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School of Medicine
A Few Facts about NYMC



Mission

Advancing your Health through Medicine, Science and Education

New York Medical College, a health sciences university in the Catholic tradition, exists to advance your health. We educate physicians, scientists and healthcare professionals. We conduct research and provide service. We have one goal: your well-being. Indeed, our programs are vital to the quality of health care throughout the Hudson Valley and the New York metropolitan area.

Our academic community provides programs that improve the health of the population. We join with many partners, among them people like you whom we educate and encourage to adopt healthier lifestyles, whom we treat during times of illness and who benefit from our scientific progress. We are a university with a special responsibility to the underserved and with a deep awareness and recognition of the sacredness of all human life.





New York Medical College Today

New York Medical College is located in Valhalla, New York, in suburban Westchester County, within the nation's largest metropolitan region. The College, whose enrollment is close to 1,500 students, is committed to educating individuals for careers in medicine, science and the health professions.

The College comprises three schools—the School of Medicine, conferring the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, and two graduate schools, the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences and the School of Public Health, which offer Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) and doctoral (Ph.D., DPT and Dr.P.H.) degrees in 36 advanced program areas. The faculty is made up of more than 2,500 members, approximately 1,000 of whom are full time. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, many enjoy international reputations for their clinical and scientific accomplishments. The university has more than 10,000 alumni actively engaged in medical practice, healthcare administration, public health, teaching and research throughout the nation and abroad.

The School of Medicine, founded in 1860, is one of the oldest private health science universities in the nation. Upon graduation, students are prepared to assume their roles in society as clinicians, physician scientists, public health oriented physicians and educators. The School of Medicine has a longstanding reputation for producing outstanding clinicians, both generalists and specialists. The university's wide range of affiliated hospitals, which include urban medical centers, suburban hospitals and highly advanced regional tertiary care facilities, provide a comprehensive range of resources and educational opportunities. The School of Medicine has more than 1,300 resident physicians-intraining in 97 sponsored residency programs. The Office of Continuing Medical Education conducts a wide array of programs for physicians committed to lifelong learning. The school is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaffirmed its accreditation of the university for a full 10-year term in 19??.

The Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, established in 1963, educates future researchers and teachers and prepares senior-level scientists, technicians and managers to work in academia, industry, government and other arenas. There are strong doctoral programs in cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology, pharmacology, experimental pathology, physiology, and microbiology and immunology. The Graduate School also offers master's degree programs suitable for those who function at senior technical levels in the biomedical fields in industry and academic research institutions, for individuals seeking graduate-level mastery of the basic medical sciences in preparation for a wide range of managerial, supervisory, regulatory and analytical positions in industry, business, government and the private sector, and for those preparing for doctoral study in the sciences and health professions. Of the approximately 190 students enrolled, about half pursue their studies full time. The Graduate School also selects outstanding candidates who are capable of completing a rigorous program leading to the awarding of a joint M.D./Ph.D. degree.

The School of Public Health, which began in 1981, offers graduate programs in public health and health science disciplines. Some 500 students from the tristate area are currently enrolled. The majority are part-time students employed in the health professions in settings such as government, private and public health agencies, private practices, hospitals, corporations, environmental and pharmaceutical laboratories and community service organizations. Pursuing M.S., M.P.H. and Ph.D. degrees, students are enrolled in programs such as physical therapy, international and public health, speech-language pathology, health services management and policy, health promotion, epidemiology, environmental health and health informatics. To meet the strong demand for educated professionals in the health sciences, this graduate school offers programs and courses at other locations in addition to the main Valhalla campus.

New York Medical College is the only academic biomedical research institution between New York City and Albany, with some $45 million in sponsored programs of research, training and service. These programs are funded by the National Institutes of Health, corporations and other sources. The university has special strengths in the areas of cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurosciences and infectious diseases. Some of the most prestigious and respected biotechnology firms in the region call on the university to supplement their existing resources, find new platform technologies and explore product ideas. Through the Division of Technology Development and Industry Sponsored Research, programs are being developed to ensure that scientific progress is released quickly to industry, thereby enabling new vaccines, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic drugs and devices to reach the marketplace, resulting in improved patient care.





A Brief History of New York Medical College

The College was founded by a group of visionary civic leaders who believed that medicine should be practiced with more sensitivity to the needs of patients. They were led by William Cullen Bryant, the noted poet and editor who used the power of his pen to advance vital causes in the city and the nation. The son of a physician, Bryant was particularly concerned about the condition of hospitals and medical education.

Through Bryant's efforts, the New York Homeopathic Medical College opened its doors on the corner of 20th Street and Third Avenue. At the College's first session, there were 59 students and eight faculty members. Bryant served as the medical school's first president and was president of the Board of Trustees for ten years.

A Series of Firsts

In 1863, a separate but related institution known as the New York Medical College for Women was founded by Dr. Clemence Sophia Lozier, staffed by many of the College's male personnel. This institution graduated one of the first female physicians in the country, Dr. Emily Stowe, in 1867. Dr. Susan McKinney Steward, the first African-American female physician in New York State and the third in the nation, graduated from New York Medical College for Women in 1870 with the highest grade in the class. When the institution closed in 1918, students transferred to the College.

Walter Gray Crump, Sr., M.D., led the College effort to become the first medical school in the country to establish a minority scholarship program in 1928. Dr. Crump, an alumnus and faculty member, taught surgery and achieved emeritus professor rank, served as staff surgeon at several hospitals, was a founder of New York Medical College for Women and was a trustee of Tuskegee Institute and Howard University. An early recipient of the Walter Gray Crump Scholarship for Young Women was surgeon Myra Logan, M.D., who earned her medical degree at New York Medical College in 1933. While doing her residency at Harlem Hospital, she operated on a human heart, making her the first female physician believed to perform this type of surgery.

The Move to Westchester County

In 1972, the College was invited to move to its Westchester County location by a group of community and business leaders who were determined to establish a teaching hospital for the people of this growing suburban community. They recognized the many ways an academic medical center serves the needs of a region—by educating the nation's physicians and healthcare providers, affording the highest level of patient care and providing the most advanced procedures, technologies and innovative treatments available. Thanks to the initial foresight and commitment of these astute leaders, and the university's full participation in the effort, New York Medical College is a stable, enduring force in the life and economy of Westchester County.

In support of its mission of teaching, research and service, the College comprises three schools: the School of Medicine, which received more than 8,300 applications for 190 openings in last year's entering class; the School of Public Health, which offers graduate programs in public health and health science disciplines; and the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, which educates future researchers and teachers and prepares senior-level scientists and technicians to work in academia and industry.

As an academic health center, the College fulfills an important role in the region and the nation by translating laboratory findings from biomedical and behavioral research, much of it funded by the federal government, into treatments and prevention strategies that improve the quality of health care. Painstaking bench research and carefully regulated clinical trials are conducted to determine the efficacy of new treatments before they are made available to the general population.

Affiliations with Westchester Medical Center, Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers and 20 other hospitals and programs in the tri-state area provide the foundation for teaching medical students and residents. Each of the university's 97 residency programs focuses on a particular medical specialty, aimed at equipping new physicians with the clinical skills, professional competency and comprehensive base of knowledge needed to practice that specialty.

The need for infrastructure improvement was identified as a major institutional priority in 1995. A comprehensive planning process was launched to develop a campus master plan that both supports and enhances the educational and research environment. The culmination of this effort was a $32 million facilities improvement proposal that incorporated the construction of a fourstory Medical Education Center (MEC) and upgrades in the Basic Sciences Building (BSB), the university's primary teaching and research site.

Construction of the 50,000 square foot MEC—four floors of education-centered facilities and amenities designed to concentrate teaching areas separate from research labs—was completed in the summer of 2001 and opened in August of that year. Outside, a brick and stucco facade with a glass stairwell extending from ground level to fourth floor serves as a focal point for campus activities and student life. Inside, a new 250-seat auditorium, named for School of Medicine alumnus John W. Nevins, M.D. '44, graces a portion of the spacious, light-filled lobby that leads into the existing BSB. It boasts technologically advanced educational media capabilities, and has served as a focal point for campus activities.

The modernization of the existing Basic Sciences Building (BSB) has also been critical to the university's continued ability to provide superior medical education. Built as a temporary structure, the BSB has served as the core education and research facility since 1972. After a quarter of a century, renovations and upgrades were essential in the research, teaching and student support areas of the building. The improvements include the addition of 18,000 square feet of new space, upgrades to the existing auditoria, dining facilities and bookstore, central offices for the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences and a new student lounge. The entire construction and renovation project resulted in a total of approximately 122,000 square feet of laboratory and office space dedicated to research. The new space is configured as open laboratories with core instrument areas in order to provide maximum flexibility for the recruitment of top-level faculty scientists.

Research Excellence

As the only academic research institution in the Hudson Valley, the College has an ongoing commitment to support and encourage rigorous scientific investigation as a crucial part of its threefold mission. A total of $45 million in sponsored programs of research, training and service are currently active, funded by the National Institutes of Health, corporations, nonprofit health organizations and other sources. Some of the most prestigious and respected biotechnology firms in the region call on university expertise to supplement their existing resources, find new platform technologies and explore new product ideas. As new programs are developed to ensure that scientific progress is released quickly to industry, new vaccines, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic drugs and devices reach the marketplace, resulting in improved patient care.

Several recent research studies have attracted national attention to College researchers. The New England Journal of Medicine published a significant study by a team of scientists in the Department of Medicine and the Cardiovascular Research Institute. The researchers showed that transplanted hearts incorporate muscle and blood-vessel cells from their new host, suggesting the heart may regenerate its own tissue. Another NEJM study—a two-part, multi-center trial—explored the use of antihypertensive medications to prevent heart attack. The Annals of Internal Medicine published a clinical study by a team of College researchers at the Lyme Disease Diagnostic Center that showed the effectiveness of short-term antibiotic treatment of early Lyme disease, and other faculty scientists have probed the mysteries of narcolepsy, the effect of an adrenal hormone in hypertension, treatment for orthostatic hypotension, hepatitis C, and the role of the neurotransmitter glutamate in Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

At New York Medical College, students have long been encouraged to enter research competition to hone skills and make a regular practice of clinical investigation. Established by the School of Medicine in 1980, the Student Research Fellowship Program has enabled a growing number of students to engage in research as part of their medical education. This summer, some 50 medical students will spend 6-8 weeks conducting basic and clinical research under the tutelage of faculty investigators. Since the program's inception, some of the most prestigious student fellowships in the country have been awarded to students who got their start in the College program. Further, the annual Medical Student Research Forum offers second-, third- and fourth-year medical students an opportunity to discuss their clinical and basic science research projects, with awards for the top three presenters.

Today, New York Medical College is proud of its longstanding reputation for producing superior physicians, scientists and healthcare professionals, as well as members of the faculty who enjoy international recognition for their clinical and scientific accomplishments.





Educational Objectives of the Curriculum

In the spring and summer of 1998, the Medical School Objectives Committee, department chairmen, and the Curriculum Committee adopted the following educational objectives for the program leading to the M.D. degree. The resulting objectives are very similar to those adopted by the Medical School Objectives Project of the Association of American Medical Colleges and describe the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes believed necessary for the practice of medicine in the 21st century. It is expected that the Curriculum Committee will review and revise the curriculum to assure that these objectives are being met.

New York Medical College Graduates must be Altruistic and Demonstrate:
  • knowledge of the theories and principles that govern ethical decisionmaking, and of the major ethical dilemmas in medicine, particularly those that arise at the beginning and end of life and those that arise from the rapid expansion of knowledge of genetics;
  • compassionate treatment of patients and respect for their privacy and dignity;
  • honesty and integrity in all interactions with patients' families, colleagues and others with whom physicians must interact in their professional lives;
  • an understanding of, and respect for, the roles of other healthcare professionals, and of the need to collaborate with others in caring for individual patients and in promoting the health of defined populations;
  • a commitment to advocate at all times the interests of one's patients over one's own interests;
  • an understanding of the threats to medical professionalism posed by the conflicts of interest inherent in various financial and organizational arrangements for the practice of medicine;
  • the capacity to recognize and accept limitations in one's knowledge and clinical skills, and a commitment to continuously improve one's knowledge and ability.
New York Medical College Graduates must be Knowledgeable and Demonstrate:
  • knowledge of the normal structure and function of the body as an intact organism and each of its major organ systems;
  • knowledge of the molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms that are important in maintaining the body's homeostasis;
  • knowledge of the various causes (genetic, developmental, metabolic, toxic, microbiologic, autoimmune, neoplastic, degenerative, and traumatic) of maladies and the ways in which they operate on the body (pathogenesis);
  • knowledge of the altered structure and function (pathology and pathophysiology) of the body and its major organ systems that are seen in various diseases and conditions;
  • an understanding of the power of the scientific method in establishing the causation of disease and efficacy of traditional and non-traditional therapies;
  • an understanding of the importance of the scientific foundation upon which medicine is based and a recognition of the need for lifelong learning and the scholarly practice of medicine.
New York Medical College Graduates must be Skillful and Demonstrate:
  • the ability to obtain an accurate medical history that covers all essential aspects of history, including issues related to age, gender, and socio-economic status;
  • the ability to perform both a complete and an organ system specific examination, including a mental status examination;
  • the ability to perform routine technical procedures including at a minimum venipuncture, inserting an intravenous catheter, arterial puncture, inserting a nasogastric tube, inserting a foley catheter, suturing lacerations and hanging blood;
  • the ability to interpret the results of commonly used diagnostic procedures; knowledge of the most frequent clinical, laboratory, roentgenologic and pathologic manifestations of common maladies;
  • the ability to reason deductively in solving clinical problems;
  • the ability to develop management strategies (both diagnostic and therapeutic) for patients with common acute and chronic medical conditions;
  • the ability to recognize patients with immediately life threatening cardiac, pulmonary or neurological conditions regardless of etiology and to institute appropriate initial therapy;
  • the ability to recognize and outline an initial course of management for patients with serious conditions requiring critical care;
  • knowledge about relieving pain and ameliorating the suffering of patients;
  • the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with patients, patients' families, colleagues and others with whom physicians must exchange information in carrying out their responsibilities.
New York Medical College Graduates must be Dutiful and Demonstrate:
  • knowledge of the important non-biological determinants of poor health and the economic, psychological, social and cultural factors that contribute to the development and/or continuation of maladies;
  • knowledge of the epidemiology of common maladies within a defined population and the systemic approaches useful in reducing the incidence and prevalence of those maladies;
  • the ability to identify factors that place individuals at risk for disease or injury, to select appropriate tests for detecting patients at risk for specific diseases or in the early stage of disease, and to determine strategies for responding appropriately;
  • the ability to retrieve from electronic databases and other resources, manage, and utilize biomedical information for solving problems and making decisions that are relevant to the care of individuals and populations;
  • knowledge of various approaches to the organization, financing and delivery of health care;
  • a commitment to provide care to patients who are unable to pay and to advocate for access to health care for members of traditionally underserved populations.
The Educational Program:
  • must meet the standards for accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to ensure that New York Medical College graduates are prepared to enter and complete graduate medical education, qualify for medical licensure, provide competent medical care and have the educational background necessary for continued learning.




Academic and Clinical Resources

Administration Building

The College's administrative headquarters are in the Administration Building. The offices of the president, provost and dean of the School of Medicine, senior academic and administrative leadership are located here, as are the Offices of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Admissions, Student Financial Planning, Housing, Bursar, Public Relations and International Students.

Medical Education Center and Basic Sciences Building

New York Medical College sustains a commitment to enhancing its educational mission and every new decade brings new challenges. Our ongoing task is to enhance all facets of the university that support student quality and academic rigor. To remain a standard bearer in medical education requires that our educational facilities and equipment mirror not only our academic quality, but also the state of medical practice and research today.

The Health Sciences Library has enjoyed a 40 percent expansion from its previous space, offering larger areas for collections, study and teaching, and rooms for the Harvey cardiac teaching models and Educational Media Services. The second and third floors can accommodate up to 216 students in a variety of flexible configurations within nine module classrooms, each of which can be further divided into small group teaching and study rooms.

The entire fourth floor of the MEC is dedicated to the Alumni Gross Anatomy Laboratory, funded by alumni from the School of Medicine. Once described as "the first medical school since the advent of the electric light to assign the gross anatomy lab to such a prominent location," the facility is used for teaching medical students as well as students in the physical therapy and speech-language pathology programs in the School of Public Health, and by residents and faculty from the College's various hospital affiliates taking Continuing Medical Education courses.

The Alumni Center

Restored in 1985, the Alumni Center houses Alumni Relations and the Parents' Council as well as reception and meeting rooms.

Student Housing

The Student Housing complex is composed of ten garden-style apartment buildings and five suite-style buildings. The garden apartments contain 100 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for families and older students. The suite-style buildings provide housing for 310 single students in 80 shared apartments. In the center of the housing complex is the Student Center Building, which contains a laundry room and a fitness center.

Westchester Medical Center Medical Arts Atrium

Located near the College campus at 19 Bradhurst Avenue in Hawthorne, this facility houses most of the private practices of faculty at Westchester Medical Center. In addition, the College leases 4,200 square feet of space dedicated to research at this four-story building, located one-half mile from the main campus.

Munger Pavilion

Munger Pavilion is a six-story building occupied primarily by the offices of various clinical departments of the College, with some areas devoted to research and patient care. Together, Munger and Vosburgh Pavilions comprise the Clinical Sciences Pavilion.

Medical Services Building

The Medical Services Building of the former Saint Agnes Hospital in White Plains houses private practice suites for College faculty and other medical specialists.

Skyline Drive

The College leases 6,500 square feet of research space at Skyline Drive, one-half mile from the main campus in Valhalla.

Vosburgh Pavilion/Learning Center

A four-story building connected to Munger Pavilion by a pedestrian corridor, Vosburgh Pavilion is composed of 66,000 square feet of space divided into two wings. The north wing is devoted to patient care, clinical research and some College administrative departments. The south wing, which now houses the School of Public Health, also has has a distance learning center, classrooms, computer facilities, a media library, study space, a student lounge and faculty offices.

Affiliations

The College enjoys widely diversified opportunities for the study of medicine at clinical facilities and at voluntary, municipal and county hospitals located in New York City, Westchester County, the mid-Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, Connecticut. Few medical schools can provide students with such a variety of patient care experiences for third- and fourth-year rotations.

Academic Health Centers

Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York
Westchester Medical Center

University Hospitals

Metropolitan Hospital Center
Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center

Major Affiliated Hospital

Sound Shore Medical Center of Westchester

Specialty Hospital

The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary

Affiliated Hospitals

Benedictine Hospital
Calvary Hospital
Danbury Hospital
Good Samaritan Hospital, Suffern
Greenwich Hospital
Kingston Hospital
Mount Vernon Hospital
Northern Westchester Hospital Center
Pascack Valley Hospital, New Jersey
St. Joseph's Medical Center, Yonkers
St. Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport
St. Vincent's Midtown Hospital
Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center
VA Hudson Valley Health Care System

Affiliated Ambulatory Care Programs

Center for Comprehensive Health Practice
Morrisania Diagnostic and Treatment Center
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center





The School of Medicine

The curriculum of the first two years, although focused on the basic sciences, maintains a consistent clinical orientation. The program has been revised to bring clinical relevance and small-group teaching into all courses. The first two years focus on developing a thorough understanding of the sciences basic to clinical medicine. The core of the first-year curriculum—Anatomy, Histology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Neural Science and Behavioral Science—is supplemented by clinical case correlations and courses in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The redesigned second-year curriculum, with its strong focus on Pathology/Pathophysiology, emphasizes small-group discussion, problembased learning and self-study, with only 25 percent of class time spent in large lectures. Clinical Skills, Pharmacology, and Medical Microbiology prepare students for the clerkship experience of the next two years.

While immersed in the basic science curriculum, all first- and second-year students have the opportunity to work directly with patients. During the first year, students are placed in the office of a primary care physician. This one-on one experience provides students with an early exposure to clinical medicine. Further, in conjunction with small group seminars on campus, it allows students to learn basic interviewing and communication skills and the essential competencies of primary care practice. They also develop their interviewing and communication skills and learn the basics of physical examination during the Clinical Skills course of the second year. Students work with faculty in small groups to practice these skills, and then work with preceptors at hospital-based or community-based sites. Students also have the opportunity to work with standardized patients and mannequins to learn specific parts of the physical exam.

Third-year clinical clerkships comprise the following: Medicine (12 weeks); Surgery (8 weeks); Pediatrics (8 weeks); Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 weeks); Psychiatry (6 weeks); Neurology (4 weeks); Family Medicine (4 weeks); and Community and Preventive Medicine (2 weeks). The school's location and large hospital network afford clinical training opportunities in demographically and clinically diverse settings. About one-half of the third-year class moves to New York City for the clinical years. Some of these students live in Collegeowned housing in Manhattan.

Fourth-year requirements are as follows: Medicine or Pediatrics Subinternship (4 weeks); Ambulatory Surgical Subspecialties (4 weeks); Geriatrics or Chronic Care Pediatrics (4 weeks); and Anesthesiology/Rehabilitation Medicine (2 weeks). Eighteen weeks of electives can be taken elsewhere. About 10% of students enroll in international electives each year.

Grading is Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail. Passing Step 1 and Step 2 CS of the USMLE are graduation requirements. In recent years the pass rate on student examinations has been 95 to 100 percent.

In addition, students are required to take USMLE, Step 2 CS, prior to graduation. As of 2004, the new passage of this examination is not a NYMC graduation requirement. As experience with this new examination grows, this will be subject to change.



The Two Graduate Schools

The Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences, established in 1963, offers doctoral programs in cell biology and anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, pharmacology, experimental pathology, physiology, and microbiology and immunology. The Graduate School also offers master's degree programs suitable for those who function at senior technical levels of the biomedical fields in industry and at academic research institutions, for individuals seeking graduate-level mastery of the basic medical sciences in preparation for a wide range of managerial, supervisory, regulatory and analytical positions in industry, business, government and the private sector, and for those preparing for doctoral study in the sciences and health professions. Approximately 190 students are enrolled, and about half pursue their studies full time. The Graduate School also selects outstanding candidates who are capable of completing a rigorous program leading to the awarding of a joint M.D./Ph.D. degree.

The School of Public Health, which began as the Graduate School of Health Sciences in 1981, was recently welcomed into the ranks of accredited schools of public health, becoming one of 34 in the nation. Some 500 students are enrolled in master of public health degree programs in more than a dozen program areas, including biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, international health, environmental health and health informatics. The school recently initiated a doctor of public health (Dr.P.H.) degree in epidemiology. Most students are part-time professionals working in government, private and public health agencies, private practices, hospitals, environmental and pharmaceutical laboratories and community service organizations. Two full-time clinical degrees are also offered: a doctor of physical therapy and a master of science in speech-language pathology; the latter is one of only four medicallyoriented programs of its kind in the country.

Joint Degree Programs

Students have an opportunity to earn joint degrees, combining the M.D. with an M.P.H., which is in great demand in this managed care environment, or a Ph.D. in the basic medical sciences. Grading is Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail. For more information on these joint programs, see pages 85–86.





The Students

New York Medical College students come from outstanding colleges and universities across the nation. They are highly qualified, having graduated on average in the top 25 percent of their undergraduate classes. Only 190 applicants are newly enrolled out of more than 8,000 who apply each year. The Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences and The School of Public Health have a total enrollment of more than 600 students annually.

Each year approximately three-quarters of the fourth-year medical class is successful in obtaining its first, second or third residency choice through the National Resident Matching Program.





The Faculty

With a teaching cadre of physicians, scientists, researchers and healthcare professionals made up of more than 2,800 individuals—1,200 full-time and 1,600 part-time or voluntary, encompassing the six basic science and 20 clinical science departments—the College affords every student the opportunity to encounter hundreds of faculty members during four years of medical school.

Scholarly activities by the faculty—occurring on local, regional, national and international levels—are evident in publications, presentations, honors and awards, medical and scientific meetings, visiting professorships and fellowships, and election to study sections, boards, and committees in medicine and the biomedical sciences. Hundreds of faculty members are honored annually for publishing hundreds of books, chapters, articles, editorials, reviews and letters in the scientific literature.





The Alumni

Since New York Medical College graduated its first class in 1861, nearly 8,000 graduates have earned M.D. degrees from the medical school. Many of these alumni have gone on to distinguish themselves as researchers, authors and educators, as well as practicing physicians. More than 2,200 others have earned M.S., M.P.H. or Ph.D. degrees through the graduate schools' advanced degree programs.





Continuing Medical Education

The College's Continuing Medical Education program assists physicians in the region and throughout the nation in maintaining their medical knowledge and skills. Annually, the program enrolls approximately 22,000 registrants in more than 1,100 courses, resulting in better health care for the people of the New York metropolitan area.





Research

The College received $32 million in research and other program funding in 2003, and has $45 million currently active in these and other programs. Areas of excellence include cardiovascular, cancer, kidney disease, AIDS, Lyme disease and the neurosciences, conducted by more than 200 basic and clinical science researchers.

Scientists at New York Medical College are conducting more than 500 research projects, ranging from fundamental investigations in molecular biology to studies of new drugs used to treat patients. College faculty have made major breakthroughs in the understanding of cancer, hypertension, atherosclerosis and Lyme disease. NYMC scientists are also prominent in the use of adult stem cells for cardiac repair.

Support for the College's research programs, from both government and private sources, is increasing. More than half of College research is funded by the NIH. Funding from industry supports investigation in oncology, renal disease, cardiology and infectious diseases.





Primary Care at New York Medical College

With the support of faculty, administration, and a number of philanthropies, New York Medical College has developed and continues to create a wide array of educational opportunities in primary care. The College believes that primary care is the foundation of medical practice and is committed to providing all students with the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to practice quality medicine.





Education Program

Pre-Clinical Years—First and Second Years

Introduction to Primary Care

This innovative first-year course introduces students to the basic skills in communication and medical interviewing and includes objectives related to these important areas of primary care practice: ethical decision-making in the outpatient setting, health beliefs and the physician-patient relationship, health promotion, and food and nutrition. Students work with primary care faculty in small group seminars on campus and in the faculty practices.

Introduction to Clinical Skills Course

During the second year, students further develop their interviewing and communication skills and learn the basics of physical examination skills during the Clinical Skills Course. Students work with faculty in small groups to practice communication skills, medical interviewing and physical diagnosis followed by sessions with community-based or hospital-based preceptors. They work under preceptor supervision taking histories and doing physical examinations. Students also work with standardized patients (trained actors playing the part of patients) and patient simulators (mannequins) to learn specific parts of the physical examination.

Summer Programs

An increasing number of funded summer programs are available through the Office of Student Affairs. These programs pair students between their first and second years with a primary care physician in family practice, pediatrics or internal medicine.

Clinical Years—Third Year

Family Practice Clerkship

This one-month third-year clerkship allows students to participate in all components of their preceptor's practice. This includes ambulatory and inpatient care, nursing home visits, etc. The primary care approach to the diagnosis and management of patient problems is emphasized.

Clinical Years—Fourth Year

Ambulatory Surgical Subspecialties Clerkship

This one-month clerkship gives students the opportunity to work in ambulatory care clinics in the surgical subspecialty fields of Urology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics and Otolaryngology. Emphasis is places on the diagnosis, treatment and management of problems commonly handled by primary care physicians and on the recognition of when to refer problems to specialists.

Geriatrics or Chronic Care Pediatrics

Selectives

All fourth-year students are required to do a one-month selective in either Geriatric Medicine or Chronic Care Pediatrics. In each rotation, primary care principles are emphasized.





Financial Awards Available for Students Entering Primary Care Specialties

New York State Regents Health Care Scholarship

This scholarship is a need-based award with consideration for minority status. Eligible individuals are awarded up to $10,000 per year for four years. Recipients must serve a minimum of two years in a physician-deficient area within the State of New York.

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

This federal scholarship is available to applicants who are committed to becoming primary care physicians. For each year of scholarship funding, a scholar incurs one year of obligated service, with a minimum of two years in an underserved healthcare area within the United States. Eligible participants must be citizens or nationals of the United States who are either enrolled in or accepted to a school of allopathic or osteopathic medicine. The maximum duration of the award is four years. The annual stipend covers full tuition, expenses for required books, clinical supplies, uniforms and travel to clinical rotations. In addition, $1,098 per month is granted to each recipient for living expenses.

Primary Care Loan Program

Through the Department of Health and Human Services, low-interest Primary Care Loans are granted when the borrower agrees to enter and complete a residency training program in primary care as defined as family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, preventive medicine or osteopathic general practice, not later than four years after graduation. Practice in primary health care must be maintained until the date the loan is repaid in full.

College Sources

Through the gifts of friends of the College, a certain number of funds are available to be awarded to students in financial need. The funds are awarded in accordance with specified conditions and at the discretion of the Dean. All federal and state sources of financial aid are subject to legislative changes.
 


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