Sonia Rivera-Martinez received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) in 2002. She completed her internship, family practice residency, and chief residency at the Long Beach Medical Center (LBMC), Long Beach, N.Y. in 2006. From 2006 to 2010, she worked as an attending physician for the Department of Family Medicine at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Jamaica, N.Y. She earned her board certification in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment in 2005.
In April 2010, she joined the Family Medicine Department at NYITCOM as full-time clinical teaching faculty. At NYITCOM, she teaches first-year and second-year osteopathic medical students in the Doctor Patient Relationship course and precepts third-year osteopathic medical students while providing patient care at the NYITCOM Academic Health Care Centers.
From early in her osteopathic medical career, she set several goals for herself which include expanding the public's knowledge of osteopathic medicine through research and advocacy, teaching medical students the art and science of osteopathic medicine, providing medical services in an underserved area, and educating patients about healthy lifestyles. In keeping with these goals, she has been very active serving the profession in various national, state, and local organizations.
- 2018 – Present: American Osteopathic Association – Board of Trustee
- 2022 – Present: American Osteopathic Foundation – Board of Directors
- 2019 – Present: NYITCOM Advisory Board - Member
- 2017 – Present: NYIT Community Free Clinic - Director
- 2018 – 2019: NYITCOM Faculty Senate – President
- 2023 – Present: Faculty/Physician Advisory Council for the Latino Medical Student Association – National Advisor
- 2012 – 2013: New York State Osteopathic Medical Society - President
- 2011 – 2012: New York State Chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians - President
- 2007 – 2010: NYITCOM Alumni Association - President
- 2009 – 2011: American Academy of Osteopathy – Board of Governor
- 2014 – Present: National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiner’s – National Faculty
Recent Projects/Research
- "Assessing Type II Diabetic Patient's Knowledge of Diabetes in Association with Race, Level of Education and Health Literacy in a Primary Care Setting". Principal Investigator. New York Institute of Technology IRB Protocol Number BHS-964.
- "Assessment of the association between depressive symptoms with the presence of past hallucinatory events and sleep-wake disturbances in patients with Parkinson's disease". Principal Investigator. New York Institute of Technology IRB Protocol Number BHS-1042.
Publications
- Herpes Simplex. Sonia Rivera-Martinez, Sharon Koehler, The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2017, 25th ed.
- Vitiligo. Sonia Rivera-Martinez, Karen Sheflin, The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2017, 25th ed.
- Infertility. Sharon Koehler, Sonia Rivera-Martinez. The 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2017, 25th ed.
- Physician Liability Insurance Reform. Sonia Rivera-Martinez; Osteopathic Family Physician 2011; 3:167-171.
- Connecting with patients who have limited English proficiency. Sonia Rivera-Martinez; AOA Health Watch 2010; 5(2):10-18.
- Human Brucellosis: A Case Report and Review of Literature of a Rare Zoonosis in the U.S. Sonia Rivera-Martinez; OFP News 2006; 6(2):14-17
- A Retrospective Study of Cranial Strain Patterns in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease. Sonia Rivera-Martinez; Michael R. Wells; John D. Capobianco; JAOA 2002; 102(8):417-422
- Understanding the Combined Motions of the C3/C4 Vertebral Unit: A Further Look at Fryette’s Model of Cervical Biomechanics. John D. Capobianco; Marina G. Protopapas; Sonia Rivera-Martinez; AAOJ 2002; 12(3):15-30
- Osteopathic Treatment of Nephrotic Syndrome. Sonia Rivera-Martinez; John D. Capobianco; AAOJ 2001; 11 (3):24-28
Courses Taught at New York Tech
- Doctor Patient Relationship
- Cardiovascular System
- Gastrointestinal System
- Nervous System and Behavior
- Foundations
- Musculoskeletal System
Professional Honors and Awards
- 2017: National ACOFP Outstanding Female Leader Award
- 2013: Unsung Hero Award New York State Osteopathic Medical Society
- 2011-2012: American Osteopathic Association Health Policy Fellowship
- 2011: Fellow American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
- 2004: American Osteopathic Foundation Wyeth Emerging Leader Award
- 2003-2004: Directors Award for Osteopathic Excellence, Long Beach Medical Center
- 2002-2003: Intern of the Year, Long Beach Medical Center
- 2002: Project for Latino Health Role Model
- 1999-2002: Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
- 2002: National Health Service Corps Scholar Graduate Award
- 2002: NYIT Service Award
- 2001: Student D.O. of the Year
- 1999: NYIT Service Award