardees are currently enrolled in nine medical schools statewide: Albany Medical College; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the University at Buffalo; New York Medical College; Norton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University; Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University; School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center; SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University; and Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Learn More

Highlights

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Small Teams Are Making a Big Difference in Medical Education

Launched just one year ago, the Einstein Learning Communities Program (ELCP), which offers weekly small-group instruction and hours of one-on-one attention, is already garnering rave reviews from both medical students and faculty. “The ELCP has been transformative for me,” says Cassidy Adams, a second-year medical student and a self-described introvert. Learn More

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Boxers Fight Back Against Parkinson’s Disease

On December 3, dozens of boxers gathered at NYIT de Seversky Mansion’s Wellness Gym, where they wrapped their hands, slipped on boxing gloves, and worked up a sweat. But this was not your typical boxing event. It was a 12-hour holiday “boxathon,” and the athletes were patients with Parkinson’s disease. Hosted by the Adele Smithers Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Center, the event was conceived by Adena Leder (D.O. ’99), director of New York Tech’s Parkinson’s program and associate professor at the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). Learn More

Medical Education

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell: Routine Ultrasound Lesson Saves Medical Student’s Kidney

Aria Moreno, a first-year medical student at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, volunteered to be a “patient” in her ultrasound class where future doctors learn how to perform and read ultrasound results on live “patients” — a graduation requirement. Radiology and emergency medicine residents attend the classes in a teaching role to help facilitate the sessions. When radiology resident Amanda Aguilo-Cuadra, a Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell 2024 alumni, performed an ultrasound on Moreno, she discovered a very large kidney stone. Learn More

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Einstein Medical Students Bring Their Passion for Music to Bronx Children

As part of Einstein’s service-learning curriculum, in which students conduct meaningful service activities at community-based organizations, several students partnered with Montefiore’s Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center in the Bronx to lead a music workshop for young people. These hands-on collaborations help students grow as future physicians, providing opportunities for them to build trust as they engage with Bronx community groups and learn about the borough’s strengths and needs. Learn More

Weill Cornell Medicine: Early-career Scientists and Clinicians Sharpen Entrepreneurial Skills in BioVenture eLab Program

From light-activated pain relief to next-generation cancer immunotherapies, early-career scientists and clinicians at Weill Cornell Medicine showcased bold ideas for translating lab discoveries into real-world treatments. The concepts were pitched by five finalist teams at the Accelerating BioVenture Innovation (ABI) competition, sponsored by the BioVenture eLab within Enterprise Innovation at Weill Cornell on December 9. The event at Uris Auditorium marked the culmination of a 15‑week program that pairs graduate students, postdocs, clinicians and other trainees with industry mentors to learn how to commercialize intellectual property.  Learn More

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: “Envisioning” More Inclusive Eyewear

On November 3 and 12, nearly three dozen students from the School of Architecture and Design and the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) teamed up to reimagine eyewear and develop potential solutions for neurodivergent populations. The event, aptly titled Vision Reframed: Designing Eyewear Beyond Boundaries, was held on the New York City campus and represented a collaborative initiative between New York Tech and the global eyewear company Marcolin. Learn More

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell: Where Law Meets Medicine: Inside Hofstra’s National Medical-Legal Mock Trial Tournament

On a recent fall weekend, a Nassau County courtroom became a shared training ground for future lawyers and physicians, each testing their skills in the high-stakes space where medicine meets the law. It’s here that Hofstra Law and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell stage the annual National Medical-Legal Mock Trial Tournament – the only competition in the country designed around live, medically accurate expert testimony from medical students. Learn More

Weill Cornell Medicine: Students Break Down Big Science into Inspiring Stories

Three minutes and one slide were all it took for twelve young scientists to turn cutting-edge research into dramatic stories of hope at Weill Cornell Medicine’s tenth annual Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on Nov. 13 in Uris Auditorium. The night showcased bold ideas about tackling Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, infectious diseases and more with creativity and passion. Students from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Rockefeller University participated in the competition, which challenged them to trim the scientific jargon and make their projects accessible to a broad audience. Learn More

New York Medical College: New York Medical College and Hudson Regional Health Form Academic Affiliation

New York Medical College (NYMC) and Hudson Regional Health (HRH) in Hudson County, New Jersey, have formed a new academic affiliation, designating HRH as a teaching site for the training and education of NYMC’s medical students. NYMC will also assume sponsorship of HRH’s current residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, and surgery, a transitional year residency program, and a fellowship program in gastroenterology. Learn More

Student & Alumni News

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University: It’s Never Too Late to Answer the Call to Medicine

There was a time when Kathy Burke, 46, thought her two lifelong dreams—being a doctor and having a big family—were mutually exclusive. For years, she pushed her dreams of being a doctor to the side, as her family grew and her career flourished. Never did she imagine that, at age 44, with five children, would be the perfect time to start her journey to become a doctor. Burke is in her first year in the three-year accelerated MD program at Upstate Medical University’s Norton College of Medicine. Learn More

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine: Full Circle: MedAchieve’s Role in Shaping a Doctor

A first-year medical student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem (TouroCOM), Dihara Mohamed was born in Bangladesh and moved to the U.S. with her parents and brother at age nine. The family settled in Queens, where she attended public schools and graduated from CUNY’s Hunter College as a top student with a major in biochemistry. She is the first graduate of TouroCOM Harlem’s STEM afterschool program “MedAchieve” to matriculate into the medical school. Learn More

Awards, Grants & Recognition

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons: Department of Psychiatry Receives $10 Million to Launch the Dr. Herbert Pardes Scholars Initiative

The Essel Foundation, Inc. has made a transformational gift of $10 million to the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons to establish the Dr. Herbert Pardes Scholars Initiative—an ambitious new program designed to support the careers of outstanding junior faculty members as they develop into leaders in the field of psychiatry. This landmark initiative will advance academic excellence, help recruit, retain, and nurture the most talented, ambitious faculty, and support innovative research and teaching in mental health. It will also be a meaningful tribute to the legacy of Dr. Herbert Pardes and his lifelong contributions to mental health and academic medicine. Learn More

Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai: Mount Sinai Health System CEO Named to Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare

Mount Sinai Health System announced that Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, its Chief Executive Officer, has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare. The annual recognition honors leaders whose work is shaping health care delivery, innovation, and impact nationwide. The complete ranking appears in the December issue of Modern Healthcare. Learn More

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Stony Brook Surgery’s Vascular Chief, Dr. Rabih Chaer, Receives John J. Ricotta Endowed Professorship

At Stony Brook University’s Investiture Ceremony on Friday, October 24, 2025, Dr. Rabih Chaer, MD, Professor of Surgery in the Renaissance School of Medicine and Chief of the Stony Brook Medicine Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery received the first Dr. John J. Ricotta Endowed Professorship in Vascular Surgery. Dr. Ricotta, Chair of Stony Brook Medicine’s Department of Surgery from 1997 to 2008 was present at the ceremony and had delivered a Surgery Grand Rounds presentation two days earlier. Learn More

Faculty News

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo: Troy Woodard Named Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology 

Troy D. Woodard, MD, section head of rhinology, sinus and skull base surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, has been appointed chair of the Department of Otolaryngology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and president and chief executive officer of UB Otolaryngology, effective Feb. 1, 2026. Learn More

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Syed Shah Named Chair of Department of Anesthesiology

Syed Shah, MD, was named chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, effective November 6. “Since his appointment as interim chair in 2023, Dr. Shah has demonstrated exceptional leadership and tireless dedication to advancing the department,” said Peter Igarashi, Knapp Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine. Learn More

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo: Karen Frank, MD, PhD, Joins Jacobs School as Chair of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences

Karen Frank, MD, PhD, chief of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, has been appointed Peter A. Nickerson, PhD, Professor and Endowed Chair of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, effective Feb. 15, 2026. Learn More

More News

Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai: The Greater Guyana Initiative, Mount Sinai, and Guyana Ministry of Health Launch Guyana Digital Health Training Institute

The Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), Mount Sinai Health System, and the Guyana Ministry of Health have announced the launch of the Guyana Digital Health Training Institute (DHTI). This initiative will support Guyana in advancing its ambitious digital health vision to enhance care delivery and quality across the country. The news institute will serve as a center of excellence for the development of a digital health workforce for Guyana. Learn More

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons: Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian Cardiac Surgeons Complete 300th Robotic Heart Surgery

The Robotic Cardiac Surgery Program at Columbia and NewYork-Presbyterian has reached another remarkable milestone by completing its 300th robotic heart surgery. This achievement places Columbia/NewYork-Presbyterian at the forefront of this technological revolution in cardiac surgery, which promises to expand what is possible for safely and effectively treating heart disease. Learn More

New York Medical College Marks 150 Year Academic Affiliation with NYC Health+Hospitals/Metropolitan with Celebration Symposium

New York Medical College (NYMC) and NYC Health+Hospitals/Metropolitan marked their historical 150-year academic affiliation with a Celebration Symposium at Metropolitan on November 19. NYMC and Metropolitan have been affiliated since the hospital’s founding in 1875, making this the longest affiliation between a private medical school and a municipal public hospital in American medicine. To celebrate the important milestone, the symposium’s featured speakers highlighted the rich history of academic work and scientific and medical advances over the course of the past 150 years. Learn More