Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine: New York State Funding Renewed to Further Diversify Physician Workforce

New York State has renewed funding to support scholarships and other aid to underrepresented students in the Master of Science program at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine for the 2024-2025 academic year. Begun last year, the aid helps offset tuition and pays for a summer prep course in anatomy and histology for newly-admitted students and for a Kaplan MCAT prep course at the end of their studies. Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Wilmot Science Training Program for Deaf High School Students Expands Across the U.S

For four years, the Wilmot Cancer Institute has run a summer internship program to expose local Deaf high school students to cancer-related healthcare and research careers they might not otherwise consider. With support from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Wilmot will expand that program to provide science education internship opportunities to Deaf high school students at four partner sites across the U.S. Learn more.

Diversity in Medicine

New York Medical College: Five Medical Students Awarded AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Scholarships

This year marked a milestone for New York Medical College with a record number of School of Medicine (SOM) students awarded Diversity in Medicine Scholarships by the Associated Medical Schools of New York. The scholarships of up to $45,000 aim to increase the number of diverse physicians practicing in underserved areas in New York State and decrease medical student debt load. The five SOM students – Juliet Manu, SOM Class of 2026; Atikul Miah, SOM Class of 2028; Kelsey Murray, SOM Class of 2027; Yeashin Nur, SOM Class of 2028; and Alexa Rendon, SOM Class of 2026 – each committed to working in an under-resourced area of New York after receiving their medical degrees. Learn more.

Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University Launches Distinguishing Docs! to Help Students ‘Accelerate Their Success’

Upstate Medical University is launching a program aimed at offering extra support to medical students from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds to “accelerate their academic success” in medical school. The program, Distinguishing Docs!, a Student Affairs Retention program, is made possible by a $100,000 grant from the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) Diversity in Medicine program. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: An Unconventional Path to Medicine

About 90% of medical students know they want to become physicians by the time they finish college, according to a recent questionnaire by the Association of American Medical Colleges, while the other 10% take a more winding path before donning their white coats. “Career changers bring a different perspective to medicine, which is good for healthcare,” says Noreen Kerrigan, Einstein’s associate dean of admissions. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: First-Year Medical Students Spring Into Action, Putting Emergency Skills to the Test at Annual Mass Casualty Incident Day

On Friday, September 27, 2024, 100 first-year medical students at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell participated in the annual Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Training Day at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy (NCFSA) in Old Bethpage, NY. As part of the exercise, the future doctors put their emergency skills to the test, immersing themselves in simulated disaster scenarios, including a terrorist bus bombing, train derailment, car crash, chemical disaster, and active shooter, held in conjunction with the Nassau County Police Department’s (NCPD) division of Homeland Security. Learn more.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine: Einstein Global Health Fellowship Students Explore the Link Between People, Animals, and the Environment

Medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine brought together high school students an ocean apart—from Herbert Lehman High School in the Bronx and Vision Secondary School in Kisoro, Uganda—to investigate how the health of people, animals, plants, and their shared environment are deeply connected, a concept known as “One Health.” Learn more.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry: Nursing Pathway Sets Young Scholars on Track to Career Success

Growing up seeing women in her family provide compassionate care for others as home health aides and nurses, Mchiwa Hassan was inspired to follow in their footsteps and become a nurse. Her path toward this goal solidified in 2022 when she participated in the University of Rochester School of Nursing and East High School’s Career Exploration Internship program, giving her hands-on experience that confirmed her passion for nursing. Learn more.

Student and Alumni News

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: Student Training to Become Leader in Family Medicine

Elizabeth Johnson, a fourth-year medical student at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is one of only 30 people in the country selected to participate in a year-long program aimed at creating future leaders in the field of family medicine. She is among the family medicine residents and medical students named as scholars in the 2024 American Academy of Family Physicians Family Medicine Leads Emerging Leader Institute. Learn more.

Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell: Humans of Zucker: Vincent Eng

The Wilderness Medicine Club, organized by students at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, promotes love and appreciation for nature and encourages students to think about how they would practice medicine and handle emergency scenarios while outdoors. Vincent Eng, a second-year medical student, revived the once-inactive club due to his passion for all things wild. He now serves as its chair, providing an opportunity to blend his personal interests with his professional goals. Learn more.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: Imagining the Future of Medicine at the White Coat Ceremony

Medical practice and research are not only about healing patients, but also about changing the future of the field. That was the message from Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, to the class of 2028 at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, September 19. The students were gathered for the White Coat Ceremony, which marks the start of their medical education. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Cancer Immunotherapy Pioneer Michel Sadelain Joins Columbia University

Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, has been named the inaugural director of the Columbia Initiative for Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET) and director of the Cancer Cell Therapy Initiative in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Learn more.

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine: Star Athlete Becomes Five-Star Doctor

Rare is Rob Trasolini—an excellent orthopedic surgeon minus the outsized ego that can overtake an operating room. And here’s the clincher: Nurses who’ve seen him at work choose Dr. Rob, as he’s known, for their own surgeries and recommend him to relatives and friends. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Cognitive Aging Specialist Named Chair of Neurology

Joe Verghese, MBBS, MD, MS, has been named Chair of the Department of Neurology at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University. Appointed by Peter Igarashi, MD, Knapp Dean of the RSOM, Dr. Verghese is a nationally recognized expert in the areas of gait and cognition in aging. His appointment began on October 14. Learn more.

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo: UB, the Jacobs School and the Buffalo Medical Community Mourn the Loss of Renowned Neurosurgeon L. Nelson “Nick” Hopkins

L. Nelson “Nick” Hopkins, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Radiology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo and a neurosurgeon best known for changing the way stroke patients are treated, died Oct. 5. He was 81. “Dr. Hopkins profoundly impacted his field in so many ways — from innovating treatments and fostering partnerships that dramatically advanced research and clinical care, to training the next generation of highly skilled neurosurgeons. Learn more.

New York Medical College Forms Academic Affiliation with Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach

New York Medical College (NYMC) has formed a new academic affiliation with Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, 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 seven states—New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Arizona, and Florida. Learn more.

Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University: Stony Brook University Hospital Named Top Performer for Excellence in Environmental Sustainability

Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) has once again been recognized for its achievements in environmental sustainability in healthcare. Vizient, Inc., the nation’s largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company, named SBUH a top performer of the comprehensive academic medical center group, earning the Environmental Sustainability Excellence Award. Learn more.

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine Presents at OMED 2024

College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) students, faculty, and alumni gathered in San Antonio for this year’s Osteopathic Medical Education Conference (OMED). Hosted every year by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the event is the world’s largest gathering of osteopathic physicians, medical students, and health professionals. Learn more.

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons: Event on Haven Plaza Taps into Young Students’ Scientific Curiosity

More than 1,280 students from five public elementary schools in Washington Heights filled Haven Plaza at Columbia University Irving Medical Center to learn about science from interactive, hands-on science experiments and to seek information about careers in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math. The Sept.19 event was organized by the VP&S Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Learn more.