SOM Student Thomas Gagliardi Awarded AMA Physician of Tomorrow Scholarship

“This scholarship means the world to me,” said Gagliardi. “While in medical school, I have made it my mission to learn as much as I can so that I can treat my patients as effectively as possible in my future career. The Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship Award serves not only as a tremendous financial support to my education but also reinforces my desire to study hard, learn astutely and care deeply for my patients now and in the future. This scholarship helps to demonstrate that there are supportive figures in the medical community who are looking out for the younger generation of physicians and student doctors. It is heart-warming to know that I am entering a field that is not just a profession, but a calling in which more experienced physicians support and nurture doctors-in-training. Being awarded this scholarship encourages me to want to give back one day in a similar fashion to medical students and doctors-in-training.” 

As a medical student, Gagliardi has distinguished himself both academically and in service to the community. While at New York Medical College (NYMC), he has published and presented his research in academic journals and at national conferences – including serving as lead author on two manuscripts illustrating research he conducted with NYMC faculty on bilateral Lyme arthritis and graft-versus-host disease and being recognized for the best oral presentation at the Brown University Alpert School of Medicine Department of Neurology conference. He has also published two textbook chapters on a developing model of health care coined "Direct Primary Care" that directly connects patients and providers for improved mutual satisfaction. 

Gagliardi plans to pursue orthopedic surgery as a specialty when he graduates from NYMC. “When I was a senior on the Men's Crew Team at Union College, I separated my shoulder requiring surgery. The orthopedic surgeon repaired my shoulder, restoring my function. I often think about where I would have been if I had not had a caring orthopedic surgeon. The mind and body are connected intimately and when one is not functioning appropriately, the other suffers. By healing bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles, orthopedic surgeons are able to give people the ability to live their fullest, most happy life which can have a profoundly positive impact on a patient's state of mind.”

This year, he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society in recognition of academic excellence, and into the Gold Humanism Honor Society for his commitment to humanism in medicine. Gagliardi was also awarded the Lester Schultz Memorial Scholarship as the Westchester resident with the best academic record in the Class of 2024 and for his commitment to the Westchester community. Despite his busy schedule, Gagliardi has dedicated himself to his community as a volunteer firefighter for the Armonk, New York, Fire Department for the past 10 years, averaging more than 100 fire and EMS calls each year while in medical school. 

Gagliardi continues to give back to the NYMC community, now serving as vice president of AOA and as a peer tutor for first- and second-year pre-clinical courses, third-year clerkship courses and the Step 1 United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) and as a study coach for students seeking to improve their study habits and techniques. He also serves as vice president of the House of Representatives E-Board at NYMC and is co-education director of the 2023 School of Medicine Pre-matriculation Program, a two-week long course for first-year medical students to help prepare them to be successful in medical school.