In early November and at the invitation of Dr. Waleska Crespo, president of Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC), members of the department of medicine leadership team and the department of pediatrics traveled to Puerto Rico to meet with residents and medical students and speak to them about Montefiore Einstein residency and fellowship programs and opportunities, their experiences in medicine, career tracks, and situations medical students and residents may encounter during their medical careers, such as microaggressions. The residents and students also shared their experiences, which, unfortunately, included microaggressions.
In addition to UCC, the Montefiore Einstein team, which included the department of medicine’s chair, Dr. Yaron Tomer, and Drs. Alyson Myers, associate chair of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and associate professor in the division of endocrinology, and Amanda Raff, associate chair for undergraduate medical education and professor in the division of nephrology, also spoke at the Universidad de Puerto Rico (U of PR) and Escuela de Medicina San Juan Bautista, toured the medical schools and met with program and curriculum faculty.
UCC, U of PR, and San Juan Bautista, are among the four LCME-accredited medical schools on the island.
The relationship with UCC was forged by Dr. Myers who coordinated a visit at Montefiore last June with UCC Drs. Waleska Crespo, president, José A. Capriles-Quirós, dean of the medical school, and Alvaro Pérez, assistant dean for curriculum development, accreditation, and licensing. The UCC delegates met with Dr. Myers and Drs. Elizabeth Kitsis, professor in the department of medicine (rheumatology), and vice chair of medicine for faculty affairs & professionalism, Grace Kajita, associate professor of medicine (general internal medicine), and program director of the Montefiore Internal Medicine Residency Program (Wakefield), and Dr. Serena Roth, associate professor of medicine (general internal medicine), and toured the medical school in Belfer.
The trip was part of the department of medicine’s five-year plan to improve and expand on its DEI efforts and support medical students and residents traditionally underrepresented in medicine coming from institutions outside of Montefiore Einstein.
Presentations included:
- Microaggressions in Medicine
- Hepatitis C and Diabetes
- Social Determinants of Health
- Fellowship Opportunities at Montefiore Einstein
"The visit builds upon the initial dialogue between Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center and UCC leadership,” says UCC’s Dr. Crespo. “The relationship between our two institutions has strengthened as we exchanged experiences and discussed opportunities for Hispanic medical students, internal medicine residents, and young faculty on the island to serve Hispanic and Latinx communities in the Bronx.”
“Our collaboration will allow UCC medical students the opportunity to complete elective rotations, and subspecialty training for residents and faculty to participate in exchange programs. It will also facilitate collaboration pathways for academic and clinical research,” says Dr. Capriles-Quirós, dean of the medical school.”
Adds Dr. Crespo, “Considering the vast experience of Einstein Montefiore faculty and leadership in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are grateful for their advice and support as we plan for the inception of the UCC office of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.”
“I look forward to a continued partnership with UCC to help them build a diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice program that will be of benefit to their trainees, staff, and faculty. I think that there will be a lot of bidirectional teaching and learning,” says Dr. Myers.
[Representing the department of pediatrics were Drs. Michael Cabana, chair, Beatrice Goilav, associate professor and senior director for pediatric fellowship programs, and Stella Kilduff, pediatric nephrology fellow.]
Posted on: Friday, December 02, 2022