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Council Member Eric Dinowitz opens oversight hearing on CUNY School of Medicine
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ยท
3 min
Council Member Eric Dinowitz, chair of the Committee on Higher Education, opens the oversight hearing on the newly independent CUNY School of Medicine. He provides context on the school's recent transition to independence, discusses the importance of diversity in medical education, and outlines the hearing's procedures.
- Highlights CUNY Medicine's unique holistic admissions process and its role in increasing diversity in medical education
- Acknowledges the school's move from City College to the CUNY Graduate Center
- Provides instructions for public testimony and sets time limits for speakers
Eric Dinowitz
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Good morning.
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I'm council member Eric Dinowitz, chair of the Committee on Higher Education and proud CUNY alum.
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Welcome to our oversight hearing on the new CUNY School of Medicine.
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I know CUNY School of Medicine is not new.
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It is, however, newly independent.
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So congratulations.
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Congratulations to all the doctors of various stripes in the back nodding their heads.
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Last November 19th, governor Hochul announced that CUNY Medicine will become an independent institution, moving from being a constituent school of the City College of New York to being under the auspices of the CUNY Graduate Center.
0:01:17
The move elevated the school to a graduate level institution, adding master's, doctoral, and postgraduate residency programs, and aligned it with medical schools across the country.
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The press release also noted that CUNY Medicine will continue to use its holistic admissions process with no medical college admission test or MCAT scores being required, which will continue to widen the scope of opportunities available for prospective students.
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CUNY chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez commented that elevating the CUNY School of Medicine to a stand alone institution will ensure that medical careers and health care services are available to more people from all backgrounds and every community in New York City.
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Although total medical school enrollment in the US is very slightly more diverse than it was 7 years ago, with black and African American enrollment up from about 8% to 10%, with Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish origin enrollment up from about 10% to 12%, this year's numbers of black and, and Latino incoming medical students in the US are down by about 10%.
0:02:30
Any downward trend is very concerning.
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However, CUNY Medicine's enrollment numbers are quite different from that picture.
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In fact, CUNY Medicine is doing a lot to change that landscape, at least for us New Yorkers.
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I'm sure we're gonna hear about those numbers in today's testimony, which I look forward to.
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I wanna acknowledge we've been joined by council member Christopher Marte.
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I would also like to thank, Adam Stauropoli, my legislative and budget director, Jenna Clouse, my chief of staff, Rachel Contee, the committee's legislative counsel, Regina Paul, the committee's policy analyst, and Sahar Moazami, the committee's outgoing council, which is, I guess, good news for New York City and good news for the council, but selfishly terrible news for me.
0:03:25
She's been, you've been my my right hand at these hearings telling me what I'm about to say is not legal or not wise.
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And I'm certainly gonna miss you being right by my side, at these meetings.
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So congratulations on your, I'd say, a very lateral move, but others real people would say a promotion.
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Congratulations.
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I would like to remind everyone who wishes to testify in person today, that you must fill out an appearance card, which is located on the desk of the sergeant at arms, near the entrance of this room.
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Please fill it out even if you've already registered to testify in advance.
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To allow as many people as possible to testify, public testimony will be limited to 2 minutes per person.
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I'm also gonna ask my colleagues to limit their questions to and comments to 5 minutes.
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Please note that witnesses who are here in person will testify before those who are on Zoom.