Education Reform Advocate Geoffrey Canada Commencement Speaker at NYU School of Medicine

Contact:

Lorinda Klein

Office of Communications

NYU Langone Medical Center

Phone: 212-404-3555

Cell: 917-693-4846

LorindaAnn.Klein@nyumc.org

NYU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE COMMENCEMENT ON THURSDAY, MAY 14^TH 2009

Graduation for the 168^th class of the NYU School of Medicine will take place on Thursday, May 14, 2009 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center Plaza in New York City. The class of 2009 comprises 80 women and 84 men, ranging from early 20s to mid 40s who come from 26 different states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Of the 164 graduates, 32 will remain at NYU for their residency and 76% received appointments at the top 50 medical schools. The most popular specialties were internal medicine/primary care, followed by pediatrics, diagnostic radiology, anesthesiology, emergency medicine and psychiatry.

The commencement speaker for NYU School of Medicine’s graduating class is education reform advocate Geoffrey Canada, President and Chief Operating Officer for Harlem’s Children’s Zone, an organization that targets a specific geographic area in Central Harlem with a range of educational, social and medical services. The Zone project covers 100 Harlem blocks and aims to serve over 10,000 children by 2011 with services that start at birth and follows children to college.

Available for interviews are Dr. Lynn Buckvar-Keltz, Associate Dean for Students who can discuss the Class of 2009, as well as the following graduates:

Baruch Fertel, of Brooklyn is the son of an OB-GYN and a nurse/sex therapist, who had no interest in medicine. After studying at Yeshiva, earning an MPA and teaching high school biology/math, he joined a Brooklyn ambulance corp, and became inspired to pursue a career in emergency medicine after rescuing firefighters on 9/11. His destiny was sealed when he watched NYU pediatric ER specialist George Foltin, M.D. reattach a child’s severed finger. Dr. Fartel, whose youngest son was born while he attended a first-year anatomy class, balanced fatherhood, medical school, and served as president of the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.

Maribelis Olivares immigrated to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic with her parents 15 years ago. The oldest of three sisters, she is a graduate of Manhattan’s High School for Leadership and Public Service and Syracuse University.

Eitin Eitin-Osa left Nigeria at the age of seven. Her father, a professor of English literature at Virginia State University, is still Oba of Edo, an advisor to the king in the Republic of Benin. Dr. Osa plans to become a radiation oncologist.

DATE: Thursday, May 14, 2009

PLACE: Lincoln Center

Avery Fisher Hall

Corner of Columbus Avenue and 65^th Street

New York City

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL LORINDA KLEIN AT 212-404-3555