VP&S Class of 2022 Transitions from Classroom to Clinical Care
Second-year medical students at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons kicked off the new year and the start of their patient-centered training with the Steven Z. Miller Student Clinician’s Ceremony, held on Jan. 3.
Since 1998, the annual ceremony has helped medical students shift from classroom education to seeing patients in hospital and ambulatory settings, including NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
“Help each other and support each other and ask for help when you need it,” said Rachel J. Gordon, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, who delivered remarks to students from the pre-clinical faculty. "Your major clinical year is going to be exciting and exhilarating. You might make a diagnosis and look smart. You might hold someone's hand and make a difference. Don't ever think you can't add value. You are good, kind people."
Class of 2022 Awards
Students in the Class of 2022 received awards at the ceremony.
Joseph Cornett received the Greg Grove Award, which is given to a student who is generative and well-liked, has contributed to his peers and his school community, and enjoys the outdoors, reading, and music. Cornett is a representative on the Dean's Advisory Committee and a leader of the Musicians' Guild and Bard Hall Players.
Karl H. Perzin Excellence in Pathology Awards were presented to Michael Calavano, Lucy Colville, Haley Davis, Patricia Ho, Todd Jones, Margaret Kelly-Gross, Andrea Lifrieri, Amber Parker, Ariel Pourmorady, Maggie Schaedick, and Yu Wang.
Teaching Awards
Stephen Canfield, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine, was selected by the Class of 2022 to receive the Fundamentals Outstanding Teacher Award, which recognizes classroom teaching.
Olajide Williams, MD, MS, associate professor of neurology, was selected by the Class of 2021 to receive the Major Clinical Year Outstanding Teacher Award.
In addition, several hospital staff and faculty were presented with awards from the members of the Class of 2021, who have finished Major Clinical Year.
Resident Teaching Awards were presented to Emily Avis, MD (pediatrics, NYP); Richard Greendyk, MD (medicine, NYP); Benjamin Kuritzkes, MD (surgery, NYP); Rebecca Leeds, MD (primary care, ACN Farrell Health Center, NYP); Ruth McCann, MD (psychiatry, NYP); and Sierra Seaman, MD (obstetrics & gynecology, NYP).
Clinician Awards, for non-physician members of the health care team who are integral to the medical student experience, were presented to Meredith Gibbons, NP (nurse practitioner, NYP); Vanessa Lundin, RN (labor & delivery nurse, Stamford Hospital); Glenna O’Keefe, LCSW-R (social worker, New York State Psychiatric Institute); and Aviva Raskin, LMSW, MPH (social worker, NYSPI).
Steven Z. Miller, MD'84
The ceremony has special meaning for the medical school community. The late Steven Z. Miller, MD’84, founded the first transition ceremony at VP&S. Miller was the Arnold P. Gold Associate Professor of Pediatrics at VP&S and a national leader in humanism in medicine; he died in a plane crash in 2004.
“I remember the energy and enthusiasm Steve Miller brought with him every day,” said Steven A. Lee-Kong, MD, assistant professor of surgery, who delivered remarks to students from the clinical faculty. "It's important to go through every rotation of major clinical year with this same outlook."
