With traditional pomp and circumstance the 156th Commencement exercises concluded the journey of the Class of 2015 at New York Medical College on May 21 at Carnegie Hall. Mace bearer, Joan Y. June, M.S.Ed., assistant dean of minority affairs, led the colorful processional of academic leaders, faculty and distinguished guests into the great hall and Zvi Lefkovitz, M.D., professor of clinical radiology and chairman of the Department of Radiology, presided as the grand marshal of the ceremonies. The College conferred 205 doctor of medicine (M.D.) degrees, 31 doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.) degrees, 9 doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees, 74 master of science (M.S.) degrees, 104 master of public health (M.P.H.) degrees and 6 doctor of public health (Dr.P.H.) degrees while proud families and friends cheered. View the 2015 Commencement Week photo gallery here. Read more...

As the first year of medical school was winding down, the Class of 2018 took an afternoon to reflect and pay homage to 45 anatomical donors at the 27th Annual Convocation of Thanks on May 8. Through poetry, prose, music, song and art, the students expressed their deepest gratitude and reverence to the audience of family and friends of the donors whose selfless donations have made possible this medical school rite of passage, the study of anatomy. After the audience joined in to sing "Amazing Grace," the group retreated outdoors to a tree planting ceremony to honor those who gave the Class of 2018 the ultimate gift. View the 27th Annual Convocation of Thanks photo gallery here.

Graduate and medical students and faculty presented their innovative health projects and scholarly activities in five topic areas: discovery, teaching, integration, engagement, and application of research/theory to professional service and practice, at the Third Annual School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP) Research and Scholarship Day held on May 6. Projects included recently developed health, environmental, and policy programs from public health disciplines, novel clinical applications in speech-language pathology and physical therapy, and other projects that contribute to scholarship at NYMC. A networking opportunity among students and faculty celebrated NYMC's commitment to scientific discovery and appreciation to College and community collaborators. View the photo galley here. Read more...

The Department of Family Community Medicine hosted its Third Annual Research Day on May 12. Students, faculty and residents presented their research orally and in poster presentations. Carlos Jaen, M.D., Ph.D., M.S., chairman of the American Board of Family Medicine, and professor and chair of family and community medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, gave the keynote address via a webcast. He presented "Key Lessons and Findings After 20 Years of Family Medicine Research." View the photo gallery here. Read more...

The Department of Pediatrics held its Fifth Annual Paul K. Woolf, M.D., Pediatric Trainee Research Day on May 13 to highlight basic, translational and clinical research in the field of pediatrics. Twenty-five abstracts were considered and four were chosen be presented in lieu of grand rounds that day, followed by a poster session. The event is held in memory of the late Paul K. Woolf, M.D., senior associate dean for Westchester Medical Center and associate professor of pediatrics, who was instrumental in developing the pediatric cardiovascular program, the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital (MFCH) at Westchester Medical Center and the comprehensive Department of Pediatrics overall. From left: Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., professor of pediatrics, medicine, pathology, microbiology and immunology and cell biology; Michael H. Gewitz, M.D., professor of pediatrics and vice chairman of the Department of Pediatrics; Mona Elmacken, M.D., hematology, oncology and stem cell transplant fellow; Erin Dunbar, M.Sc., M.D., pediatric resident; Preeti Dohare, Ph.D., pediatric postdoctoral fellow; Keshawadhana Balakrishnan, M.D., pediatric gastroenterology fellow; Leonard J. Newman, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics; and D. Douglas Miller, M.D., C.M., M.B.A., dean of the School of Medicine.

The new chapter of Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health at the NYMC School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP), Delta Alpha, inducted its first members at the SHSP Awards Reception during Commencement week. Induction of student, faculty, alumni and honorary members into Delta Omega is based on meeting high academic standards and demonstrating outstanding performance in scholarship, teaching, research and community service. Read more...  

On May 7, 19 trainees from the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program graduated from the two-semester interdisciplinary leadership training course at Westchester Institute for Human Development, a College affiliate. The program is funded by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau at 43 universities around the country and provides training for health professionals who work with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. It also serves parents and siblings of individuals with disabilities and other special health care needs and covers disciplines including pediatrics, audiology, nursing, psychology, social work, physical therapy and speech-language pathology. This year's roster included two trainees from the University of Puerto Rico University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, five trainees who also earned certificates in "Children with Special Health Care Needs" from the School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP) and two members of the SHSP Class of 2015, Stephanie Halvax, (speech-language pathology) and Brittany Blumenthal, (behavioral sciences and health promotion).

NYMC hosted the American Heart Association (AHA) Hudson Valley and Farifield Research Reception at the Clinical Skills and Disaster Medicine Training Center on May 20. NYMC AHA research awardees presented posters of their work and guests had the opportunity to tour the facility and experience a cardiac code drill in the simulation center and a CPR demonstration. President Alan Kadish, M.D., a prominent cardiologist, welcomed the evening's guests.

NYMC students held their annual health fair at the Elmsford Fire Department grounds on April 19. More than 40 families registered for the event and more than ten student organizations volunteered. This year's activities included a pediatric club kids zone, diabetic information and exercise area manned by doctor of physical therapy students, introduction to AED use, women's health information, disparities in medicine education, Zumba, vision testing and glaucoma screening, STD testing by Planned Parenthood and blood pressure screening.

The NYMCares team was proud to show their support at the finish line of the National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI) walk held on May 16 at Rye Town Park, in Rye, N.Y. The 5K fundraiser walk raised awareness for mental illnesses.From left: Cindy Jakubowski, administrative secretary in the Department of Health Policy and Management, first-year medical student Alexander Moghadam, Ph.D. candidate Omid Miry, and Jeanne Chamas, administrative secretary in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.