Gerald A. Paccione Jr., MDJune 2, 2014 - BRONX, NY - Dr. Gerald A. Paccione, Professor of Clinical Medicine (General Internal Medicine) at Einstein, Educational Advisor for the Global Health Center, and former Director of the Primary Care and Social Medicine Residency Program at Montefiore Medical Center, received the Honorary Alumnus Award at Einstein’s medical school graduation Tuesday, May 26th.
The Honorary Alumnus Award recognizes distinguished members of the faculty who have made a profound, positive impact on the College of Medicine, and who exemplify the attributes for which Einstein is renowned--caring and humanity, concern for the individual, and an abiding commitment to serve the students of the medical school.
Dr. Paccione directs a joint program with Montefiore and the global advocacy group Doctors for Global Health (DGH), which provides medical staff for Kisoro District Hospital in Uganda. Since 2006, the program has treated tens of thousands of patients in an underserved rural area, and provided real-world training for more than 200 Einstein students and Montefiore Einstein residents. His dedication to global health has deep roots; in 1975, as a medical student, he lived for a year in a remote Guatemalan village, where he provided primary care out of a one-room hut and implemented a nutrition program. He has cared for patients throughout the world, and has served on the boards of directors of DGH, Doctors of the World USA and the Global Health Education Consortium.
A beloved mentor, Dr. Paccione's previous honors include the Samuel M. Rosen Award for Outstanding Teaching (Clinical) and the Harry H. Gordon Award for Outstanding Clinical Teaching from Einstein and two Teacher of the Year Awards from Montefiore house staff. He also was named the 1997 Mid-Atlantic Clinician-Educator of the Year by the Society of General Internal Medicine. He received a BS from Yale University in 1971 and a MD from Harvard University in 1977.
Related Stories
The Uganda Advantage
"Uganda is our laboratory—it provides meaning for the rhetoric of teaching clinical skills, and teaches us to practice effective medicine outside the hospital setting."
Jerry Paccione: Reflections of a Leader in Global Health
"I like the balance between serving in the U.S. and abroad. It makes you appreciate what we have here, and sometimes, unfortunately, take for granted."