TouroCOM Tipsuda Bahri Women in Medicine
Prestigious Award Given to Beloved TouroCOM Faculty Member
Touro College is pleased to announce that Dr. Tipsuda Junsanto-Bahri, chair, Basic Biomedical Sciences at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) in New York City is being honored by the American Medical Association (AMA) during its Women in Medicine Month (WIM) in September.
Each September the Women Physicians Section (WPS) of the AMA celebrates physicians who have offered their time, wisdom and support to advance women in medicine. This year’s theme, “Innovators and Leaders Changing Health Care,” reaffirms the association’s commitment to increasing the influence of women physicians and advocating for women's health issues.
Dr. Bahri said that while she has seen an increase in female students entering medical school, there remain fundamental challenges that women physicians still face. “With women balancing family, kids, and career, there’s a lot on our plate,” she said. However, she pointed out that today women selecting careers in medicine do have more choice and flexibility in how they use their education and training than their predecessors, with many options available including part time practice, academic research, and teaching.
Inspirational Physician Award Nominee
In addition to September’s WIM recognition, Dr. Bahri has also been nominated to receive the 2014 Inspirational Physician Award (IPA) which acknowledges 35 distinguished physicians −both men and women− who have made meaningful contributions to the medical profession and have been cited for effectively mentoring their students.
“The nomination means that I have inspired budding physicians, hopefully by leading. They see my demeanor. They see my passion for teaching and helping students. When they hear my voice while they’re taking their exams, then I’ve made an impact. And five years from now they’ll hear my voice again,” Dr. Bahri said.
Clover Youn, a medical student who nominated Dr. Bahri for the award, said Dr. Bahri, “has a zest for the profession that makes everyone want to do better and strive higher. She has dedicated countless hours to supporting her students. She is an inspiration to our entire school, but she is also a personal inspiration to me because she is absolutely the type of physician and mentor I hope to be one day.”
Born in Thailand and raised in Chicago, Dr. Bahri received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois-Chicago Honors College, her medical degree from the University of Illinois-Rockford, and completed her pathology residency and fellowships at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Bahri has been a professor at TouroCOM for almost six years, holding several faculty positions, including course director of pathology. She is also a representative on the American Medical Schools of New York Committee on Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. In acknowledging her IPA nomination, Dr. Robert B. Goldberg, dean of TouroCOM lauded Dr. Bahri, “for her tireless work with the students here on campus and throughout the Harlem community.”
Dr. Bahri said that she expects her nomination will bring additional recognition to deserving medical students at TouroCOM and to the entire Touro academic community. “I would not be who I am, if it weren’t for the students, faculty, and the administration that I work with at Touro.”
The IPA winner will be announced at the Women Physicians Section Interim Business Meeting in November.
