Medical Education News from AMSNY: May 2023

Highlights

AMSNY Celebrates New York State’s Increased Investment in Diversity in Medicine Programs

AMSNY thanks Governor Kathy Hochul and the NYS Legislature for their strong commitment to addressing healthcare disparities in the state by investing in a diverse physician workforce. Their investments – $3.6 million for the Diversity in Medicine Program and $1 million for the Diversity in Medicine Scholarship – provide opportunities for careers in medicine, reduce financial barriers and ensure a pipeline of physicians who will practice in underserved communities throughout New York State. Read the full statement from President & CEO Jonathan Teyan here.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Einstein, Montefiore, and Lehman College Launch New M.S. Program in Biological Sciences

Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System have announced a collaboration with Lehman College of the City University of New York (CUNY) to launch the Einstein Discover Research Program. This unique research experience provides hands-on laboratory and scientific training for students from groups historically underrepresented in science and medicine, resulting in Master of Science (M.S.) degrees from CUNY. Learn more.

Education & Training

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: Future Psychiatrists Aim to Fill the Gap

Since 1949, May has been designated as Mental Health Awareness month—a time to destigmatize behavioral health conditions and bring attention to the necessary support of millions in the United States who are affected by mental illness. Psychiatrists, professionals who focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, provide an invaluable resource for those struggling with mental health. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: WNY Medical Scholarships Help Keep the Doctors UB Trains Close to Home

Even before the pandemic, the nationwide physician shortage was looming; now, it’s even more pronounced. That shortage is why the University at Buffalo moved its Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences downtown in 2017 in order to train 25% more physicians, increasing the size of every class from 140 to 180 physicians. Learn more.

New York Medical College and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Collaborate on Drug Development Area of Concentration

The New York Medical College School of Medicine has collaborated with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a leading biotechnology company located in Tarrytown, New York, to develop an area of concentration (AOC) on drug development, which will be available as an elective in the medical education curriculum beginning this summer. The new elective covers the process of drug development from inception through clinical implementation. Learn more.

Commencement

Albany Medical College Holds 2023 Commencement Ceremonies

Albany Medical College awarded 224 degrees Friday, May 5, during the 185th Commencement ceremonies at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Speakers included Alan Boulos, MD ’94, The Lynne and Mark D. Groban, MD ’67 Distinguished Dean of Albany Medical College; Maggie Gillis, Vice Chair of the Albany Med Health System Board of Directors; and student representatives of the Class of 2023. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell Celebrates Ninth Commencement Ceremony

On Monday, May 8, 2023, the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell celebrated its ninth commencement. Ninety-four graduates from the Class of 2023 took another step towards their dreams, becoming the nation’s newest doctors and scientists to enter the field of medicine and embark on the next chapter of their careers. Kevin J. Tracey, president and CEO, and the Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research was the keynote speaker. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Medical School Awards Diplomas to 175 Graduates

The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences graduated 175 medical students during the 177th commencement on April 28. Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School, presided over the ceremony, which took place at the Center for the Arts on UB’s North Campus. Learn more.

Student News

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Student Spotlight: Mark Osabutey, MBChB

Mark Osabutey, MBChB, is a 2nd-year Neuroscience graduate student at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Osabutey has a medical degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. He completed his undergraduate studies in Human Biology at the same institution. Before coming to Rochester, Osabutey was a physician for three years in Kumasi, Ghana. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Inaugural Impact Day Showcases Medical Student Research and Commitment to Service

On March 22, Albert Einstein College of Medicine held its first annual Impact Day, which featured the research and scholarly work of its medical students. The new event celebrated Impact, a four-year, longitudinal curricular program designed to help students pursue discovery, develop professional and research skills, and create a capstone project in a scholarly area—ranging from basic and clinical translational research to community-based and global health. Learn more.

Gifts & Grants

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Columbia University Launches Center for Precision Psychiatry & Mental Health with $75 Million Grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)

Columbia University announced the establishment of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Center for Precision Psychiatry & Mental Health at Columbia University. The center will catalyze the scientific innovation and clinical implementation of precision medicine to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness. The center is being established with a $75 million grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), an international philanthropic organization, as part of SNF’s Global Health Initiative (GHI). Learn more.

Faculty

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Michael Shadlen Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Neuroscientist Michael N. Shadlen, MD, PhD, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Shadlen is professor of neuroscience at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, a principal investigator at Columbia’s Zuckerman Institute, and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is among 120 newly elected members announced by the NAS on May 2, 2023. Learn more.

More News

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine Honors Alumni and Friends

On May 2, the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) recognized seven alumni and supporters for their positive impact on the education of future physicians and significant contributions to the field of medicine at its annual Alumni Awards held at NYIT de Seversky Mansion on the Long Island campus. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Fifth Annual Diversity Week

Francis Lee, M.D., Ph.D. invited students to participate in the 5th Annual Diversity Week: “It’s an honor to celebrate our fifth annual Diversity Week at Weill Cornell Medicine. Inclusion is core to our character as an institution, so I trust the WCM community will turn out again in spades to take full advantage of this milestone event. This year’s program offers us the opportunity to learn from an accomplished group of experts on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion within academic medicine and healthcare.” Learn more.

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine: NYC High School Students Graduate from STEM Afterschool Program Having Learned Foundations of Medicine

Ninety-five high school students from throughout New York City recently celebrated completion of an afterschool science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program called MedAchieve that is run by the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) in Harlem. The graduation ceremonies and after-party were held on the medical school’s Harlem campus. Learn more.

New York Medical College Professor Assists Ukrainians Through Virtual Mind-Body Trauma Relief Program

Two weeks after Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D., clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and her husband, Richard P. Brown, M.D., associate professor in clinical psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and former faculty member at NYMC, and their team offered their first online mind-body trauma relief program in the war-stricken country. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine Celebrates Two Landmark Anniversaries

Weill Cornell Medicine is celebrating more than a century of excellence in medical education, scientific discovery and patient care, commemorating 125 years since its founding. What began on April 14, 1898 as Cornell University Medical College in four temporary classrooms on the grounds of Bellevue Hospital is today a state-of-the-art academic medical center located on the Upper East Side of New York City with reach across six continents. Learn more.

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Alumna Featured in New York State’s Vaccination Campaign

A TouroCOM-Harlem graduate was the face of New York State’s campaign to vaccinate pregnant women and nursing mothers. Tieg Beazer, DO, MS, the star of the advertisement, has always been concerned with caring for the most vulnerable. “I grew up in a family of nurses,” explained Dr. Beazer, who attended Wake Forest University before she joined TouroCOM Harlem’s Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences in 2012 and then matriculated into the class of 2017. Learn more.