School of Medicine First Day of Giving Raises More Than $450,000 to Support Next Generation of Medical Leaders

For 24 hours starting at noon sharp on June 27, the New York Medical College community rallied to raise $456,636 for medical student scholarships during the School of Medicine's (SOM) inaugural Day of Giving campaign. Led by the SOM Alumni Association and other key donors who matched the funds donated, the Day of Giving will enable students to pursue their medical education regardless of economic background, and pursue their specialty of choice based on their passion for that field, regardless of income potential. "I couldn't be more thrilled and thankful for how successful our first Day of Giving was. The scholarship money will make a tremendous difference in reducing the indebtedness of our medical students," said Anthony M. Sozzo, M.A., M.S. Ed., associate dean for student affairs and director of student financial planning and student activities.

Special thank you to all who donated during this campaign - making your gift have DOUBLE the impact. Your truly are a #NYMCChampion.
Marina Kaufman Holz, Ph.D., Is Named Dean of the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences

Marina Kaufman Holz, Ph.D. , has been appointed dean of the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences (GSBMS), succeeding Francis L. Belloni, Ph.D., who has retired after serving as dean since 1997. A seasoned researcher and educator, Dr. Holz will officially join the New York Medical College community on September 1, coming from the Stern College of Yeshiva University where she served as the Doris and Dr. Ira Kukin Chair in Biology, chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and holder of a joint appointment in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dana G. Mordue, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology, is serving as interim dean of the GSBMS until the arrival of Dr. Holz. Read the full article...

School of Medicine Class of 2020 Transitions to the Clinical Years

The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) Student Clinician Ceremony on June 29 marked another milestone in the medical education of the Class of 2020 -- the beginning of the clinical years. The ceremony was created by the GHHS to provide guidance, information and support to medical students as they start their clerkships and underscore the challenges and imperatives to providing humanistic care to patients. Dennis L. Bordan, M.D., adjunct professor of surgery, associate dean, director of medical education and associate chair of surery at St. Joseph's University Medical Center, shared his advice and experience in his keynote address to the class. The ceremony also included the presentation of the Gold Foundation's Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Awards to six residents selected by the outgoing third-year class for exhibiting strong teaching skills and being role models for compassionate, relationship-centered care: Karl Genovese, M.D., PGY1, family medicine, St. Joseph's University Medical Center; Stephanie Yee, D.O., PGY2, general surgery, St. Joseph's University Medical Center; Emily Rosenfeld, D.O., PGY1, obstetrics and gynecology, Metropolitan Hospital Center; Clive Liu, M.D., PGY2, obstetrics and gynecology, Metropolitan Hospital Center; Miles Dale, M.D., general surgery, Westchester Medical Center; Breige O'Donnell Smith, M.D. '16, PGY1, pediatrics, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. View the GHHS Student Clinician Ceremony photo gallery.

Center for Disaster Medicine Brings Military Training to Westchester County's Bravest Police 

When active shooter and other mass casualty events occur, survivability often comes down to how well first responders react. On June 20, with a duty to keep their communities safe amidst the worst possible situations, 24 of Westchester County's bravest special response team (SRT) officers arrived at New York Medical College's (NYMC) Center for Disaster Medicine for a special training program on tactical and austere medicine. The program taught state-of-the-art operational medical techniques developed on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq and customized here at NYMC for civilian law enforcement. During the intense full-day training, officers participated in an active shooter simulation, experienced a sensory immersion simulator, and underwent detailed patient casualty scenarios enhanced by the use of moulage -- hyper-realistic make-up used to add realism to training scenarios. Read the full article...

Class of 2018 Celebrates Commencement Day
 
After years of dedication, sacrifice and unyielding efforts, the New York Medical College (NYMC) Class of 2018 enjoyed the fruits of their labor at the 159th Commencement exercises on May 23 at Carnegie Hall, where families and friends packed the house for the momentous occasion. The College awarded 213 doctor of medicine degrees (M.D.), 40 doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.) degrees, 16 doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees, 81 master of science (M.S.) degrees, 91 master of public health (M.P.H.) degrees and 4 doctor of public health (Dr.P.H.) degrees. The pomp and circumstance of Commencement was preceded by an eventful day of award ceremonies for the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences and the School of Health Sciences and Practice. Read the full article.
 

Office of Medical Education Hosts Annual Preceptor Appreciation Banquet 

The Office of Medical Education paid tribute to the volunteer faculty who serve as preceptors and seminar leaders in the Foundations of Clinical Medicine course at the Annual Preceptor Appreciation and Awards Banquet on May 15. Honorees were recognized for 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-years of service providing medical students with one of their first and most impressionable clinical experiences, serving as role models and teaching history taking, performing a physical exam, the doctor-patient relationship, clinical reasoning, humanism, professionalism, health promotion and disease prevention. Read the full article.



Department of Family and Community Medicine Hosts Sixth Annual Research Day

The Department of Family and Community Medicine hosted its Sixth Annual Research Day on May 9 to highlight the scholarly research of students, residents and faculty. Sonia A. Velez, M.D., J.D., assistant professor of family and community medicine and interim chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, welcomed the audience, proud of the important work at New York Medical College of discovery and translation to serve the needs of patients and communities. She also welcomed keynote speaker Samuel M. Jones, M.D., clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Population Health at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, program director at the VCU- sponsored Fairfax Family Medicine Residency Program and vice chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at the Inova Fairfax Hospital. Dr. Jones presented "Our Critical Role in an Evolving Health Care System." Medical students Drew Cumming, Class of 2019, left, and Cole Papakyrikos, Class of 2019, presented "Medice, Curate Ipsum: Physician Heal Thyself." 


Eighth Annual Paul K. Woolf, M.D., Pediatric Trainee Research Symposium Highlights New and Innovative Biomedical Research
 
The 8th Annual Paul K. Woolf, M.D., Pediatric Trainee Research Day, hosted by the Children's Health and Research Foundation, Inc., the Department of Pediatrics at New York Medical College and the Boston Children's Health Physicians on May 9, exhibited a wide array of basic, clinical, quality, and translational research. The event honored the memory of the late Paul K. Woolf, M.D., senior associate dean for Westchester Medical Center and associate professor of pediatrics, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 59. From left are: Michael Gewitz, M.D., professor and vice chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief of Maria Fareri Children's Hospital; Priya Misra, M.D., a pediatric resident, who won in the category of quality research; Amanda Rahman, D.O., a pediatric neonatology fellow, who won in the category of clinical research; Selena Levine, D.O., a pediatric hematology/oncology transplantation fellow, who won in the category of basic research; Gaurav Nayyar, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric hematology/oncology/stem cell transplantation fellow, who won in the category of translational research; Mitchell S. Cairo, M.D., professor of pediatrics, division of pediatric hematology, oncology and stem cell transplantation, and professor of medicine, pathology, microbiology and immunology, and cell biology and anatomy, who served a chair of the symposium; Krishnan Sankaran, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of pediatrics; and Leonard J. Newman, M.D. '70, professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics.

AOA Celebrates News Inductees and Honors Longtime Councilor, 
William H. Frishman, M.D.
Celebrating its annual lecture, banquet and induction ceremony on May 1, the New York Medical College (NYMC) Iota chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), the national medical honor society, had a particularly momentous evening. In addition to recognizing the illustrious inductees, Iota chapter's councilor, William H. Frishman, M.D., left, the Barbara and William Rosenthal Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine and professor of pharmacology, made AOA history this year for his 40-year tenure as councilor, the longest tenure in AOA's 116-year history, as well as for holding the distinction of being the only councilor in two different medical schools and chapters-Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University and NYMC. Over the course of his tenure, Dr. Frishman has helped induct more than 1,300 students and 250 faculty, alumni and residents. Dr. Frishman presented this year's AOA lecture, "The Search for Excellence: An Academic Odyssey."  Read the full article...


First-Year Students Eulogize Their Donors at 30th Annual Convocation of Thanks
 
Following in the footsteps of students who came before them for three decades, New York Medical College's first-year medical, physical therapy and speech-language pathology students came together on April 27 to thank and eulogize the donors who gifted themselves to the study of anatomy. It was a full house at the Convocation of Thanks, a tradition at NYMC since 1988. Matthew Pravetz, O.F.M., Ph.D. '88, profe ssor of cell biology and anatomy, program director and assistant dean for basic sciences, opened the memorial service, then turned it over to the students who shared their emotions and eternal gratitude as well as their talents to the audience of family members and friends of the donors. Throughout the ceremony, students across the three disciplines expressed one unified belief-the lessons learned in their anatomy labs, taught by their donors, would stay with them forever. "They taught us about importance of human dignity and respect," said Menasche Krupka, School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2021.  Read the full article...


Gold Humanism Honor Society Inducts New Class

On May 3, the School of Medicine inducted a new class of students and faculty into the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), the national society whose mission is to infuse humanism into medical training. Thirty-three medical students were selected by a panel of faculty and their peers to be inducted into GHHS and took an oath to model, support and advocate for compassionate, patient-centered care throughout their careers. Read the full article here...


Camille A. Clare, M.D., M.P.H. '11, Receives 2018 AMWA Gender Equity Award 

Camille A. Clare, M.D., M.P.H. '11, center, associate dean of diversity and inclusion for the School of Medicine and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, was honored with the 2018 Gender Equity Award from the College's chapter of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA). AMWA co-presidents, Emily Convery, left, and Evelyn Orlando, presented Dr. Clare with the award in the presence of the College community at reception on April 16. In addition, her name will be added to the roster of past winners on a plaque hanging outside of the Cooke auditorium. Read the full article...

2018 NYMed Talks Addresses "Medicine and Society, Our Moral Compass" 

This year's NYMed Talks held on April 13, captivated the audience with guest speakers covering the thought-provoking topics of the opioid crisis, race and gender in medicine, medical student and physician mental health, gun violence and health care for the homeless. "Medicine and Society, Our Moral Compass," was the theme of the day coordinated by member s of the School of Medicine (SOM) from the Class of 2021.  Read the full article...


Students Take a Break at Springtime SOM Alumni Association Mixer 

The School of Medicine (SOM) Alumni Association welcomed students to the Alumni House for the Springtime Student Mixer on April 11. Forty-five students from all schools took a well-deserved break from their studies and enjoyed refreshments and camaraderie with their classmates, faculty and leadership of the SOM Alumni Association. 


Kelly A. Hutcheson, M.D., M.B.A., Is Appointed Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology

Kelly A. Hutcheson, M.D., M.B.A., has been named chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. She also serves as director of ophthalmology for Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). Prior to joining New York Medical College, Dr. Hutcheson served as chief of ophthalmology at Sidra Medical and Research Center and Weill Cornell School of Medicine in Qatar, where she led the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology. While at Sidra, Dr. Hutcheson focused on humanitarian work, leading a team of 30 people performing medical and surgical outreach in the Dominican Republic. She also led an exploratory trip to Nedjo, Ethiopia, in partnership with Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International, providing medical and surgical care to adults and children. Read the full article...
Medical Students Volunteer As Westchester Science and Engineering Fair Judges

It was a learning experience for all--participants and judges alike--at the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF), held at Sleepy Hollow High School on March 17. A group of medical students, organized by Chelsea Sue Sicat, left, School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2021, volunteered and participated as judges at the high stakes forum showcasing the research of high school students in Westchester and Putnam counties. They were among the more than 300 judges charged with evaluating 560 projects representing 44 high schools. Read the full article...
SOM Hosts Third Annual Diversity and Inclusion Conference

The School of Medicine's (SOM) Office of Diversity and Inclusion co-hosted its third annual HeLa Diversity and Inclusion conference, along with Westchester Medical Center Health Network, on March 19. This year's theme was "Creating Healthy Communities: Collaboration. Innovation. Transformation," with topics covering social determinants of health, unconscious bias, LGBT issues in health care, health equity and social justice, leveraging data analytics to create healthier communities and community partnerships.  Read the full article...

Prominent Trauma Surgeon Addresses 14th Annual Louis R.M. DelGuercio Professorship and Research Day

John A. Savino, M.D., left, the Felicien Steichen Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery, and Rifat Latifi, M.D., right, professor of surgery, director of the Department of Surgery and program director of the Surgical Critical Care Fellowship, welcomed prominent trauma surgeon, George C. Velmahos, M.D., Ph.D., M.S.Ed.
, as the keynote speaker of the 14th Annual Louis R.M. DelGuercio Professorship and Research Day on December 13. Dr. Velmahos, who is the F. Burke Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, chief of the Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), trauma program leader for the Center for Integration of Medicine with Innovative Technology (CIMIT) and the founder of the Center for Early Trauma Research at MGH, presented "Selective Nonoperative Management of Gunshot Wounds to the Abdomen: From Heresy to New Religion." The day featured poster and podium presentations to honor the late Dr. DelGuercio's leadership and pioneering research during his 24-year tenure as chairman of the Department of Surgery, and to stimulate and promote surgical research at NYMC. 
Read the full article...



Resident Research Day Highlights Scholarly Efforts of Residents
 
New York Medical College and NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan hosted the 2018 Chancellor's Resident Research Day on February 21 at Metropolitan Hospital Center. Twenty posters representing work in the departments of medicine, rehabilitation medicine, pediatrics, surgery and psychiatry were presented. Alina Moran, M.P.A., far left, chief executive officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan; John T. Pellicone, M.D., second from right, chief medical officer at Metropolitan, NYMC associate dean for medical education at Metropolitan and assistant professor of medicine; and Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., far right, chancellor and chief executive officer, presented the awards for the winning research. Read the full article...
Dedication Ceremony Honors the Memory of Rita F. Girolamo, M.D. '51 

The hallway to the radiology suite outside of the Health Sciences Library is the fitting new location of one of the latest findings of Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor and chief executive officer: plaques recovered from a renovation project at Westchester Medical Center Health Network's Westchester Medical Center. The plaques designated the Rita F. Girolamo, M.D., Conference Room at the hospital and now mark a permanent display dedicated to the memory of Dr. Girolamo, a well-known radiologist, educator and administrator. Dr. Giralomo's family, including her sons, from left, Mark Leone, Armand F. Leone Jr., M.D. '82, and Peter Leone, was on hand for the dedication ceremony, unveiling of the plaque and historical poster and tour of the Radiology Suite on March 13. Read the full article...

Medical Student Research Forum Showcases Student Scientific Investigations 

An abundance of student research was represented at the 22nd Annual Medical Student Research Forum, filling the Medical Education Center lobby and overflowing into the Basic Sciences Building lobby, on February 8. A total of 51 presentations, in oral and poster format, preceded the keynote address by flu vaccine expert Doris J. Bucher, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology and pediatrics, who presented "1918-2018: 100 Years of Flu." "The students did an outstanding job this year and their research was quite impressive," said Mary Petzke, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology and director of medical student research. "Sixty-one percent of the projects were conducted under New York Medical College (NYMC) faculty mentorship, breaking last year's record of 50 percent." It is also a dramatic increase from 2014, the first year of tracking this information, when only 36 percent of the submissions were conducted under NYMC mentorship, according to Dr. Petzke. Read the full story here...

Touro Dental Health is Open for Business

The Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College is pleased to announce its new state-of-the-art dental health facility, Touro Dental Health, is now open, providing affordable oral healthcare for the community and advanced educational training for dental students. The 32,000-square-foot oral health facility, located at 19 Skyline Drive, will provide care by dentists-in-training under close supervision of faculty and dental professionals. Patients of all ages will be treated in the areas of general dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry and oral medicine. Appointments are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and can be scheduled by contacting Touro Dental Health at (914) 594-2700 or [email protected]. Read the press release...

Upcoming Events
Founder's Dinner
Sunday, October 14, 2018
DoubleTree by Hilton, Tarrytown, N.Y. 

Join fellow alumni at this special gala event featuring dinner, entertainment and presentation of NYMC's awards, featuring Felix Wimpfheimer, M.D. '45, receiving the Alfred B. DelBello Distinguished Service Award.

Alumni receive a 50% discount on tickets. For more information, please visit the Founder's Dinner website.
 
School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony
Monday, October 22, 2018
Performing Arts Center 
SUNY Purchase - Concert Hall 
735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, N.Y.

Class of 2022 White Coat Ceremony, first-year medical students will don their white coats in the presence of their families and friends. For more information, visit the White Coat Ceremony webpage.
School of Medicine Reunion Weekend 
November 10-11, 2018
DoubleTree by Hilton, Tarrytown, N.Y. 

Join fellow alumni for the NYMC 2018 Alumni Reunion. To find out which classes are being celebrated and for more details of the weekend, visit the School of Medicine Reunion webpage .
Interested in Interviewing Applicants to the School of Medicine?

The School of Medicine Office of Admissions is seeking clinicians, faculty, staff and community members from the Westchester and greater New York metro area to serve as interviewers for the 2018-19 interview season. For more information, visit the School of Medicine Office of Admission webpage.
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT SURVEY

How would you rate Alumni Engagement and Opportunities? Let us know your feedback through our Alumni Engagement Survey

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

The Heckmans share their favorite memories from medical school, their proudest professional accomplishments, and their sage advice for future medical students.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT



Inquisitive, intelligent and fiercely determined, she ignored the odds stacked against her.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Public Health, Chief of the Division of Pulmonology, Allergy and Sleep Medicine

Driven to help solve the problem of too few pediatric pulmonologists available to provide care for the vast number of children struggling with asthma.

CALL FOR ALUMNI MILESTONES
We would love to share your most recent news and accomplishments in our next issue of the Chironian


If you have any accomplishments or developments, published a book, or have any family news to share we would love to hear from you. Please share your updates with us to be included in our class notes.

GRANT NEWS


NYMC faculty members engage in sponsored research and other programs spanning a wide range of biomedical topics. Read about the latest NYMC grant news.

IN THE NEWS


As leaders in a variety of specialties and fields, New York Medical College's faculty have been called upon by media outlets to serve as experts on cutting edge topics, events and news stories. Read the latest offerings of  NYMC in the news.

PHOTO GALLERY


View photos from the 2018 SOM Commencement Graduates and Faculty Recognition Ceremony held on May 22, 2018.

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Alumni Connections is New York Medical College's e-newsletter distributed to all alumni, published quarterly by the Office of Public Relations. Suggestions for story ideas are always welcome. Please call or email with your comments and inquiries at (914) 594-4536 or [email protected].

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