First-year Medical Students Participate in Career Planning and Wellness Intersession Program

The School of Medicine (SOM) Office of Student Affairs opened the new year by hosting a three-day Career Planning and Wellness Intersession program for first-year medical students in early January. The program featured a series of career- and wellness-based small group sessions to provide students with important foundational knowledge and skills, improve their awareness of wellness and provide some wellness opportunities as well as showcase the many medical specialties available to them. 

“Our goal was to offer an informative and engaging intersession program, which enabled students to learn both valuable professional and personal skills and open their eyes to the wealth of career opportunities the medical profession offers, while also allowing them to take some time away from their studies to renew and rejuvenate themselves,” said Jane M. Ponterio, M.D. ’81, senior associate dean of student affairs. “We are extremely grateful to the many faculty and staff for the tremendous effort that went into making this a valuable program for our students.”

Throughout the program, the students had the opportunity to gain real-world knowledge on 13 different medical specialties, including internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry and surgery, from New York Medical College (NYMC) alumni and faculty who are active clinicians in those fields. Some alternative medical career paths were also featured during sessions with John Pellicone, M.D., chief medical officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan and senior associate site dean and clinical associate professor of medicine at NYMC; Fredrick Bierman, M.D., designated institutional officer and director of graduate medical education at Westchester Medical Center and senior associate dean and professor of pediatrics at NYMC; Sherlita Amler, M.D., Westchester County Health Commissioner and clinical associate professor of pediatrics at NYMC, who spoke on a career in public health; and representatives from local biotechnology company Regeneron, who spoke on a career as a research-scientist.

The wide range of wellness-based activities offered covered the seven dimensions of wellness – physical, emotional, academic, social, spiritual, environmental and financial – and included sessions with the Office of Academic Support Services on study techniques; the Office of Student Mental Health and Wellness on managing anxiety and responding to situations more effectively; and the Office of Financial Aid on budgeting student finances during medical school. Students had the opportunity to unwind and socialize during yoga and meditation sessions, an open art studio area, card games, pool and karaoke.

Students also practiced vaccine administration during workshops hosted by the Office of Health Services and learned a narrative medicine approach to implicit bias training during workshops hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. 

The program concluded with a lively teamwork-building workshop led by Joanna Pessolano, M.D., associate dean of student affairs, designed to help students strategize and function collaboratively with peers, improve communication skills and recognize the value of teams in their future careers.