Jun
23
2020
Statement from AMSNY on Black lives lost and the impact of systematic racism on health care: |
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The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY)-the consortium of all 17 medical schools in the state-joins with many across the country in mourning Black lives lost to police violence, and we stand in solidarity with those expressing outrage and sorrow through protest.
The problems of systemic racism in America are far reaching and extend well beyond policing. You can see it clearly in our health care settings. There are as few Black men in medicine today as there were in the 1970s. The gap in physician diversity contributes to the gross health disparities faced by people of color in America – disparities magnified by the pandemic.
We are aware of the extra obstacles Black students, faculty and researchers are asked to overcome in pursuing their education and careers. It’s why we run pipeline programs to support students who are from racial, ethnic and cultural groups that are underrepresented in medicine. Our programs provide academic support and mentoring for students starting in middle school and continuing until entry into medical school, with a scholarship program to further support medical students. It’s why we convene representatives from NY medical schools to discuss ways to better prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and from that, develop actionable solutions. It is clear that we all can and must do more to combat institutional racism in our country.
We recognize there is much more work to be done in our sector and will continue looking for additional ways to support Black students and faculty in the weeks, months, and years ahead. As we move forward, we are committed to listening and learning, and we welcome feedback and ideas. And we will continue to speak out about these issues and advocate for change.
Please reach out to info@amsny.org if you would like to share your thoughts with us.
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Virtual Graduation:
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Albany Medical College Holds Virtual Commencement Ceremonies
Albany Medical College awarded 228 degrees today during a virtual commencement ceremony. Commencement proceedings were livestreamed from Huyck Auditorium inside the Medical Center to accommodate efforts to contain the novel coronavirus and to help keep those who are most vulnerable safe. The Class of 2020 participated virtually and will receive diplomas through the mail. Learn more.
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Albany Medical College: Emergency Department Staff Celebrates RN Graduates
When staff from the Emergency Department realized that their registered nursing graduates would miss out on having a traditional graduation ceremony, they decided to hold their own. The graduates wore caps and gowns borrowed from staff who still had them from their own graduations, and were presented homemade pins and certificates to celebrate their accomplishments. Congratulations, graduates! Learn more.
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Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Commencement 2020: CUIMC Student Stories
This year’s commencement was different but no less significant for members of the Class of 2020 graduating from schools at Columbia’s medical campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ceremonies were virtual for all and medical students graduated early to provide support to health care workers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Learn more.
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Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: During a Pandemic, Mount Sinai’s Class of 2020 MD and PhD Graduates Receive Their Degrees
It was a most unusual commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15, for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, an event that was prerecorded and livestreamed to the geographically scattered members of the Class of 2020. For this commencement, graduates received their degrees not from the stage at New York City’s Lincoln Center, with all the hoopla associated with large celebratory crowds, but from the isolation of their homes. Learn more.
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New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Virtual Hooding Ceremony Celebrates NYITCOM’s Newest Physicians
The expertise of today’s physicians is needed more than ever. This was the message shared with Long Island graduates of the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) Class of 2020 during a virtual hooding ceremony held May 18. NYITCOM’s hooding ceremony is a symbolic passing of the guard from one generation of physicians to the next, as well as a time when medical school leaders and faculty share their joy with graduates. Learn more.
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New York Medical College Celebrates the Class of 2020 With Online Pomp and Circumstance
It may not have been a typical Commencement–yet New York Medical College’s (NYMC) 161st and the Touro College of Dental Medicine’s (TouroCDM) inaugural Commencement celebrations were collectively a smashing success to behold. Not even the dictate to socially distance could put a damper on the tangible sense of pride and joy shared throughout the NYMC and Touro communities, as they collectively viewed the online pomp and circumstance via a YouTube video premiere at 7:00 p.m. on May 19. Learn more.
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NYU Grossman School of Medicine Celebrates 122 new Doctors in Virtual Ceremony
On Wednesday, May 20, NYU Grossman School of Medicine held a virtual graduation ceremony celebrating the accomplishments and success of 122 new physicians via a combination of Webex meetings and YouTube. The Class of 2020 includes 52 students who chose to graduate early to help treat people with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a separate ceremony on April 3. Katherine Hochman, MD, associate chair for quality in the Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health, gave the keynote address. Learn more.
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SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Celebrates Class of 2020 on May 20, 2020 with Virtual Commencement
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University will celebrate the achievements of 700 graduates of the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the School of Public Health, the School of Health Professions, and the School of Graduate Studies. This commencement will also honor leaders in academia, medicine, and research at its first-ever University-wide Virtual Commencement. Learn more.
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Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem Holds Virtual Commencement
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) Harlem held a virtual commencement ceremony Thursday for 139 graduates, 97 of whom technically graduated early. In the environment of a global pandemic, many were eager to volunteer their services or start their residencies ahead of the usual time. This year, the traditional applause, musical entertainment and buzz that extended from the orchestra section of the Apollo Theater up to the balconies was replaced by small gatherings with family and friends around computer screens or phones. Learn more.
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Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Middletown Medical Students Graduate Into the Coronavirus Pandemic Front Lines
This year’s Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating students are entering a medical field that is on the front lines of the novel coronavirus pandemic. TouroCOM’s 135 students of the class of 2020 were celebrated in a virtual, pre-recorded video commencement ceremony on Tuesday. The school’s third graduating class had a 98 percent residency match rate, with some students finishing their degree early to join the front line workers battling the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more.
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Weill Cornell MedicineClass of 2020 Celebrates with Virtual Commencement
Like more than half of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Class of 2020, Dr. Kevin Ackerman chose to graduate early to be of service to New York City’s healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the quick transition to working in the field in April, he relished the opportunity Commencement afforded to mark the end of his medical education and reflect on why he chose medicine as his career. Learn more.
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Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Celebrates the Class of 2020 With a Virtual Commencement
Like more than half of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Class of 2020, Dr. Kevin Ackerman chose to graduate early to be of service to New York City’s healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the quick transition to working in the field in April, he relished the opportunity Commencement afforded to mark the end of his medical education and reflect on why he chose medicine as his career. Learn more.
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In Memoriam |
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University: Doctor Dies of COVID-19 After Delaying Retirement to Treat Coronavirus Patients
A New York City physician known for his dedication to patient care continued working on the front lines of the pandemic in an intensive care unit and died from COVID-19. CBS New York reported Dr. James Mahoney, 62, delayed his retirement when the pandemic hit, charging onto the front lines and leading the Intensive Care Units at King’s County Hospital and SUNY Downstate. Learn more.
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Medical Education & Training |
New York Medical College Launches Master of Science in Biomedical Ethics and Humanities Program in Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic and Protests Against Violence and Systemic Racism
Starting this fall, New York Medical College will offer a Master of Science in Biomedical Ethics and Humanities program with courses that provide students with interdisciplinary training that will prepare professionals to address the ethical, legal, and social challenges in health care today and in the future. Graduates of the program will prepare to confront ever-evolving medical and health care ethics issues being faced today and in the future. Learn more.
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Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Responds to Floyd Killing
Medical students and residents are engaged in the intense work of learning how to become physicians who can best serve the communities where they will eventually practice. At the same time, what’s happening in society at large has a major impact on shaping their medical education. Learn more.
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Women in Science: Overcoming “Imposter Syndrome”
What if someone found out that I wasn’t the scientist I claimed to be? This was one of the thoughts that often flooded my mind. As a Nigerian American physician-scientist in Einstein’s M.D./Ph.D. program, I took pride in what I accomplished. I was brought up to understand that many people would happily trade places with me. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t quite fit in as a scientist or as a physician. For years, I was one of a handful of African American women in a classroom, if not the only one. I would often question myself and shy away from various experiences out of fear. Learn more.
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CUNY School of Medicine Selected as a Pilot Site for AAMC’s Restorative Justice in Academic Medicine
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has selected the CUNY School of Medicine to be one of five medical institutions across the country to participate in their pilot project on Restorative Justice for Academic Medicine (RJAM). With this project, the AAMC aims to train academic medical institutions to effectively incorporate the practice of Restorative Justice to address incidents of harm and engage in community building. Learn more.
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COVID-19 & Education |
Albany Medical College Students Help Families Stay in Touch with Patients During Coronavirus Pandemic
The advent of the coronavirus pandemic compelled Albany Med, like other hospitals in the region and around the country, to institute strict visitor restriction policies for the safety of both staff and patients. “One of the devastating aspects of this disease is how it necessitates isolating patients from their families,” said Jackcy Jacob, MD, a hospitalist at Albany Med and associate director for the Internal Medicine Third Year Clerkship for Albany Medical College students. Learn more.
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Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell and New York Medical College Faculty Create Free E-Book to Educate Children About the Science of COVID-19
Lauren Block, MD, MPH, a primary care physician at Northwell Health and associate professor at Zucker School of Medicine, along with her husband, Adam E. Block, PhD, assistant professor of public health at New York Medical College, wrote and self-published a free, downloadable e-book, Kelly Stays Home: The Science of Coronavirus. This book, aimed at children ages 5-12, breaks down the COVID-19 pandemic in an easily-digestible way and aims to teach kids basic health safety habits, such as hand washing, social distancing and more. Learn more.
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Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Saving Lives, One Mask at a Time
Aishwarya Raja, a rising fourth-year medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, looked at the East Harlem community that surrounds Mount Sinai and knew she had to help her neighbors as the COVID-19 pandemic surged in New York City. She understood they often lacked the most basic health care necessities, and with a sizable number of them considered essential workers and unable to stay at home, she wanted them to remain safe. Learn more.
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New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Interdisciplinary Innovation Provides Needed Equipment to Local Hospitals
As COVID-19 ravaged supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators in New York City and Long Island hospitals, New York Tech innovators implemented a strategic and collaborative approach to arm frontline workers and patients with the necessary gear. Facilitated by Suzanne Musho, AIA, NCARB, chief architect and vice president for capital planning and facilities management, the interdisciplinary initiative maximized the ingenuity and resources of multiple New York Tech schools, colleges, and departments. Learn more.
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New York Medical College Medical Students Deliver a COVID-19 Resource Guide for the Community
When the first- and second-year medical school curriculum transitioned to remote learning in early March of 2020 and the magnitude of the COVID-19 outbreak became apparent, in true New York Medical College (NYMC) fashion, a group of medical students brainstormed about how they could help the community at large. With restrictions on medical students providing clinical care and State mandated social distancing in order to flatten the curve, a group of medical students led by Katherine French and Alessandra Piscina, members of the School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2022, decided to develop an online resource guide for Westchester County with up-to-date information and resources available to the community. Learn more.
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Faculty |
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences UniversityPresident Wayne J. Riley, M.D. Appointed to Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University President Wayne J, Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, has been appointed by the United States Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). The announcement was made today by the U.S. General Accountability Office. Dr. Riley was appointed to a three-year term that runs through April of 2023. Learn more.
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Weill Cornell Medicine: New Admissions Deans Appointed at Weill Cornell Medical College
Dr. Kevin Holcomb, a prominent gynecologic oncologist with a longstanding commitment to medical education and leadership, has been named associate dean for admissions at Weill Cornell Medical College, effective July 1. Dr. Jessica Peña, an expert in cardiology and a dedicated mentor of students, residents and fellows, has been appointed to the newly created position of assistant dean for admissions. Learn more.
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Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Appoints new Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Sarah L. Berga, MD, has been appointed as the new chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. She will also serve as president of UBMD Obstetrics & Gynecology and medical director of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal Fetal Medicine Program Development for Kaleida Health. Learn more.
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Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Selects 2020 Gerstner Scholars
Four physician-scientists at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons-Rebecca Hough, MD, PhD, Benjamin Izar, MD, PhD, Jared Kushner, MD, and Stuart Weisberg, MD, PhD-have been named 2020 Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Scholars. Kelley Yan, MD, PhD, has been named a 2020 Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Merit Awardee. The Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Scholars Program supports tenure-track physicians who conduct research that has the promise to bring new treatments to patients. Learn more.
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SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Mobilizes Response Team for Behind-the-Scenes COVID-19 Mapping, Support and Planning
These days, the people fighting COVID-19 are usually easy to spot. They are wearing full-body personal protective equipment surrounded by beds, charts and machines. But many of the people integral to the fight are not as obvious – often working long hours in home offices and at kitchen tables, behind the scenes of public presentations and news reports. Among those behind the scenes at Upstate Medical University are members of the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Learn more.
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Other News |
Albert Einstein College of Medicine: What a Stint on National TV Taught me About Medical Education
The ability to communicate effectively is an essential skill for any medical professional. If the current public health threat caused by COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we live in a digitally connected world where information can be beamed to a global audience in an instant, and that a failure to provide clear and accurate messaging can have dire consequences. Learn more.
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University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Fellowship Spotlight: Dr. Maura Tappen
Dr. Maura Tappen liked Rochester so much during medical school that she decided to stay here for her residency in psychiatry. Three years later, she was faced with the choice of where to go for her fellowship program. She could have gone to Boston, or Baltimore, or moved closer to her hometown in New Jersey. But again, she chose to stay in Rochester. Learn more.
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