NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine Graduate is Academic Scholar and Researcher

Old Westbury, N.Y. (June 4, 2014) — An ocular enchantment took hold of Matt Schear, DO, even before he attended his first class at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Schear’s path to a prestigious ophthalmology residency at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital began when he discovered the wonders of the eye while working at a Long Island ophthalmology practice prior to starting medical school.

Today, the 28-year-old graduate of NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, fresh from a whirlwind month that included his engagement in Italy and his graduation, is decidedly thrilled about staying in New York State to pursue his passion for ophthalmology.

Schear, a Long Island native, wanted to stay geographically close to his family and continue to enjoy the attractions of nearby city life, beaches, and upstate outdoor attractions. North Shore-LIJ was his first choice because of its academic stature, faculty members, and numerous research opportunities.

Schear’s four-year residency, which begins in July, is particularly rigorous; he’ll spend a year in an internal medicine residency at Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, N.Y. before he begins the ophthalmology component of his graduate medical education. A thorough grounding in internal medicine is necessary because the eye often provides key clues to illness elsewhere in the body.

“It’s a really exciting field with a lot of new technology, surgical precision, and patient diversity,” Schear says. “Throughout medical school, I realized that much disease, including diabetes, autoimmune diseases, or even cancer, can present in the eye.”

Schear was among 300 applicants to the North Shore-LIJ ophthalmology residency and only one of four selected to match there.

He attributes his success to his long-term interest in the field of ophthalmology and passion for research. His research skills were honed in NYITCOM’s academic medicine scholar’s program, a competitive program in which students to spend an extra year in school to conduct research and sharpen their own teaching skills. As a result of the program, Schear also earned a master’s degree in neuromusculoskeletal sciences.

“”The academic medicine scholars program provided me guidance to develop skills in both teaching and research,”” both of which helped him stand out during interviews, said Schear.

Schear also completed research while at North Shore-LIJ during his clerkship and presented at a major conference in Orlando earlier this year. At NYITCOM, his research on the central retinal artery, conducted with Assistant Professor Brian Beatty, Ph.D., was recently accepted for publication in The Anatomical Record. It was also presented at the American Osteopathic Association’s annual meeting.

As an osteopathic medical school graduate, Schear says he intends to never lose sight of his initial goal: to take care of the patient.

“I’m excited about what the future holds for medicine,” says Schear. “With a push towards evidence-based medicine, we will have to work hard to keep up with current literature, but this should improve the quality of health care we can provide. “

Contact:
Elaine Iandoli
Office of Communications
New York Institute of Technology
516.686.4013
eiandoli@nyit.edu