CUNY School of Medicine / Sophie Davis Biomedical Education and PA Programs

At CUNY School of Medicine, we are proud of our Harlem roots, and to be a health and wellness resource for our neighbors. This weekend, we invite you to participate in the Harlem Health Fair on the campus of City College. From preventative screenings to healthcare navigation, our Community Engagement Core will bring health and wellness initiatives to Harlem, the South Bronx, and neighborhoods throughout New York City year-round.

We look forward to seeing you this Saturday, June 13th, from 10:00am-3:00pm at 1589 Amsterdam Avenue, and meeting you at one of our upcoming events.

Known for his relentless focus on solving real-world problems and his unwavering commitment to data and evidence, entrepreneur Mark Cuban founded Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company to make prescription medications more affordable and accessible for every American. Recognizing the alignment between that mission and our own, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education second year student Kevin Idicula reached out directly to Mark, proposing a conversation that would challenge and inspire our future physicians to think differently about medicine, innovation, and healthcare access.

At CUNY School of Medicine, we are dedicated to training physicians who will serve communities facing critical healthcare workforce shortages. Like Mark, we believe that healthcare should be equitable, accessible, and centered on patients. We see every day how the cost of medications affects health outcomes, particularly in underserved communities. We also share a commitment to reducing financial barriers to medical education for students from underrepresented and economically diverse backgrounds.

Welcomed by Dean Carmen Renée Green, MD, and moderated by Kevin, Mark generously spent an hour engaging with our students on topics ranging from trust and transparency to the promise and challenges of AI in healthcare. He emphasized that there is rarely a single solution to complex problems and encouraged students to “be great at what you can be great at.” His candid insights, practical wisdom, and thoughtful responses energized a robust Q&A with our Healers, Leaders, and Scholars.

On behalf of Dean Green and the entire CUNY School of Medicine community, thank you, Mark, for sharing your time, perspective, and inspiration. Your message challenged us to think bigger, work harder, and remain steadfast in our mission to improve healthcare for all.

Watch the full discussion here: https://youtu.be/vsogspWFQ9c

Welcome, Maria Fernandez!

The CUNY School of Medicine is pleased to announce that Maria E. Fernandez, JD, has joined us as Chief Campus Counsel and Labor Designee.

A distinguished legal and higher education leader, Fernandez returns to the The City University of New York community with more than two decades of experience spanning government, higher education, and global corporate leadership. Most recently, she served as Deputy Secretary of Education in the Office of Governor Kathy Hochul helping to oversee New York State’s education portfolio and advancing policies that expand opportunity for students across New York City and the state.

A proud alumna of Lehman College and graduate of Cornell Law School, Fernandez previously held senior leadership roles at IBM and Direct Energy, leading global legal, ethics, and compliance operations. She also taught corporate compliance at Fordham Law and has been recognized by City and State NY as both a “Power of Diversity: Latino 100” honoree and a “Latino Trailblazer.”

“My own education began in the CUNY system, so joining the CUNY School of Medicine is, in a real sense, a homecoming. This School opens doors to medicine for students who will go on to serve the communities that need them most,” Fernandez said.

We're excited to welcome her back to the CUNY family and look forward to the leadership and expertise she will bring to Manhattan’s only public medical school and CUNY’s newest standalone school.

We're proud to see Community Health and Social Medicine professor Elizabeth Cohn, RN, PhD, FAAN, and her work at the All of Us Research Program being featured 👏

A new study shows how the All of Us Research Program can advance women's health research.

Using the program’s dataset, researchers gained new insight into conditions that uniquely affect women, including risk factors for osteoporosis & postpartum hemorrhage.

Today, CUNY School of Medicine welcomed our NYC District Council Member Dr. Yusef Salaam. As a Harlem native, activist, and advocate for community well-being, Council Member Salaam recognizes the importance of delivering quality healthcare to our local community and working towards a better future for all New Yorkers.

During his visit, the council member met with Dean Carmen Renée Green and some of our faculty members. He also learned more about our dual mission of making medical education more affordable and serving neighborhoods like ours, where many have limited access to healthcare. We're thrilled to have this opportunity to highlight how we're training the next generation of healers, leaders, and scholars.

If you are a Sophie Davis graduate from the Class of ’91, we’re planning your 35th reunion! The Reunion Committee is working on an evening filled with nostalgia, laughter, connection…right where it all began in NYC.

Contact [email protected] for more information…and spread the word with your networks. We can’t wait to see you!

Today CUNY School of Medicine welcomed our US Representative Adriano Espaillat of New York’s Thirteenth Congressional District. In a district with the most hospital beds in New York City and in the country, Congressman Espaillat recognizes the importance of our mission to train healthcare professionals – most notably in primary care. From improving community health to contributing to the economic vibrancy of New York City, Representative Espaillat toured our school and met with several students who live within his district and are training with the intention to deliver healthcare on a hyper-local basis. Students presented him with a unique piece of artwork, symbolizing his proud Dominican American heritage and New York roots. We are grateful for his meaningful visit as we remain focused on training tomorrow’s Healers, Leaders, and Scholars.

At CUNY School of Medicine we welcomed 2026 with a celebratory event, and are incredibly proud of our graduating class of Physician Assistants from our historic PA program. Our most recent class paid a moving tribute to one of its first graduates, bestowing a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, to Ms. Annie Brown, an alumnus of our inaugural Class of 1973 and one of the first black Physician Assistants in the country. Keynote speaker Dr. Bishr Omary of Rutgers University also received an honorary degree, and gave a heartfelt and motivational keynote address to our graduates - the frontline of healthcare workers. Special guests included CUNY Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning Dr. Mohamed Attalla and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Denise Maybank.

Congrats to our