In Transition: P&S Class of 2018 Begins Major Clinical Year

In a Jan. 4 ceremony, 174 members of the P&S Class of 2018 marked the transition from classroom instruction to learning in clinical settings, including hospital and outpatient locations. During their major clinical year of medical school, the students will learn from house staff and faculty members directly involved in patient care.

The Steven Z. Miller Student Clinician’s Ceremony, a P&S tradition since 1998, also provides an opportunity for the class that has completed its major clinical year (the Class of 2017) to honor residents and faculty for excellent teaching. Awards also are given to students for preclinical work. Other traditions of the ceremony include a student-produced video and recitation of the Hippocratic Oath, which the class first recited at its White Coat Ceremony at the start of medical school.

Resident Teaching Awards: Arnold P. Gold Foundation Resident Teaching Awards were given to six house staff teachers: Mauer Biscotti, NYP, Surgery; Sabrina Gard, NYP, Medicine; Caroline Garcia, NYP, Medicine; Andrew Rausch, Stamford Hospital, OB/GYN; Ellis Rochelson, NYP, Pediatrics; and Devon Rupley, NYP, OB/GYN.

Humanism in Patient Care Awards: The Gold Humanism Honor Society chapter at P&S created an award to honor non-physician members of the medical care team who demonstrate qualities of humanism and make important contributions to the medical student experience. The awards this year were presented to Maureen Licursi, nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital; Nadeen Robinson, nurse at NYP; Lynette Williams, senior social worker at NYP; and Sheldene Gorovitzc, social worker at NYP.

Faculty Awards: The Class of 2017 honored Janis Cutler, MD, professor of psychiatry, with the Major Clinical Year Outstanding Teacher Award. The class presented the Fundamentals Outstanding Teaching Award to Peter Canoll, MD, associate professor of pathology & cell biology.

Student Awards: Jessica Buesing received the Greg Grove Award for promoting activities that provide relaxation for busy students. Athena Huang and William Simmons received Karl H. Perzin Excellence in Pathology Awards.

The Steven Z. Miller Student Clinician’s Ceremony is named for a 1984 P&S graduate who was a beloved pediatrician and teacher at P&S. He was the Arnold P. Gold Associate Professor of Pediatrics and director of pediatric emergency medicine and the pediatrics clerkship when he died in a plane crash in 2004. He led regional and national workshops for the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which supports the transition ceremony and other events that promote humanism in medicine.