Highlights

In memoriam: Frank Jones, Executive Director of AMSNY, 1980-2002 

We mourn the passing of Frank Jones, long-time Executive Director of the Associated Medical Schools of New York. Frank graduated from Rutgers University and later was the public relations director of that university before becoming PR director of William Paterson University. Frank worked as a program officer at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation before becoming the Executive Director of AMSNY in 1980, serving in that role for nearly 22 years.

Dr. Alan Boulos Installed as 18th Dean of Albany Medical College

Alan S. Boulos, MD ’94 was installed as the Lynne and Mark D. Groban, MD ’67 Distinguished Dean of Albany Medical College in a formal ceremony on Friday, April 19 at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. The College’s eighteenth dean, Dr. Boulos is the third alumnus and first neurosurgeon to be named to the medical school’s top position. He was named to the position in 2022 and the ceremony was deferred to coincide with his thirtieth Albany Medical College reunion. Learn more.

CUNY Medicine’s Victor Schwartz Interviewed by the Times Higher Education Regarding the Use of AI in College Mental Health Counseling

Victor Schwartz, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Wellness and Student Life at CUNY Medicine, was quoted extensively in a Times Higher Education article covering the emerging trend of AI use in mental health counselor training. A renowned expert on college mental health and suicide prevention, Dr. Schwartz acknowledges the inevitability of AI integration into therapy programs, supporting its use for training while cautioning against direct patient interaction. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine Initiative Continues to Bolster Diversity in Doctoral Programs

Cinthia Garcia was always passionate about science and medicine. The first in her family to complete post-secondary education, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Emmanuel College in Boston in 2018 and then became a laboratory manager at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Still, she dreamed of a career as a physician-scientist, pursuing translational research with the potential to improve patient care. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: More Diversity Needed in M.D./Ph.D. Programs

Findings from a study published online on February 8 in JCI Insight suggest that sociodemographic factors influence acceptance rates into the country’s M.D./Ph.D. programs. Darnell K. Adrian Williams II and colleagues analyzed data from 15,156 applicants, 6,840 of whom were accepted into at least one U.S. M.D./Ph.D. programs from 2014 to 2021. Learn more.

Student News

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo WNY Medical Scholarships Give Two Jacobs School Grads More Reason to Celebrate

Surviving the rigors of four years of medical school is no small feat. So when the Class of 2024 attended commencement ceremonies at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, they were more than ready to celebrate. Learn more.

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine: A Life-Changing Service Trip to the Dominican Republic

In the summer of 2023, then-first-year medical student Claudia Guerrero Diaz joined other students and professors from the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) on a Center for Global Health service trip to the Dominican Republic. When she returned home, she was a new person. After the eye-opening experience of working alongside physicians in some of the Caribbean nation’s most medically underserved communities, she was eager to go back and continue their work. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: Two Second-Year Medical Students Win Third Place at Hofstra University’s Annual Digital Remedy Venture Challenge

Two students from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Adrian Chen and Nandan Vithlani, won third place in the annual Hofstra-Digital Remedy Venture Challenge, for their business idea SurgID, a post-surgery healthcare application. The Hofstra-Digital Remedy Venture Challenge is an annual entrepreneurship competition for Hofstra students administered by the Hofstra University Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship with prizes valued at over $75,000, made possible through the donation of Mike Seiman, a Hofstra Board Trustee and the CEO of Digital Remedy. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: U.S. Health Care Providers Don’t Know Much About Female Genital Cutting; UB Medical Students Want to Change That

For more than a decade, a medical student group at the University at Buffalo has played a critical role documenting medical evidence of torture in immigrants seeking asylum. Knowledge of the work done by UB’s Human Rights Initiative (HRI) contributes to Buffalo’s reputation as a city where individuals persecuted in their home countries can access the medical documentation they need to pursue asylum in the U.S. Learn more.

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine: Another Match Day Success for TouroCOM Students

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem and Middletown celebrated another year of a stellar match day success rate. Senior students from both schools matched in various specialties including anesthesiology, diagnostic radiology, vascular surgery, and general surgery. Matching schools and hospitals included John Hopkins, Yale University, and Stony Brook University. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Two VP&S Scientists Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Two researchers at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons—Oliver Hobert and Arthur G. Palmer III—were elected this week to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, which recognizes distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Election to the National Academy of Sciences is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Dr. Susan Lane Inducted as Master of the American College of Physicians

Susan Lane, MD, MACP, Professor of Medicine at Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM), was inducted as a Master of the American College of Physicians (MACP), the world’s largest medical specialty society. According to the American College of Physicians (ACP), MACPs, a title reserved for a limited number of physicians each year, are selected because of their “integrity, positions of honor, impact in practice or in medical research, or other attainments in science or in the art of medicine.” Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Names Yoon Kang, M.D., Vice Dean for Education

Albert Einstein College of Medicine has appointed nationally recognized education leader Yoon Kang, M.D., as its inaugural vice dean for education, following a national search. Dr. Kang is currently the senior associate dean for education at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she has overseen all undergraduate medical education programs and offices, the office of continuing medical education, and recently the physician assistant program. Learn more.

New York Medical College: Erika Berman Rosenzweig, M.D., to Lead the Department of Pediatrics

An international expert in the field of pulmonary hypertension, Erika Berman Rosenzweig, M.D., has been appointed as chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the New York Medical College (NYMC) School of Medicine. Dr. Rosenzweig will also serve as director of the Department of Pediatrics at Westchester Medical Center,  and as the William Russell McCurdy Physician-in-Chief at WMCHealth’s Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, both major clinical affiliates of NYMC. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Postdoctoral Spotlight: Daniel Guest, PhD

Daniel Guest, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Laurel Carney, PhD, at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He completed his PhD in Psychology at the University of Minnesota, and his undergraduate studies in Psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas. His research focuses on building computer models of the auditory system to better understand how the auditory system works, including the role of feedback connections. Learn more.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Names Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, as Dean for Translational Research and Therapeutic Innovation

Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, a world-renowned immunologist, has been appointed Dean for Translational Research and Therapeutic Innovation of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The appointment reaffirms Icahn Mount Sinai’s commitment to pioneering medical progress and catalyzing the rapid advancement of research innovation. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Jonathan Dworkin Named AAAS Fellow

Jonathan Dworkin, PhD, professor of microbiology & immunology at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Postdoctoral Spotlight: Dana Boebinger, PhD

Dana Boebinger, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow working in the lab of Samuel Norman-Haignere, PhD, at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She received her doctoral degree from Harvard University’s Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology program, her master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from University College London as a Fulbright Scholar, and her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Music at Florida State University. Learn more.

Weill Cornell Medicine: Meet This Year’s Champions of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dr. Andrea Card, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, has always embraced diversity, equity and inclusion, starting in the 1990s when she was a medical student—long before it became a priority across the country. This year, Dr. Card received the Bruce Laine Ballard Award at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Celebration of Diversity, part of the institution’s sixth annual Diversity Week, held April 15 in Griffis Faculty Club. Learn more.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Mount Sinai Celebrates 20th Anniversary of East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership and a Legacy of Community Service

Twenty years ago today, the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP) at Mount Sinai opened its doors, creating a new model of community service and patient care. EHHOP, a free student-run, physician-supervised clinic, serves approximately 300 residents of East Harlem every year. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine Collaborates with Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for a Night of Art and Anatomy

Students from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences came together on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, for a night of art and anatomy. This extracurricular event was hosted at the medical school by Robert V. Hill, PhD, director of Structural Sciences and the Anatomical Gift Program and associate professor of science education, and James W. Lee, professor of fine arts, design and art history, and featured different games, art exercises and drawing activities. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: School of Health Professions Hosts Third Annual Interprofessional Education Day

In late March, more than 300 students from several programs in the School of Health Professions, along with students from the School of Social Welfare, participated in the School of Health Professions third Annual Interprofessional Education Day.  The Interprofessional Education Collaborative’s (IPEC) Core Competency focus this year was communication, with the overarching theme of communicating in a responsive, responsible, respectful, and compassionate manner between the health care team and the patient. Learn more.

New York Medical College Forms Academic Affiliation with Yuma Regional Medical Center

New York Medical College (NYMC) has formed a new academic affiliation with Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) in Yuma, Arizona, designating the hospital as a teaching site for the training and education of NYMC’s medical students. This partnership further enhances NYMC’s extensive network of affiliated hospitals and clinical sites that encompasses more than 30 affiliates, now across six states—New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Arizona. Learn more.

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Mini Medical School At Touro College Of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem

“Ready, set, go!” said, Dr. David Colbourne, a clinical professor at TouroCOM Harlem, as he demonstrated how to administer oxygen to a mannequin during a CPR session for high school students.” It was just one of this year’s last sessions at MedAchieve, the school’s two-year mini-medical school for 11th and 12th graders aspiring to work in medicine or other health sciences fields. Learn more.