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Driven to Succeed
NYCOM's alumni thrive at work and smile at play.
Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Alan Gruskin made a U-turn that changed his life. After considering Des Moines University's Osteopathic Medical Center and several other colleges, Dr. Gruskin decided to enroll at NYCOM, a fledgling medical school that was gearing up for its inaugural year.
"I grew up in Brooklyn, so you could say I was at the right place at the right time," says Dr. Gruskin, who runs a practice in Boca Raton, Fla. "Subconsciously, there was probably a bit of trepidation among our class during the first year. It was somewhat strange to enroll in a medical school that didn't physically exist yet."
During NYCOM's first year of operation, courses were temporarily taught off-campus, and the inaugural class was somewhat nervous about becoming medical nomads. Still, Dr. Gruskin and his classmates never questioned their decision to study at NYCOM, which has grown to become the nation's second largest medical school.
"I remain very fond of NYCOM and the many faculty members who mentored me," says Dr. Gruskin, one of 36 students in NYCOM's inaugural class. "The philosophy of osteopathic medicine is what drew me to NYCOM. When I was growing up, my physician was a D.O.-though I didn't know that until we started discussing my interest in medical school. He described the differences between a D.O. and an M.D., and the benefits of osteopathic medical school. "
The conversation led Dr. Gruskin to NYCOM, the only school of osteopathic medicine in New York. More than 3,000 alumni have followed Dr. Gruskin's footsteps through NYCOM, which has developed some of the world's leading cardiologists, pathologists, medical researchers and primary care physicians, among other fields of expertise.
What attracts students from all walks of life to NYCOM? And why do NYCOM graduates prosper in the ultracompetitive world of medicine?
Several talented NYCOM alumni-representing various stages of the school's 25-year history-agreed to answer those and other questions. They also agreed to open their homes to our cameras, as we sought to highlight the personal side of these medical marvels.
She's Got Heart
Our first stop took us to the home of Dr. Frances Zappalla ('86), who has a big heart for children. As one of the East Coast's leading pediatric cardiologists, Dr. Zappalla works for the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del.
During a typical week, she commutes between multiple satellite outpatient offices and area hospitals-which lack pediatric cardiology programs-in the Philadelphia and western New Jersey area.
Raised in Levittown, N.Y., Dr. Zappalla enrolled at NYCOM in 1982. Her interest in pediatric cardiology emerged when a prominent heart expert, Dr. Rubin Cooper,
lectured at NYCOM. (Dr. Cooper now heads the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center's division of Pediatric Cardiology.) "He came to NYCOM in 1983 or 1984 and I fell in love with pediatric cardiology," recalls Dr. Zappalla.
Her love of children isn't limited to work. At home in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Dr. Zappalla and her two children, (Thomas, 5, and Francesca, 3) are pizza and pasta buffs who knead their own dough. The trio often spends Saturday afternoons in the kitchen. Dr. Zappalla's husband, Thomas Hourican, happily taste-tests their creations.
Though her family and career demand constant attention, Dr. Zappalla's memories of NYCOM haven't faded.
She recalls how students held impromptu Osteopathic Tie Days in honor of Dr. Robert G. Thorpe, a professor who taught osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). Dr. Thorpe was known to wear flashy colored ties that seldom-if ever-matched the rest of his attire. "Dr. Thorpe was adorable," says Dr. Zappalla. "We all loved him."
Still, life wasn't all fun and games at NYCOM. When Dr. Zappalla attended a national SOMA (Student Osteopathic Medical Association) conference in New Orleans, her friends assumed she spent most of her time on Bourbon Street before catching up on sleep during the plane ride home.
Not quite. "We had an anatomy exam and a group of us studied the whole plane ride home," says Dr. Zappalla. "We did so well on the test that our professor told us to go to New Orleans before every exam."
After navigating the first two years at NYCOM, Dr. Zappalla earned a residency at Brookdale Hospital Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. She was one of the first resident D.O.s in the program. She became chief resident at Brookdale, and earned a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where she trained under Dr. William I. Norwood Jr., a renowned cardiologist who specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.
Dr. Zappalla in 1999 joined duPont Hospital's cardiac center-which Dr. Norwood launched in 1997-and has been making her rounds ever since.
High-Tech Connection
Much like NYCOM, Dr. Robert Corona is firmly committed to technology.
After graduating from NYCOM in 1986, Dr. Corona completed a general medical internship in Miami, Fla., and his residency and fellowship at SUNY (State University of New York) Upstate Medical University.
In addition to being a highly respected pathologist, Dr. Corona has emerged as a leading expert on telemedicine. In layman's terms, telemedicine is the use of high-speed networks and videoconferencing systems to diagnose and treat patients over great distances.
In 1995, Dr. Corona launched Upstate Medical University's Telemedicine and Medical Informatics Program, which was a finalist for the ComputerWorld/Smithsonian Award of Excellence in Medicine. The honors continued, and by 2000 Dr. Corona was named Computer Professional of the Year by several prominent organizations, including the Association of Professional Computer Consultants.
The honors are well deserved. Consider the plight of a 15-year-old boy who had been experiencing severe headaches and fainting spells. The patient was on the operating table at Wilson Hospital in Binghamton, N.Y., when his neurosurgeon found that the boy's tumor looked different than expected. The surgeon wanted an immediate second opinion from a pathologist who specialized in brain tissue. However, the only two neuropathologists in the region were at SUNY Upstate Medical University
in Syracuse-80 miles away from Binghamton.
Without a telemedicine link, the second opinion meant a two-day wait as the tissue sample was sent to Syracuse, then diagnosed. If the tumor was malignant, the boy faced a second surgery. For this young patient, however, the neurosurgeon was able to receive a diagnosis from afar while still in the operating room.
The reason: A high-speed telecommunications link from Syracuse to Binghamton allowed remote physicians to examine the brain tissue on a display screen.
"It turned out that this patient had a type of pediatric tumor not often seen in teens," recalls Dr. Corona. "The second opinion helped my colleague make the right choice for the boy's surgery. The patient was also spared the cost and trauma of a second operation."
These days, Dr. Corona is chief medical officer at Welch Allyn Inc., where he helps the 87-year-old medical device maker to embrace-what else?-emerging technologies.
Making A Splash
Nearly 17 years after she graduated, Dr. Cindy Hoffman ('85) continues to ride a wave of success as a doctor of osteopathic medicine.
In between running her own practice and taking care of her three children (ages 9, 8 and 6), Dr. Hoffman finds time to serve as president of NYCOM's alumni organization, president of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, and on the board of the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society.
She also married NYCOM alumus Dr. Mitchell Fischer ('89), who made a timely splash of his own during our photo shoot (see photo, above).
"NYCOM did a great job preparing me for my career," says Dr. Hoffman. "Two years of Basic Sciences prepared me for my third- and fourth-year clinical rotations, which, in turn, prepared me for success in the real world."
Indeed, Dr. Hoffman earned a family practice residency at Coney Island Hospital, went on to complete a dermatology residency, and launched her own practice in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. She also serves as dermatology residency director at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
"I developed the residency program 10 years ago because there weren't any dermatology residencies in New York," says Dr. Hoffman. "I wanted to give other medical students the opportunity I had. NYCOM, especially Dr. Schiowitz, was very involved in supporting me as I developed the residency."
Dr. Hoffman's link to NYCOM dates back to the early 1980s, when a student at the school praised NYCOM to her. "I have very good memories of NYCOM because NYCOM was great to me," she says. "The school gave me an office when I was president of SOMA. I also worked part time in the library. I honestly didn't have a favorite class, but I can tell you that I hated biology."
In fact, Dr. Hoffman originally wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. She didn't decide to pursue medicine until she was studying for her master's degree at George Washington University.
"I had to go back and take some of the required pre-med courses and that stirred my interest in medicine," she says. "When I got into NYCOM I originally wanted to become a psychiatrist, but once I did dermatology I knew that was my preferred area of study."
River of Dreams
Sometimes, you can mix business with friendship.
Just ask Ari Rosen, D.O., and Joseph Tieri, D.O. The duo met at NYCOM in the mid-1990s, became fast friends and graduated in 1997. After completing their OMM residency at St. Barnabas Hospital, the duo opened a private practice in New Paltz and Rhinebeck, N.Y.
"I always wanted to have a private practice where I could create a very healing environment that supports osteopathic manipulation," says Dr. Rosen. "I was drawn to the Hudson Valley (N.Y.) area because it has a very progressive, active community with a lot of diverse culture and outdoor adventure."
After closing his office for the day, Dr. Rosen typically heads to the mountains, where he bikes, canoes and camps with his wife, Randy, who teaches eighth-grade English at a local middle school.
The couple is building their dream home in the shadow of Shawanagunk Ridge and Mohonk Mountain House-a Victorian castle that draws thousands of lodging guests and hikers each year.
Dr. Rosen first heard about the school from a NYCOM alumnus and an 84-year-old osteopath who was still practicing medicine in the early 1990s.
"The more I found out about the profession, the more I realized it was for me," says Dr. Rosen. "I grew up in Liberty, N.Y., and I wanted to stay in the area. NYCOM was my first-choice medical school, and I was ecstatic to be accepted."
Dr. Rosen quickly gravitated toward NYCOM's OMM lab. "It was my favorite class," he says. "Professor Hugh Ettlinger treated us as capable people and gave us lasting principles in a logical, fun way."
Dr. Rosen also found something else at NYCOM-a best friend. He and Dr. Tieri studied side-by-side at NYCOM, before entering the residency program at St. Barnabas Hospital. There, they regularly treated newborns in the nursery, pediatric and adult hospital inpatients, and outpatients at local neighborhood clinics.
The duo tries to maintain a healthy balance between friendship, family and work. But patients routinely land at the top of their daily priorities in their joint practice.
Long-Distance Alumnus
Though many graduates work within a short distance of NYCOM, not all alumni remain so close to home.
Dr. Gruskin, the Brooklyn native, migrated to Florida two decades ago to open a physical rehabilitation practice. "I got tired of scraping ice off my windshield," he quips.
When he's not attending to his patients, Dr. Gruskin spends time with his wife and two teenaged sons. On some weekends, you might even spot Dr. Gruskin showing off his prized 1982 Corvette at a local car show.
Just don't ask him for a ride back to NYCOM. The classic sports car has only 14,000 miles, and the odometer is practically frozen in time.
"I last visited NYCOM about 10 years ago," says Dr. Gruskin. "But let me know what plans are in store for NYCOM's 25th anniversary."
We certainly will. Stay tuned to NYCOM's web site (www.nyit.edu/
nycom) for complete details.
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