Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

09/18/2026

We’re kicking off a new series: Faculty This or That.

A quick look at the choices, habits, and personalities behind the people who teach at Zucker School of Medicine.

Faculty, want to be next? DM us to participate.

09/18/2026

How will AI shape the way tomorrow’s physicians learn, practice, and care for patients?

Zucker School of Medicine students are exploring that question through the student-founded AI in Medicine Club (AIM). The club recently welcomed Mohit Limdi, a primary architect of Northwell Health’s AI Hub and a member of its Emerging Tech Team, for its first guest speaker event and a conversation about AI strategy and emerging technology in healthcare.

AIM was founded by second-year medical students Cole Heine and Henry Singer, with faculty sponsors Drs. Olvet, Saied-Santiago, and Pinard.

More events are ahead as AIM continues to bring conversations around AI and medicine to the ZSOM community.

Learn more: http://aimclubzsom.org

09/16/2026

The tumors, test results, and treatments I present to future physicians? Mine."

Dr. David Elkowitz, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and science education at the Zucker School of Medicine, has spent nine years living with thymic cancer. Rather than keep that experience separate from his teaching, he brought it into the classroom, sharing his own scans, biopsy results, and story with first-year medical students, followed by a visit from his oncologist.

In a new essay for STAT News, he writes about the day his oncologist told him she had cancer too, and how that moment of honesty helped him find his voice again after a diagnosis that left him speechless.

Read his full story here: https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/16/medical-school-cancer-structure-pathology-professor-personal-experience/

09/14/2026

Third year med student by day, future Ironman finisher in training.

Meet Benjamin James, a third-year student at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell who is in the final stretch of training for the Northwell Ironman 70.3 New York at Jones Beach. The race itself is a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile half marathon. Getting ready for it means fitting practice in around clinical rotations and studying.

His trick? Training with classmates who are racing too, and turning treadmill runs into study sessions. Dean David Battinelli says the discipline it takes to train for something like this is exactly what medicine looks for in future physicians.

Race day is Saturday, September 26 at Jones Beach. If you are local, come out and cheer the athletes on, or check the full event schedule here: https://www.ironman.com/races/im703-new-york/schedule

Read Benjamin's full story: https://www.liherald.com/uniondale/stories/hofstra-university-medical-student-trains-for-ironman-while-in-med-school,225141

09/12/2026

Some of the most meaningful parts of medical school happen behind the scenes, thanks to people who rarely get the spotlight.

A big thank you to Malika Martin, a coordinator in our Department of Science Education, for the excellent support she provides to Dr. Pinard and this Surgical Skills course.

And of course, none of it happens without Dr. Pinard, the man, the myth, and the reason our second year students get real hands on time with the DaVinci robot, laparoscopic skills, and suturing, years before most of their peers even step foot in an OR. That kind of early exposure gives our students a genuine head start, something very few medical schools offer.

Dr. Pinard has spent 50 years in surgery, and every bit of that experience shows in how he teaches. He pushes students hard because he believes in them, and tough love is his middle name. Read more about his remarkable career here: https://www.northwell.edu/news/the-latest/choosing-his-own-adventure

If you have learned from Dr. Pinard, we would love to hear about it. Share your story in the comments.

09/11/2026

Twenty-five years ago, on September 11th, we lost nearly 3,000 lives. Among them were first responders, medical professionals, and everyday people who ran toward danger to help others.

Today, we remember those we lost. We honor those who volunteered in the days and weeks after, who cared for the injured, who searched through the wreckage looking for survivors. We hold close the survivors who still carry that day with them.

In our darkest moments, our community came together, closer and more united than ever. That closeness is something worth remembering, too.

Twenty-five years later, we will never forget. Together, we mourn.

09/10/2026

MS1s today: “What’s next?”

Us: Your nervous system. 🧠

Straight from Physical Diagnosis into lab for reflexes, coordination and cranial nerves.

Future neurologists, where you at? 👀

09/03/2026

How do we prepare physicians not only for the medicine of today, but for the healthcare landscape they will lead tomorrow?

In a new episode of Inside the Z-Suite, Zucker School of Medicine Dean David Battinelli, MD, and Lawrence G. Smith, MD, join Zarb School of Business Dean Janet Lenaghan for a conversation about the future of medical education.

Together, they explore leadership, innovation, and how medical education must continue to evolve to prepare the next generation of physicians for a rapidly changing profession.

🎧 Listen to “Revolutionizing Medical Education: Physicians of the Future” on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ucRy7hu6kVAGJYtbqLSTc?si=uMvc2WXzSwKUkUuPaeU_og&utm_source=copy-link

Inside the Z-Suite · Episode

09/03/2026

One trimester down! 🩺

Our M3 students wrapped up Trimester 1 last week and are heading into exam week. Here are a few snapshots from their first trimester together as they continue making their way through third year.

Wishing all of our M3s the best of luck on their exams!

09/02/2026

ICYMI 👀 A few highlights from last week’s Club Fair!

From interest clubs and professional organizations to specialty clubs, students had plenty of opportunities to explore, connect, and find something that sparked their interest.

And maybe sign up for just one more club than they planned. 😅