 |
Proud Tradition, Vibrant Future
NYCOM celebrates 25 years of excellence - with an eye toward tomorrow.
Most 25-year-olds are still struggling to find their way in the world. That's not the case at NYCOM.
From its launch in 1977, NYIT's New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYCOM) has grown to become the nation's second largest medical school. More than 3,000 doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.s) have graduated from NYCOM, which is celebrating its 25th year as a medical school.
What's the secret to NYCOM's success? "It all comes down to the quality of our alumni and the quality of our faculty, as well as the stable oversight of NYIT's Board of Trustees and the NYCOM Board of Governors," says NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D. Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, dean of NYCOM, concurs.
The seeds for NYCOM's success were planted in 1976, when several organizations-including the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society (NYSOMS)-explored the possibility of opening New York's first osteopathic medical school.
"We spoke with several public and private colleges about the idea," says Dr. Stanley Schiowitz, NYCOM dean emeritus and former chairman of NYSOMS. "NYIT had the assets, the prime location and the financial stability we needed to get NYCOM going, so it was a natural fit for us."
Challenges Ahead
Still, building NYCOM into a top-tier medical school was no small task. For starters, NYCOM needed prominent proponents who could raise the school's visibility within medical, business and political circles.
Enter Dr. W. Kenneth Riland, personal physician to Nelson A. Rocke-feller, the former vice president of the United States and governor of New York. Riland had also cared for former U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, among other key politicians who served in the 1970s.
Rockefeller, Dr. Riland and several other influential D.O.s were keenly interested in NYCOM's launch, because the new school could promote osteopathic medicine and strengthen credibility for D.O.s worldwide. At the time, there were only about 20,000 D.O.s in the country, compared with more than 50,000 D.O.s and 500,000 M.D.s today.
"Back in 1977, some people considered doctors of osteopathic medicine to be somewhat less qualified than M.D.s," concedes Dr. Thomas A. Scandalis, a professor at NYCOM. "But NYCOM and our graduates have erased that perception. Many of the best doctors in the world are D.O.s, and many of them graduated from NYCOM."
After months of discussions and numerous regulatory filings, The New York State Education Department and the AOA accredited NYCOM in 1977.
Under the leadership of Dr. Philip F. Fleisher, NYCOM's first dean, the medical school hit the ground running with 36 students that fall.
"We were all so proud to be part of something new, but we never realized just how successful NYCOM would become," says Dr. Alan Gruskin ('81), a member of NYCOM's inaugural class who went on to launch his own practice in Boca Raton, Fla.
With an assist from Rockefeller and Dr. Riland, NYCOM attracted big-name community leaders to its table from the start.
Power Brokers
The list of prominent supporters included Dr. Kissinger, who spoke at NYCOM's first convocation; and Dr. Murray Goldstein, a highly respected D.O. who became assistant surgeon general of the U.S. Public Health Service.
By 1978, NYCOM swiftly transformed itself from a promising startup to a leading medical school.
This critical turning point occurred when NYCOM opened The Nelson A. Rockefeller Academic Center, a 45,000 square-foot facility on NYIT's Old Westbury, N.Y., campus, roughly 20 miles east of New York City.
"When the Rockefeller building opened, our students knew they truly had a home," says Dr. Arnold Nagler, senior associate dean emeritus at NYCOM.
Dawn of a New Decade
During the early 1980s, NYCOM continued to enjoy rapid growth and phenomenal success, with then-NYIT President Matthew Schure assuming a key leadership role.
In addition to opening another major facility-the 80,000 square-foot W. Kenneth Riland Academic Health Care Center-NYCOM launched new programs to attract aspiring doctors, particularly minority students.
"The results of our minority recruitment program have been stellar," says Dr. Ross-Lee. "Compared to other osteopathic medical schools, we now have the largest number of underrepresented minority students in the nation."
NYCOM's aggressive research programs also began to take shape in the early 1980s. The Biomedical Analysis of Occupational Injury Laboratory, for instance, develops techniques to prevent musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace. In particular, the laboratory focuses on risky occupational tasks that may lead to back injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome. The lab uses advanced 3-D computer animation to quickly analyze a person's movements and recommend corrective techniques.
In addition to research opportunities, many NYCOM students have pursued fellowships. NYCOM's fellowship program in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), launched in 1982, has been particularly popular.
Eighty-eight students have graduated from the program, which covers full tuition and serves several purposes. Fellowship recipients often assist with teaching NYCOM students during OMM laboratory sessions; attend local and nation training sessions and conferences; and visit patients (under the direct supervision of OMM department attending physicians) at NYCOM's Academic Health Care Center.
The program currently has 26 students, nine of whom are scheduled to graduate in June 2003, according to Dennis J. Dowling, D.O., professor and chairman of NYCOM's Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Asserts Dr. Dowling: "It's the largest fellowship program of its kind at any osteopathic medical school."
Strategic Partners
Meanwhile, NYCOM has also built strong bonds with hospitals throughout the New York region. Early partners included Columbia Hospital, Coney Island Hospital, Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Peninsula Hospital, and other key medical facilities.
"NYCOM's residency programs are amazing," says Dr. Gruskin. "NYCOM's faculty always seemed to have the right contacts to place students in leading residency programs."
Dr. Gruskin, for instance, was named chief resident at Columbia-one of the first D.O.s to earn the honor.
"Access to residency opportunities is one of our greatest strengths," says Dr. David Broder, a NYCOM graduate who now serves as assistant professor at the school. "Hospitals want to work with our students because our training is second-to-none. At every point in our history, NYCOM's students have been prepared to succeed."
Indeed, by 1991, more than 1,000 physicians had graduated from the school, and NYCOM began to draw interest from international doctors who wanted to practice osteopathic medicine in the United States.
That set the stage for the Accelerated Program for the Education of Émigré Physicians (APEP), which trains foreign doctors to become osteopathic physicians who are fully licensed to practice in the United States. More than 100 medical students are currently in the program.
The school also launched NYCOMEC (for NYCOM Educational Consortium), a landmark initiative that offers osteopathic postdoctoral training at hospitals throughout New York and New Jersey. NYCOMEC has 17 clinical campuses, ranging from Auburn Memorial Hospital to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.
Now seven years old, NYCOMEC has served fledgling D.O.s very well. Dr. Ari Rosen ('97), for one, used his residency at St. Barnabas Hospital-a NYCOMEC member institution-to prepare to run his own practice.
Recalls Rosen: "During my residency, I regularly treated newborns in the nursery, pediatric and adult hospital inpatients, and outpatients at neighborhood clinics. It was a really rewarding experience that helped me to launch my own practice."
The Road Ahead
Where does NYCOM go from here? The simple answer is onward and upward.
Dr. Schiowitz stepped away from day-to-day management of the school in mid-2002, handing NYCOM's reins to Dr. Ross-Lee. Her strategy for the medical school includes four key initiatives-unity, community, continuity and visibility (see story, p. 8).
All four of those initiatives will take center stage during the 107th-annual American Osteopathic Association convention, on Oct. 7-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Moreover, a NYCOM party at the Las Vegas Hilton for current students, staff, faculty and other show attendees, is another attempt to further raise the school's visibility. And in 2003, NYCOM will host 25th anniversary celebrations at several locations, including its Old Westbury campus. (Stay tuned to NYCOM's web site, www.nyit.edu/nycom, for official dates and locations throughout the year.)
New Discoveries
Medical research will also play a critical role in NYCOM's future. Two key areas of focus are Parkinson's disease and Lyme disease.
Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain characterized by shaking and difficulty with walking, movement and coordination. The disease affects roughly one out of 500 people, and usually develops after the age of 50.
NYCOM has developed new treatments for the ailment at the school's Adele Smithers Parkinson's Disease Center. There, doctors use 3-D motion sensors to track a patient's walking motion and other movements. The information is fed into a computer, where the data is transformed into a full-motion stick figure. The figure can be viewed and analyzed on a computer monitor, allowing doctors to develop treatment regimens that improve the patient's mobility and stability.
Similarly, NYCOM is taking a close look at Lyme disease. The disease, typically spread by deer ticks, causes muscle and joint pain, and can injure the heart.
In experimental lab studies, Dr. Charles Pavia, head of NYCOM's department of microbiology, recently discovered a more efficient treatment regimen for early-stage
Lyme disease.
The antibiotic ceftriaxone, already proven successful for late stages of the illness, has been found to be effective in treatment of early stages of the infection as well, according to trials conducted by Dr. Pavia and his colleague, Dr. Gary Wormser.
A paper co-authored by the two researchers was published in the highly respected microbiology journal Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy.
"Fantastic research is under way at NYCOM," says Dr. Ross-Lee. "But we're certainly not resting on our laurels. We will continue to break new ground and turn more heads in the medical community."
Twenty-five years of progress-on campus and in the field-proves that NYCOM can do just that.
|
|
