Medical Education News from AMSNY: July 2022

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo & AMSNY Mourn Tragic Deaths of Dr. Jonathan Daniels, 2 of his Daughters

The UB community was shocked and deeply saddened by the recent tragic deaths of Jonathan Daniels, who served as associate director of admissions in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and his daughters, Jordan and Jensen. Jordan received her MBA from the UB School of Management in May.

Dr. Daniels was a graduate of AMSNY’s diversity in medicine post-bac program at UB, and was an incredible advocate for the program. He was committed to the effort to diversify New York State’s doctors, mentored many students who followed in his footsteps and was always available to provide them with academic and emotional support. Learn more about Dr. Daniels contributions to the medical education community.

Education & Training

New York Medical College: Disabilities Curriculum Receives Enthusiastic Student Response

It is estimated that between 15 and 30 percent of people have some form of disability and that as people age, 80 percent will experience a disability – thus making the inclusion of disabilities awareness in medical school curriculum even more critical. While the American Medical Association (AMA) and Association of American Medical College (AAMC) have only recently issued formal statements urging that disability-related clinical care be part of the curriculum in all U.S. medical schools, New York Medical College (NYMC) has a long history of incorporating disabilities awareness into its Foundations of Clinical Medicine (FCM) course and has recently expanded its programming. Data demonstrate the extremely positive impact of this expanded Disabilities Core Curriculum (DCC) on medical students. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Building a More Inclusive Environment Through Education

When Hetty Cunningham, MD, joined the Columbia faculty more than 20 years ago as an attending physician, she noted that residents did not consistently use interpreters for Spanish-speaking patients. In an effort to improve patient outcomes, Dr. Cunningham began advocating for residents to make better use of the hospital’s volunteer interpreter service corps. Then she lent her talents to programs that promote more empathetic communication with patients, build cultural competency, and address health disparities in people of color. Learn more.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: Countering Racial Bias With Empathy

No doctor awakens in the morning determined to discriminate against patients of color, yet their daily clinical decisions too often have that result. Implicit bias—unconscious assumptions and stereotypes—often cause the harm. The failure to ask the right questions, listen closely and reserve judgment can sabotage communication in any patient/physician encounter, but it worsens when racial differences are involved. Empathy, a teachable skill that enhances trust and builds more effective medical encounters, is vital to humane medicine. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Preparing the Public Health Leaders of Tomorrow

Nicole Turturro, Class of 2022, was thrilled. It was the fall of 2019, and Einstein had just announced that it was partnering with the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH) to offer medical students the chance to earn a master of public health (M.P.H.) degree along with a doctor of medicine degree. She wanted to one day combine a clinical practice in internal medicine with community work in preventive health. Learn more.

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University: Registration for Pre-Admission Workshop for Native Americans

Registration is now open for Upstate Medical University’s Pre-Admission Workshop (PAW) for Native Americans interested in pursuing health professional, nursing, and medicine-related programs. For the first time since 2019, the program will take place in person, at Upstate’s Syracuse campus, with expenses for qualified students being covered by Upstate. Learn more.

Student News

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai’s Graduating Master’s Students Share Their Experiences and Passions

Why a Master’s degree? Five graduates at Mount Sinai’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences share how they will use their degree to explore new paths and careers. Learn more.

Graduation

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Middletown Graduates 135 Physicians

The fifth graduating class of the Middletown campus of Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine brings to 750, the number of doctors to complete their medical degrees since the school opened its doors in Orange County. This year’s class totals 135. Dr. Alfred Pilong, Jr., president of Garnet Health Medical Center delivered the keynote address to the graduates. Learn more.

TouroCOM Harlem: Success with Flying Colors

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem (TouroCOM) graduated 117 new Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine at the famed Apollo Theater, the first in-person commencement the school has held since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremonies opened with greetings from Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Nadege Dady and a processional with bagpipes. Learn more.

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University Graduates First Class from Family Medicine Residency Program

Upstate Medical University is helping combat the national shortage of primary care providers with its new Family Medicine Residency Program. The new program began in 2019 and was the first residency program for Upstate Family Medicine and the first residency program based at Upstate’s Community Campus. Learn more.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Master’s Commencement 2022: Celebrating Fortitude and Achievement at a Rousing Master’s Commencement Ceremony

For the 220 master’s students who had started—and completed—their academic studies at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an especially joyful in-person graduation at Stern Auditorium on Tuesday, June 21. This was an event that honored much more than degrees—this was a rousing celebration of the Class of 2022, a highly diverse group of students who displayed fortitude, resilience, and altruism as they worked together to achieve their career goals and to serve the Mount Sinai community during unprecedented times. Learn more.

Awards & Grants

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: Medical Scholars Pipeline Program Enters Thirteenth Year With Renewed $50,000 Pinkerton Foundation Grant

The Pinkerton Foundation has renewed a $50,000 grant to benefit the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell’s Medical Scholars Pipeline Program (MSPP). Entering its thirteenth year, the MSPP is designed to diversify the health professions workforce by exposing high-achieving underrepresented in medicine (URM) students to health care careers. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University Awarded Federal Grant to Expand Adult Falls Prevention Programs Across Long Island

Stony Brook Medicine (SBM) has been awarded $546,737 through the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) 2022 Empowering Communities to Deliver and Sustain Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Programs grant program. The 3-year grant will allow SBM to take an expanded role in the capacity and sustainability of older adult falls prevention programs across Long Island, while enhancing statewide efforts and informing best practices. Learn more.

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Medical Student Awarded Competitive AHA Scholarship

Nikki Maddie, a student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, has secured a prestigious Scholarship in Cardiovascular Disease from the American Heart Association (AHA). Each year, the Scientific Councils of the AHA award $2,000 scholarships to students researching cardiovascular disease topics within basic, clinical, translational, or population sciences. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Majewska Honored by NINDS for Exceptional Mentorship

Ania Majewska, Ph.D., has been named a 2022 Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship awardee by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) for her dedication to superior mentorship and training in neuroscience research. Majewska is a professor of Neuroscience and principal investigator of the Majewska Lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Four VP&S Physicians Named 2022 Gerstner Scholars

Four physician-scientists were recently named 2022 Gerstner Scholars: Rebecca Muhle, MD, PhD; Jennifer Small-Saunders, MD, PhD; Neil Vasan, MD, PhD; and Peter Yim, MD. The Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Scholars Program provides exceptional physician-scientists at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) with vital funding. Each scholar receives a stipend of $75,000 per year for three years for salary or laboratory support. Learn more.

Faculty

Albany Medical College’s Dr. KMarie King Awarded Prestigious ELAM Fellowship

KMarie King, MD, Henry and Sally Schaffer Chair of the Department of Surgery and professor and chief of Surgery, has been selected as a fellow in the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women. Learn more.

New York Medical College Chair of Neurology Tracey Milligan, M.D., Accepted into Highly Competitive Executive Leadership Fellowship Program

Tracey Milligan, M.D., chair and professor of neurology, was accepted as a 2022-2023 fellow in the highly competitive Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program for Women at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. ELAM® is the only longitudinal program in North America dedicated to preparing women for senior leadership roles in schools of medicine, dentistry, public health and pharmacy. Learn more.

More News

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: Well Said Recognized by Top Media Organizations

Well Said with Dr. Ira Nash, the public service radio podcast produced by the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, has been recognized by the Fair Media Council and the Press Club of Long Island (PCLI). Well Said garnered two Folio Awards and three PCLI Media Awards for its exceptional reporting on health issues. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: White Coat Signing Honors Tops Hero Salter

The traditional presentation of the white coat to medical and biomedical science students signifies their entry into the profession and the start of their careers in medicine. This week, students in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences who continued to struggle with the aftermath of the May 14 mass shooting concluded that the white coat could also become a meaningful symbol of unity and thanks. They focused on Lt. Aaron Salter Jr., the retired Buffalo police officer who lost his life while trying to save others. Learn more.