Interview with Dr. Rona Woldenberg, Associate Dean for Admissions at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell [Show Summary]

We interviewed today’s guest almost three years ago about Hofstra/Northwell’s fairly new medical school. A lot has changed since then and Dean of Admissions, Dr. Rona Woldenberg, bring us up to date on what’s new at the Zucker Medical School at Hofstra/Northwell, while also sharing gems on medical school admissions in general and Zucker in particular.

Dr. Woldenberg discusses recent changes at Zucker, and offers tips for med school applicants [Show Notes]

Today’s guest is Dr. Rona Woldenberg, Associate Dean for Admissions at Zucker Medical. Dr. Woldenberg earned her MD at the University of Pennsylvania. She is board certified in diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology. In addition to her duties as Associate Dean for Admissions, she is also a Professor at Zucker School of Medicine.

For those listeners who may not be familiar with Hofstra/Northwell Medical, what would be the first thing you would want applicants and potential future physicians to know about Zucker SOM? [2:06]

There are a few guiding principles that are different. We are learner-focused as opposed to teacher-focused. The education is driven by the learner which is critical. Student learning is also very much action-focused. We don’t believe in a passive learning process. Students are engaged from day 1 in clinical medicine with our EMT curriculum, which they do for the first nine weeks of med school, and they all become licensed EMTs in New York state. Getting that certification allows them to build a team-based approach and to be an active learner.

Can you provide an example of how being learner-based as opposed to teacher-based is reflected in a particular subject? [3:32]

It allows us to fully integrate the curriculum. It allows the learner to have a comprehensive approach to a patient where they can learn in an integrated fashion – learning biochem of the liver while dissecting a liver in anatomy of lab, while looking at liver slides, while looking at physiology of the liver. Learning is dictated by the need of the student, not the need of the faculty member teaching the course.

Since we spoke almost three years ago, the Hofstra/Northwell Medical School became the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Hofstra Northwell University. Can you tell us about the gift that triggered that name change? [5:23]

Donald and Barbara Zucker gave a $60M gift of which $50M is dedicated specifically to scholarship. We are in a time now where schools are trying to go loan free, tuition free, with the primary focus of making the education as affordable as possible. We are proud that our students tend to be in the lower third of loans needed after medical school. We meet with each student one-on-one to help with financial planning.

Let’s look at the Zucker Medical application process. Any tips for the Zucker secondary? [7:01]

Ours is fact-based. We don’t make you write 5-6 additional essays. We do ask about an obstacle overcome and how you addressed it, which speaks to resilience, an attribute a physician needs. You have to be able to accept your failures, be resilient, and be an effective medical student.