News & Events

Touro's Dr. Moshe Sokol shares his excitement about his new role as Dean of the Graduate School of Jewish Studies!

Student spotlight! Meet Eli Eizenstat, a Lander College for Men (LCM) Medical Honors Pathway student and future surgeon. "I am drawn to medicine because it merges my passion for helping others with my deep interest in science. My clinical experiences, such as working as an EMT, shadowing physicians and working as an emergency room technician, have exposed me to many medical specialties. I am interested in general surgery because it is a fast-paced, high-intensity field that provides many opportunities to specialize. I have been a volunteer firefighter/EMT for four years. I am also an ambulance driver, preceptor for new EMTs and a member of my department’s equal employment opportunity (EEO) committee. Having a positive impact on my patients is a highly gratifying experience. As an American Red Cross CPR/AED Instructor, I established an in-house CPR training program at LCM, providing CPR/AED training to students. In addition, as a Stop the Bleed instructor, I have successfully trained over 100 individuals to recognize and treat life-threatening bleeding."

Check out Touro in @wsj today!   A special insert shares news about our high-achieving alums, groundbreaking research, inspirational students and high tech innovation! Our cover star, Touro Dental student Jeremy Lichter, proudly poses with his copy of today’s insert! #wallstreetjournal #dentalmed

#FBF Touro School of Health Sciences occupational therapy (OT) students recently enjoyed a presentation from Sasha Blair-Goldensohn, the lead for Google Maps Disability Inclusion division, who highlighted how he creates features for people with disabilities, specifically for subway lines and Google business profiles. Sasha explained that people with disabilities need access to equitable resources that accommodate their needs. Students then followed Blair-Goldensohn to the subway station, where they were able to see the need firsthand for accessible access to the subway for commuters who use wheelchairs, have visual and hearing impairments, as well as for people who have intellectual disabilities.

Alum Spotlight! Carrie Whitelam, Touro School of Health Sciences Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of ’23, is passionate about the PT field and its ability to help people engage in activities they cherish. Whitelam is currently completing an orthopedic physical therapy residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The year-long program had only TWO spots available for PTs and Carrie is the second newly graduated PT to ever be accepted. “It’s a privilege to spend substantial time with patients to foster meaningful relationships. During my residency, patient care is at the forefront of my duties, where I provide treatment five days a week. Additionally, I have the opportunity to collaborate with my mentor one morning a week, allowing for hands-on learning and guidance with challenging cases, while receiving constructive feedback to enhance patient care. I also attend weekly rounds with surgeons and physicians, participate in weekend intensives to acquire and refine new skills, observe surgeries in the operating room, shadow physicians in the clinic, and more! These multifaceted responsibilities contribute to my growth as a clinician and further my commitment to providing high-quality care. After I complete my residency in December, I will begin studying and preparing for the exam to become a board certified orthopedic clinical specialist." Good luck, Carrie as you advance your career!

Congrats to Touro California's Dr. Alesia Wagner, DO, FACOFP Distinguished, who was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons of California (OPSC) convention--only the seventh individual to receive it! “Dr. Wagner's remarkable dedication to osteopathic medicine has not only enriched our institution but has also positively influenced countless lives within the medical community,” says Tami Hendriksz, Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine(opens in a new tab), and the Interim Chief Academic Officer of Touro University California (TUC). “This recognition is a testament to her outstanding contributions and unwavering commitment to excellence. I am immensely proud to have Dr. Wagner as part of our team, and her achievement brings great honor to our institution.” After medical school, Wagner, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the College of Osteopathic Medicine at TUC, went into private practice and family medicine, while also organizing rotations and residencies for medical students. In 2013 Wagner joined TUC as an assistant professor, and while she had always wanted to be a teacher, she believed that it meant choosing between a career in medicine or education. Joining TUC allowed Wagner to do both. “I made it my job to learn how to be a good teacher and to learn about teaching preclinical students through a variety of different pedagogical methods and ideas to deliver curriculum,” says Wagner, who evolved her role as her career progressed. “I do a lot more in the way of mentoring, guiding students, teaching, advocating for them in a leadership role as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.”

Touro University Graduate School of Social Work Professor Dr. Jennifer Zelnick shared her research on challenges facing people during treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and HIV (DR-TB/HIV) at a two-day international symposium recently at Columbia University School of Nursing. “Despite the availability of new regimens to treat DR-TB/HIV, age-old issues of poverty, discrimination, and stigma persist. Our research on stigma revealed that while HIV treatment is somewhat less stigmatized in the past, TB remains deeply stigmatized. Stigma can be a barrier to disclosing disease to friends and family, or a reason to avoid health care, and thus is a challenge to engaging in care and treatment. Social work has a lot to contribute to the practice of patient-centered care, which is needed to help people fully benefit from effective new medicines," said Dr. Zelnick. Pictured at the symposium are Dr. Zelnick with colleague Dr. Boitumelo Seepamore, University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Applied Human Services, Social Work Department.

#fbf TouroCOM recently held a graduation for their MedAchieve high school students. TouroCOM’s after-school MedAchieve program empowers these students to become physicians and healthcare providers locally and in underserved communities nationwide by providing mentoring and career counseling, hands-on lab experience and academic enrichment in the sciences. #STEM #medachieve #higherlearning #mentor