Cultural Competency
“If you aren’t a culturally sensitive health care provider, there’s a good chance you won’t get to the bottom of a patient’s problem,” says Dr. Jeffrey Gardere, Assistant Professor of Behavioral Medicine, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM). Dr. Gardere and Dr. Joyce Addo-Atuah of Touro College of Pharmacy (TCOP) are co-leading a relatively new interdisciplinary course, “Cultural Competency in Health Care.”
“A Burden I Want to Carry”
One-hundred and twelve second-year osteopathic medical school students from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem took the next step in their medical careers when they donned their white coats on May 14. Having completed their two years of pre-clinical education, they will begin rotations as third year student-doctors on July 1.
Giving Hope
TouroCOM alumnus Kevin Wong is one of only ten pediatric interventional radiology fellows in the country and is the last person in his graduating class (class of 2012) to complete his training. As a pediatric interventional radiologist, Wong utilizes imaging techniques alongside cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat diseases in children.
“Teaching Was Not on the Table for Me”
Dr. Stacey L. Fanning, Ph.D., is TouroCOM Harlem’s 2019 Frank Gray Teacher of the Year. Dr. Fanning, an assistant professor and course director for immunology, said the award was especially meaningful for her, given that she deliberately decided against becoming a teacher during her undergraduate studies.
A Thousand White Coats on Capitol Hill
On March 4, 75 TouroCOM Harlem medical students hopped on to two coach buses to explore another element of the medical profession: advocacy.
Everyone Can Play
Close to 50 children from the Middletown and surrounding areas enjoyed a day of sports activities thanks to TouroCOM Middletown students as part of the school’s “Everyone Can Play” initiative at the YMCA of Middletown on Feb. 17.
From Harlem to Antigua on Winter Break
First year Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) student, Varsha Venkatakrishna, writes about her recent mission to Guatemala, where the she and fellow TouroCOM students ran clinics for underserved populations.
Helping Her Hometown
As a twelve-year-old, Dr. Stephanie Zeszutek witnessed her father having a heart attack. “I felt pretty helpless at the time,” recalled Dr. Zeszutek, who grew up in Orange County, NY. “I wished I knew more.”
“We Can Do Better”
TouroCOM student Justin Chin was recognized for his work on behalf of the Asian Pacific Islander American community with this year’s TouroCOM Harlem Student DO of the Year.
Lauren Fleig Named Student DO of the Year at TouroCOM Middletown
Before she entered osteopathic medical school, Lauren Fleig wanted to understand what life was like for the patients she eventually planned to serve. A graduate of Temple University, Fleig spent five years working in the social work field, visiting poverty-stricken elderly residents in the area.
