History Timeline

From 1849 to 2024

1849

A meeting of the minds

New York Medical College traces its history back to when the founders of the Hahnemann Academy of Medicine (organized in 1848) and the New York County Homeopathic Society (organized in 1834) collaborated for the sole purpose of establishing a medical college in New York City. The first meeting, held at the office of local physician John Augustus McVickar, M.D., took measures to obtain a charter for a new medical college. Among others present are: son of noted universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh (UK) physician and New York Evening Post (known today as The New York Post) editor and poet William Cullen Bryant, who is a harsh critic of city sanitary conditions and proponent of homeopathy; telecommunications pioneer Cyrus W. Field; A. Oakey Hall, later New York mayor; Columbia Law School’s founding dean, Theodore William Dwight; and Free Academy of the City of New York founding president, Horace Webster.

1860

A charter is granted

On April 12, 1860, William Cullen Bryant, at the age of 66, along with a small cohort of some of New York City’s leading citizens, is granted a charter for a new medical college, “The Homeopathic Medical College of the State of New York in New York City.” The College was an outgrowth of the Hahnemann Academy of Medicine and the New York County Homeopathic Society of which Bryant had been the Society’s president in 1841.

Media credit: Matthew Brady

An elderly William Bryant with a white beard, wrinkled skin, and bald head, wearing a suit while sitting at desk with a book

1860

The first leaders

Jacob Beakley, A.M., M.D., serves as the first dean of the College, and New York Mayor (1858-1860) Daniel F. Tiemann becomes president of the Board. William Cullen Bryant himself begins a 10-year term as president of the Board two years later.

Jacob Beakley, A.M., M.D., with curly, short hair, a mustache and beard, and a suit. Daniel F. Tiemann with short, combed hair, sideburns, a suit, and a hat in his lap

1860

The official start of class

59 students begin their studies with 8 faculty members on the upper three floors of 151 East 20th St (a few houses away from the home of the College’s first dean, Jacob Beakley, A.M., M.D.), at the corner of Third Ave in the Gramercy Park neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The only other medical schools in New York City at the time are University Medical College and the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Illustration of the building the college started in. Four story building with dark shutters on windows. Grocery store on first floor

1863

A college for women

As New York State barred women as physicians in hospitals, a separate but related institution, known as the New York Medical College for Women, is founded by Clemence Sophia Lozier and staffed and supervised by the College’s male faculty. Maria C. Ewen serves as first president of the women’s college board.

Clemence Sophia Hamed Lozier. Middle aged woman with dark, pulled back hair with curls on the end, a striped dress with a small frilly collar. Serious expression on face

1865

Future university president

Although a year shy of being eligible to receive the Doctor of Medicine degree, 20 year old Ira Remsen, Class of 1865, presents his final thesis to founding dean Jacob Beckley, M.D. and the rest of the Board. It was motioned that a degree be awarded to Remsen, but that “the diploma be withheld by the faculty until such time as he should attain proper [21 years of] age.” Ira Remsen goes on to attend the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and in 1876, he is appointed as one of Johns Hopkins University’s five original faculty members. Ira Remsen, M.D. is eventually appointed as the second president of Johns Hopkins University (Sept. 1901–Jan. 1913).

Ira Remson. A young looking man with dark, combed back hair, and mutton chops. He is wearing a suit and bowtie and is looking away from the camera

1867

First female Canadian physician

New York Medical College for Women graduates the first female Canadian physician, Dr. Emily Stowe, who had previously been refused admission to every medical school in her native Canada.

Dr. Emily Stowe. She has curly bangs and is wearing small, round glasses.

1869

The first renaming

The College trustees amends the charter to rename the school as “The New York Homeopathic Medical College.”

1870

Susan McKinney Steward, M.D.

The first African American female physician in New York State, and the third in the nation, graduates valedictorian from New York Medical College for Women.

An elderly Susan McKinney Steward. She is a Black woman with white hair wearing a dark lace dress, a small headpiece, and several thin chain necklaces.

1872

The College mourns the passing of its first dean

Serving for 10 years as the College’s first dean, Jacob Beakley, M.D., dies at the age of 60, just two years after retiring as dean of the College.

Jacob Beakley, A.M., M.D., with curly, short hair, a mustache and beard, and a suit.

1872

The first move

The College relocates three blocks away to Third Ave and East 23rd St, sharing space with the New York Ophthalmic Hospital.

Drawing of the college's new location, a multi-story Gothic style building with rounded windows and a turret with a flag on top

1878

Founding father passes

William Cullen Bryant, one of the leading College co-founders, dies at the age of 83.

An elderly William Bryant with a white beard, wrinkled skin, and bald head, wearing a suit while sitting at desk with a book

1884

First issue of the Chironian

Students of the College publish the first issue of the Chironian Journal (now the Chironian Magazine printed by the Office of Public Relations). It is named after Chiron, noblest of the centaurs of Greek mythology, who gave humans the knowledge of herbs and plants. He also raised Aesculapius and instructed him in the art of healing.

Page from old issue of the Chironian paper

1887

The second name change

In an effort to build its very own hospital, the College charter changes along with a new name: “The New York Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital.” The following year, the cornerstone of the College’s new academic home and upcoming hospital is placed.

1888

First black male student graduates

Alonzo Potter Burgess Holley, a Haitian émigré and a graduate of the University of Cambridge, becomes the first black student to graduate from the College, later becoming the Haitian Consul to the Bahamas.

Alonzo Potter Burgess Holley. He is the only Black man in a group of white men. All are wearing identical suits, and look accomplished.

1890

First to open its own hospital

The Flower Free Surgical Hospital opens in Manhattan, making the College the first medical school in the United States to own a hospital. It is constructed at present-day York Ave (formerly known as Eastern Blvd) between 63rd and 64th streets with funds given largely by Congressman Roswell P. Flower, later governor of New York (1892-1894). This eventually serves as the model, a few years later, for other medical school-owned hospitals. In 1908, to highlight owning it’s own hospital “Flower Free Surgical Hospital,” the College changes its name a third time to “New York Homeopathic Medical College and Flower Hospital.”

The Flower Free Surgical Hospital, a large brick building with small towers on it

1905

Affiliation with Metropolitan

An affiliation agreement is signed between the College and what later would be known as Metropolitan Hospital Center (MHC) (formerly known as Homeopathic Hospital, and latter as the Ward’s Island Hospital). The College becomes the first private medical school in the nation to train its students at an urban hospital. MHC is originally located on Ward’s Island in the middle of the East River (later known as Welfare Island, now known as Roosevelt Island). For over 75 years, the College’s medical students are ferried by boat to their clinical rotations at MHC to the island. MHC has been located in Manhattan as of 1957.

Ward's Island Hospital, a multi-story building featuring a dome on roof with flag sticking out the top

1909

Iron horses

The hospital adds motorized ambulances to supplement horse-drawn ambulances after the first U.S. mass production of automobile-based ambulances begins production the same year.

Horse wearing harness attached to the ambulance carriage

1910

Fifty years

The College celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of its founding.

Fifty years celebratory poster designed to look like a scroll, with Gothic calligraphy, an image of the college and the hospitals, two flags, and illustrations of books and a skull

1910

A national commission

The College’s dean (1908-1918), former mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan (1901-1903), Royal S. Copeland, M.D., an ophthalmologist, was the first physician to perform a corneal transplant in the U.S. He later served as the Commissioner of Health in New York City during the 1918-1919 Spanish influenza pandemic and ultimately served as a United States Senator from New York for three terms (1923-1938). Among other accomplishments, Copeland was the key sponsor of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, enacted by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on June 25, 1938, following a hard-fought five-year legislative battle, which paved the way for the strength and impact of the present-day Food and Drug Administration.

Royal S. Copeland, wearing a suit and circular glasses, smiling next to Amelia Earhart, wearing a patterned blouse and a jacket with a round collar

1914

College’s influence in France during WWI

The College contributes to the war effort by establishing Base Hospital #48, a unit of Metropolitan Hospital in France that is supported by volunteer doctors and nurses.

Base hospital 48. Large group of men posing in dark uniform in front of building with American flag hanging overhead

1918

Women’s College absorbed

In 1917, a year before the U.S. national amendment, New York State grants women suffrage. The following year, in 1918, for the first time, women graduate physicians are accepted in New York City municipal hospitals as interns. Later that same year, the College’s Board of Trustees, in accord with the board president of the New York Medical College for Women, deems it feasible to close the women’s college and transfer the women students to the College at large (then, known as “New York Homeopathic Medical College and Flower Hospital”). Thus, making the College fully co-educational.

Illustration of NYMC for Women. A rectangular multi-story building with trees and pedestrians out front

1919

The first yearbook

The first edition of the College’s yearbook, Fluorscope, is published.

1920

Nursing education begins

New York Medical College Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospital (FFAH) begins offering a three-year basic nursing program through its School of Nursing, resulting in a Diploma of Nursing.

Three rows of female nursing students posing in their white uniforms in front of a brick archway

1928

Minority scholarship program

Created through the efforts of civil rights champion Walter Gray Crump, M.D. ‘1895, an alumnus and surgeon who was also trustee of Tuskegee Institute and Howard University, the College becomes first in the nation to establish a scholarship program for the exclusive use of minority students. Myra Adele Logan, M.D. ‘1933, is the first recipient, followed by Geraldine Burton Branch, M.D. ‘1936.

Distinguished looking Walter Gray Crump. He is an elderly white man with white hair and beard, wearing a graduation gown.

1930

Munson’s sign named for alum

Edwin Sterling Munson, M.D. ‘1894, gains international reputation through “Munson’s sign” -- a v-shaped indentation of the lower eyelid when the gaze is directed downwards; a sign that is characteristic of advanced Keratoconus.

Munson with short, combed back, dark hair, a white mustache, a suit, and a serious look on his face.

1935

Fifth Avenue Hospital

By 1935, the College transfers its outpatient activities from Flower Hospital on East 63rd St to the Fifth Avenue Hospital (itself the 1920 merger of the Hahnemann Hospital and Laura Franklin (Delano) Free Hospital for Children) located in a group of buildings on the block front on Fifth Ave between East 105th and East 106th streets in Manhattan. A year later, in 1936, the College drops ‘homeopathic’ from its name and changes its name for the fourth time to “New York Medical College and Flower Hospital” to better reflect its curriculum.

Two female nurses sitting in large room with large art, a chandelier, and a tall wood door at Fifth Ave Hospital.

1938

A new complex

Flourishing in the midst of the U.S. Great Depression years, “New York Medical College and Flower Hospital” merges with “Fifth Avenue Hospital” and the institution adopts it’s fifth name: “New York Medical College, Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals” (NYMC-FFA). The College lays a cornerstone for a new 10-story building complex to replace the group of buildings on Fifth Ave between East 105th and East 106th streets across from Central Park.

New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia laying the cornerstone of the new complex.

1938

Graduate studies begin

The College’s Certificate of Incorporation is amended to include authority to award graduate degrees in addition to the M.D.

1939

Office of the President established

Following the start of graduate studies and the merger of the College with another hospital, the “New York Medical College, Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals” establishes the Office of the President. The head of the institution changes from “dean” to “president,” beginning with Claude Burrett, M.D., concurrently establishing the School of Medicine with it’s own dean.

Claude A. Burrett with short, combed hair, a suit and tie, and a serious expression on his face

1940s

WWII adjustments

To help supply the need for more physicians during World War II, an accelerated program is launched by School of Medicine dean J.A.W. Hetrick, M.D. ’18, allowing students to complete the four-year curriculum in three years.

J.A.W. Hetrick portrait. Light skin, short and thin gray hair, thick eyebrows, a neat gray mustache, thin glasses, and a green and black robe

1943

Alumna becomes first woman to perform open-heart surgery

A Tuskegee, Alabama, native, Myra Adele Logan, M.D. ’1933, was the first woman to perform open-heart surgery and the first African American woman elected a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She was the first person to receive the Walter Gray Crump minority scholarship that allowed her to attend New York Medical College.

Myra Adele Logan, M.D.'s NYMC yearbook page. She has a short, dark bob, and a serious expression on her face.

1955

An alumnus becomes a founding dean

Marcus D. Kogel, M.D., Class of 1927, becomes the founding dean of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University.

Advert about Kogel with a photo of him, with dark curly hair, light skin, round thick glasses, and a suit and tie.

1956

AOA chapter begins

The first installation banquet of the College’s Iota Chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) is held in the faculty dining room of Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals.

Illustration of a key with AOA 1902 on it

1960

A centennial celebration

The College celebrates with a Centennial Dinner in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Among the speakers is New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner.

Illustration of the Waldorf Astoria, a tall building with two pointy towers

1961

Cohen Research Building opens

The 220,000-square foot Sophie D. and William W. Cohen Research Building, adjacent to the College and Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital (FFAH), opens and marks the beginning of basic science research at the College. Two years later, in 1963, lead by Warner F. Bowers, M.S., M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S., the Graduate School of Medical Sciences (now, the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences) is founded, offering study leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the basic medical sciences.

The Cohen research building and NYMC and Flower-Fifth Avenue hospital. Tall and wide buildings that are light in color

1961

Graduate nursing education

After 40 years of offering a Diploma of Nursing, in September of 1961 New York Medical College Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital establishes a graduate nursing school, which awarded a Master of Science in Nursing with training programs in select clinical specialties.

Three rows of female nursing students posing in their white uniforms in front of a brick archway

1966

A royal visit

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (prince consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom) visits the pediatrics wing of the Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital (FFAH).

Prince Philip smiling while chatting with the board of trustees chair and the chair of pediatrics in hallway of flower-fifth avenue hospital

1967

College’s history book

Professor of urology Leonard Paul Wershub, M.D. ‘1927, authors the College’s first history book One Hundred Years of Medical Progress; A History of the New York Medical College, Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals.

Cover of One Hundred Years of Medical Progress, with an illustration of the Flower-Fifth Avenue hospital

1967

The College breaks down barriers

Jane Cooke Wright, M.D. ‘45, a prominent cancer researcher, is named associate dean at the College. At a time when African American women physicians numbered only a few hundred in the United States, Dr. Wright was the highest ranked African American woman at a nationally recognized medical institution.

Jane Cooke Wright sitting at desk with dark hair, a soft smile, a white blazer, and a pearl necklace. She is posing with her elbow on the desk and her hand on her cheek.

1968

Possible College re-location

At the request of the Westchester County government, the College’s Board of Trustees voted to relocate the teaching and research facilities 20 miles north to the Grasslands Reservation in Valhalla. Instrumental in the move are the College’s Board of Trustees Chair Jackson E. Spears, President David Denker, Ph.D. and Dean J. Frederick Eagle, M.D.

Aerial view of the Grasslands hospital, with many buildings, large grassy areas, and wooded areas

1969

Graduate Faculty Council is established

Organization and by-laws of the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences (GSBMS) was approved by Board of Trustees, and the Graduate Faculty Council was established to maintain academic policies and procedures.

1971

Moving to Valhalla

New York Medical College began moving academic operations out of its Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital building in New York City to suburban Valhalla in Westchester County on the Grasslands Reservation. Operations began in Elmwood Hall, and students started their clinical work at the Grasslands Hospital.

Old photo of the Grasslands Hospital, a multi-story building with large pillars and a large grassy area in front with a flag pole flying the American flag

1971

BSB opens

The Basic Sciences Building opens, allowing medical students to complete their first two years of study on the Valhalla campus.

Brick building with staircase in front and white trim at top with sign that says New York Medical College Basic Sciences Building. Staircase leads up to building

1972

Library expansion

The libraries of New York Medical College Flower and Fifth Avenue Hospitals and the Westchester Academy of Medicine merge under an agreement signed by both parties to form the new Health Sciences Library at New York Medical College on the Valhalla campus.

1977

WMC opens

The closing of the Grasslands Hospital in Valhalla makes way for the College’s new academic medical center adjacent to the College on the Grasslands Reservation in Valhalla, now known as Westchester Medical Center.

WMC, a large brick building with green trees, grass, and large parking lot in background. Helicopter is landing at hospital

1978

Affiliation with the Archdiocese of NY

The College, already in Westchester, affiliates with the Archdiocese of New York through the efforts of then-Archbishop of New York Terence Cardinal Cooke, which helps provide financial stability and establishes a shared commitment for the public good in the area of health care and the health sciences. The ownership of the College’s Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City also come under the auspices of the Archdiocese of New York.

The flower-fifth avenue hospital, a large building with many stories and scalloped detailing along the roof

1981

Sixth and final name change

The College officially adopts the name “New York Medical College.”

1980s

AIDS epidemic

AIDS is first recognized by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its cause—HIV infection—is identified. Through its then-hospital-affiliate St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Manhattan, NYMC medical students and residents are at the epicenter of New York City’s AIDS epidemic. SVCMC housed the first and largest AIDS ward on the east coast and is referred to as the "ground zero" of the AIDS epidemic.

The O’Toole Building, where St. Vincent’s Comprehensive HIV Clinic was located. Large, multi-story building with scalloped trim, and flags of different countries lining the roof

1981

NYMC starts offering the M.P.H.

The Master of Public Health program begins as an outgrowth of the NYMC School of Medicine Department of Family and Community. The Graduate School of Health Sciences (the precursor to the School of Health Sciences and Practice) opens and awards its first degrees in the following years.

1983

A College newsletter

The College community newsletter "NewsWire,” now known as “InTouch,” is first published in 1983, and becomes an online publication in 2014.

1984

A place alumni can call home

After hearing of Westchester County’s demolition plans in 1979, alumni initiate a campaign to restore what was then known as The Strawson House, a nearby property owned by the County. By 1982, funds are achieved and renovations begin in June of 1983. A year later, on June 2, 1984, the house is dedicated and has since been an elegant venue for meetings and events.

The alumni home, a two-story white house with large pillars, black shutters, a stone path, green bushes, and a green front yard

1986

Grasslands I

The College receives a $7.8 million housing complex gift from Grasslands Associates, a partnership which includes Starrett Housing Corporation of New York City. The gift consists of 8.7 acres of land situated adjacent to the College campus with 107-residential-unit buildings. The complex later is known as Grasslands I.

1988

Inaugural Convocation of Thanks

Honoring those who have selflessly given to the College’s medical education program, the inaugural Convocation of Thanks ceremony is hosted by the NYMC School of Medicine Class of 1991—allowing first-year medical students (1Ms) to reflect and show appreciation to the family members of those whose loved one is bequeathed to the anatomy program and used for research during the previous academic year. The ceremony is repeated annually ending with a planting of a tree as a memorial.

1990

SHSP officially becomes its own school

The Graduate School of Health Sciences, now known as the School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP), officially becomes a separate school of New York Medical College. Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield president and chief operating officer and former U.S. General Accounting Office chief health policy advisor Sheila M. Smythe is appointed as its founding dean.

School of health sciences and practice exterior with an illuminated sign, many windows, and steps and bushes outside the building

1993

At the Forefront of Flu Vaccine Development

Internationally recognized expert on the genetics of the influenza virus, Professor Edwin D. Kilbourne, M.D., establishes the College laboratory that supplies the recombinant strains used in preparing the annual influenza vaccine used worldwide. Dr. Kilbourne donated a catalog of nearly 200 influenza virus reassortments and mutants to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to enable scientists free access to the library of viral artifacts, named the Kilbourne/New York Medical College Archive.

Edwin Kilbourne with light hair, a mustache and beard, and a suit

1993

Grasslands II opens

On-campus student housing expands after construction of the Grasslands II residences. Occupancy begins in July 1993 with a celebratory ribbon cutting in October of that year.

1996

NYMC on the Web

New York Medical College launches its presence at www.nymc.edu

Screenshot of the NYMC website in 1996, with a gray background featuring the NYMC crest, and a variety of links for site visitors to interact with

1996

White Coat Ceremony

The first White Coat Ceremony at New York Medical College is held for incoming medical students signifying the beginning of a medical student’s career.

1997

NYMC admits its first PT class

The physical therapy program begins in the Graduate School of Health Sciences (now the School of Health Sciences and Practice).

1999

M.S. in SLP

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology begins in the Graduate School of Health Sciences (now the School of Health Sciences and Practice).

2001

MEC opens

After two years of construction, the College opens the four-story Medical Education Center, which expands library and research space and boasts a state-of-the-art gross anatomy laboratory on the top floor.

The four-story Medical Education Center with a modern exterior and glass windows around the staircase

2001

National tragedy close to home

Following the September 11 attacks, students and faculty in all three schools mobilize, treating patients at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan, serving as paramedics and administering grief and trauma counseling.

Male soldier in uniform holding his child, who is waving an American flag

2002

Public Health

The Graduate School of Health Sciences changes its name to the School of Public Health.

2003

An unexpected loss

The NYMC community mourns the sudden loss of the School of Public Health (now SHSP) founding dean Sheila M. Smythe.

Sheila M. Smythe smiling

2004

Children’s hospital opens

As part of Westchester Medical Center, an academic health affiliate of New York Medical College, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center opens as the advanced care pediatric hospital for New York’s Hudson Valley region and Fairfield County, Connecticut, and major pediatric teaching facility of NYMC.

Artistic rendering of the multi-story Childrens Hospital at Westchester Medical Center

2005

Disaster medicine

The Center for Disaster Medicine opens under the School of Public Health (now SHSP).

2005

First online class

The first online course at NYMC is a Master’s in Public Health course.

2007

A change in the PT field

Following a national standard, the Master’s in Physical Therapy curriculum changes to a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). NYMC’s first class of DPT student begins.

2009

School of Public Health becomes SHSP

The new name for the former School of Public Health becomes the School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP).

2009

First online degree

The School of Health Sciences and Practice (SHSP) begins to offer the Master’s in Public Health (M.P.H.) completely online.

2009

CDC taps NYMC lab H1N1 vaccine

After several years of providing the seedstock for the annual flu vaccine, the College microbiology and immunology lab is tapped by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a faster growing H1N1 seed vaccine during a resurgence of the swine flu.

Scientist at NYMC working with chicken eggs to develop H1N1 vaccine

2010

NYMC turns 150!

New York Medical College celebrates its sesquicentennial and graduates the largest class in its 150-year history.

Flyer for NYMC 150 years. 1860-2010. The Sesquicentennial

2011

NYMC joins Touro

On May 25, 2011, in a ceremony held at (William Cullen) Bryant Park in New York City, NYMC officially joins the Touro College and University System, replacing the Archdiocese of New York as its sponsor institution.

Karl Adler, M.D., then-NYMC CEO, stands with Touro President Alan Kadish, M.D., with the framed New York Medical College's original charter from 1860 in front of the William Cullen Bryant statue in Bryant Park.

2012

Superstorm Sandy

The NYMC community braces for the effects of Superstorm Sandy. A year later, the Center for Disaster Medicine at New York Medical College School of Health Sciences and Practice, the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University, and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene work together to study the impact of mold and other health hazards associated with Hurricane Sandy.

Worker in destroyed house after the hurricane

2012

Radiation oncologist, medical historian and educator, becomes chancellor

NYMC taps University of Louisville School of Medicine dean and university vice provost Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., former Duke University associate vice chancellor and Duke Medicine vice dean, as chancellor and chief executive officer of New York Medical College.

Dr. Halperin on stage at installation ceremony, wearing a blue robe, with NYMC and Touro administration clapping in background

2013

NYMC campus expands

NYMC acquires former IBM headquarters, 19 Skyline Drive, a 250,000 square foot, five-story building complex providing essential space for offices and new programs. In addition, NYMC acquires 7 Dana Road and renovates it into the state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Disaster Medicine Training Center.

19 Skyline Drive building which is covered in windows reflecting the blue sky

2014

Deadly medicine

The summer of 2014 saw the College host the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum traveling exhibition, “Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race.” The exhibition traces the history from the early 20th-century international eugenics movement to the Nazi regime’s “science of race.” It also challenges viewers to reflect on present-day interest in genetic manipulation that promotes the possibility of human perfection. Produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the exhibit is made possible by The Lerner Foundation and Eric F. and Lore Ross, with additional support from the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund.

Poster for the Deadly Medicine traveling exhibition, featuring an illustration of an eye with calipers next to it

2014

BioInc@NYMC

Launch of New York Medical College’s biotechnology incubator, BioInc@NYMC, housed at the 7 Dana Road facility.

NYMC and Touro administration cutting ribbon at BioInc@NYMC launch

2014

NYMC expands outside of the Northeast U.S.

Beckley Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Beckley, West Virginia, joins NYMC in 2014 as an academic affiliate, adding to the breadth and diversity of clinical experiences for students and residents who are interested in rural medicine.

The Beckley VA Medical Center, a brick, multi-level building

2015

Corporate Citizenship Award

NYMC was honored by the Business Council of Westchester at their annual Business Hall of Fame Gala on April 21 at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle, N.Y. The College was awarded the Corporate Citizenship Award for its involvement in the surrounding communities including holding clinics for the impoverished and underserved, mentoring middle and high school students, as well as their teachers, and working with the disabled.

Robert W. Amler, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice and vice president for government affairs, proudly accepting the award on behalf of NYMC from Marsha Gordon, M.B.A., D.B.A., president and chief executive officer of the Business Council of Westchester.

2015

Darwin discovery on campus

A New York Medical College senior vice president finds a handwritten letter, which dates back to 1879, from Charles Darwin in an office closet. Darwin, the world famous naturalist who wrote about the theory of evolution, was writing to Ernst Krause, author of a book about Darwin’s grandfather.

Screenshot from the News of a magnifying glass hovering the letter in cursive writing

2015

Celebrated NYMC Professor Wins Nobel

Longtime celebrated scientist and former NYMC professor William Campbell, Ph.D. is awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (which he shares with Satoshi Mura of Japan) for their work in discovering Ivermectin, which has drastically reduced occurrences of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis (commonly known as elephantiasis). The drug was developed in the late 1980s and annually treats ~25 million people, preventing new cases of river blindness.

William Campbell with gray hair, blue eyes, and aviator eyeglasses, wearing a suit and a tie

2015

Honored by Westchester County Association

More than 700 members of the business community gathered at the Westchester County Association’s (WCA) Annual Fall Leadership Dinner on November 19 at the Westchester Marriott Hotel. The evening recognized individuals and organizations for their distinctive leadership roles in the community. Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor and chief executive officer, accepted the 2015 Leadership Award on behalf of NYMC for offering innovative curricula and advanced technological developments in the community and contributing to Westchester’s growing biotech industry.

NYMC faculty and administration posing with awards from WCA at the WCA Annual Fall Leadership Dinner

2016

New Fitness Center

NYMC is in the business of health: bringing compassionate care and sound health to patients, communities, the region, and populations across the world. On Wednesday, February 17, the gift of health and wellness was given back to the College, by David E. Asprinio, M.D., chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and professor of clinical orthopedic surgery, and the NYMC Board of Advisors, including Dr. Katzenstein and Dr. Kathleen Finzel. Their generous donations supported the building of the Dr. Edward F. and Mrs. Anna M. Asprinio Fitness Center, named for Dr. Asprinio’s parents.

NYMC faculty and staff smiling next to grand opening ribbon at the fitness center with row of treadmills in background

2016

First New Dental School in NY in Nearly 50 Years

Final state approval was received to establish the Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) at New York Medical College at 19 Skyline Drive. The TCDM includes a four-year pre-doctoral program for students and a continuing education program for practicing dentists. The TCDM houses a 132-chair community dental clinic focused on providing affordable and quality treatment to patients in local underserved communities.

Dental building covered with windows reflecting the blue sky and green trees and foliage

2016

All Roads Lead to... Progress

The pedestrian-friendly quarter-mile driveway opens, providing safe travel between 19 Skyline Drive, which houses NYMC offices and facilities as well as the new Touro College of Dental Medicine, to the main NYMC campus.

The quarter mile driveway with a sidewalk next to it and large trees with green and yellow leaves along it

2017

Nursing education continues

In keeping with NYMC’s proud tradition in nursing education, the Touro’s School of Health Sciences launches a new registered nurse (R.N.) to Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Nursing Program on the New York Medical College campus.

2018

Dental Clinic Opens

The Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College opens Touro Dental Health, a 32,000-square-foot facility where dental students will be trained and patients from the lower Hudson Valley, Westchester County, and the Metropolitan New York City area, receive comprehensive and affordable care.

Line of orange dental chairs along window in clinic with computers across from them

2019

The History of New York Medical College

Spearheaded by Edward C. Halperin, M.D., M.A., chancellor and CEO of New York Medical College, through the Office of Public Relations, published a book detailing the College’s rich history of excellence and diversity in medical education and heritage as one of the oldest and largest private health sciences institutions in the United States. It takes the reader on a journey through time - beginning with the College’s founding in 1860 through 2017.

Cover of The History of NYMC book with a photo of the exterior of an NYMC building

2019

Hales Lobby Gets Renovated

The freshly painted and carpeted space has been reconfigured to accommodate seating for 80 with a combination of couches, ottomans, tables, and chairs including high-tops and seating booths. In addition, the space was renovated to include 24 new electrical outlets and 20 USB outlets. The NYMC community can also utilize two new standalone charging stations with the capacity to charge eight phones each—one in the Hales Lobby and the other in the Health Sciences Library.

Hales lobby with gray carpet, large tables and booths with gray and red seating, and wall art with inspirational quote

2019

New York Medical College Opens Family Health Center

Located in the same building as the Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) at NYMC, the new health care center provides same day or walk-in appointments on Monday through Friday. The Family Health Center creates enriching education opportunities for the dental and medical students, improving patient outcomes and promoting the new model of dental health which recognizes the important link between dental and primary health.

NYMC faculty and administration smiling and excitedly holding large scissors to cut grand opening banner at the family health center grand opening event

2019

Bioinc@NYMC Celebrates Grand Opening of Expanded Space and Five-Year Anniversary

The expanded space allows the New York State-designated Innovation Hot Spot to incubate up to 20 additional companies at the forefront of medical innovation and provide tenants additional resources to support their growth. BioInc@NYMC previously occupied a 10,000-square-foot wing; the expansion added an additional 9,500 square feet to the incubator. BioInc’s additional space allows for new offices, conference rooms, shared-space desks, and collaboration/event space for seminars.

NYMC faculty smiling with grand opening ribbon at BioInc@NYMC grand opening event

2019

Health Science Library Opens A New Reading Room

The newly spacious area, formerly occupied by journal stacks, is now a designated quiet study space, filled with students enjoying the high ceilings, natural light, ergonomic seating, adjustable height workstations, spacious desks and seating booths with electrical and USB outlets throughout. The classrooms in the HSL as well as the Mark A. Novitch, M.D. ‘58, Computer Lab, were also appointed with new furniture.

Touro and NYMC faculty smiling with grand opening banner

2020

NYMC and TCUS Host Coronavirus Event

A couple months prior to COVID-19 arriving in the U.S., medical leadership from New York Medical College (NYMC) and the Touro College & University System hosted an event, “Coronavirus: What We Know, What We Don’t Know, What You Need to Know,” to educate clinical health care professionals, health care administrators, public health professionals, elected officials, and the media about the novel coronavirus. This would be the first of many.

Group of Touro and NYMC faculty smiling at Coronavirus event

2020

Early Graduates Enter the Fight Against COVID-19

On April 8, a month ahead of schedule, more than 100 students from the School of Medicine (SOM) Class of 2020 graduated early, beginning their medical careers early to provide much needed medical support to the over-taxed hospitals facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020

NYMC - MIT Team Develop Alternate Form of Ventilation

The inexpensive alternative for ventilation, which automates the standard manual process of squeezing by hand an emergency resuscitator bag or Ambu bag, obtained FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

Large medical team working with the alternate form of ventilation

2020

NYMC Becomes Backdrop for COVID-19 State Press Briefings

On two occasions, the Center for Disaster Medicine at New York Medical College is the backdrop for New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s daily press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic (May 11, 2020, and June 9, 2020).

Governor Cuomo doing press briefing at NYMC with NYMC logo in background, an American flag, and a NYS flag

2020

New York Medical College Announces Breakthrough Patent

New York Medical College (NYMC) and Touro College and University System (TCUS) announce patent #10,709,883, issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a revolutionary new bandage using Nano technology that releases antibiotics, antiseptics, and other pathogen killing ingredients from a series of nano cells on the bandage while almost instantaneously drawing out dead material and secretions from the wound, leaving the wound cleaner and drier.

2020

New Holographic Patent Combined With 5G Wi-Fi Announced

NYMC granted a new patent, #10,863,274, in holographic Wi-Fi transmission to be used in several areas of medical imaging, education and telemedicine, as well as commercial applications in industrial markets and the entertainment industry.

2021

NYMC Unveils 2021-2026 Strategic Plan

After a year-long community-wide planning process, New York Medical College (NYMC) has unveiled its 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, including revised mission, vision, and values statements.

Strategic plan 2021-2026 cover featuring exterior of NYMC building and students working with chemicals in lab

2021

NYMC Commences Aggressive Energy Performance Project

NYMC embarks on a 14-month long campus-wide energy performance project as part of its ongoing GreenNYMC initiative to promote sustainability and environmental protection.

Green NYMC logo with caduceus made of leaves

2021

Limited supply of COVID-19 Vaccines Arrive

The NYMC Family Health Center was among the first approximately 50 medical practices across seven counties in the Hudson Valley to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

NYMC staff member administering COVID vaccine

2021

NYMC Forms Academic Affiliation in Rhode Island

New York Medical College and Landmark Medical Center in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, announce an academic affiliation designating the hospital as a teaching site for the education of NYMC’s graduate medical students.

Main entrance of Landmark medical center. Multi-story building with red brick exterior

2021

NYMC published Pandemic Perspectives

As the novel coronavirus hit New York in early March of 2020, NYMC’s faculty physicians, scientists and health care professionals experts, shared their commentary on topics ranging from public health, vaccines, bioethics and religious values, politics and COVID-19’s impact on businesses and the economy. Pandemic Perspectives is a compilation of best-in-class editorials written by experts at NYMC who, amidst one of the most chaotic times in recent history, mastered the art of editorial writing to provide the public with accurate information and insight.

2022

Health Sciences Library Named

On May 23, 2022, the Health Sciences Library was officially renamed the Phillip Capozzi, M.D., Library, after a generous gift from Philip D. Capozzi, M.D. ’96.

Dr. Kadish, Philip D. Capozzi, and Edward C. Halperin smiling under the library's sign

2022

Lovelace Affiliates with Touro/NYMC

On August 8, 2022, Lovelace Research Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, joins Touro University and New York Medical College (NYMC). Founded in 1947, Lovelace is one of the oldest not-for-profit biomedical research institutes in the U.S. noted for excellence in respiratory disease and neuroscience research, toxicology, drug development experience, as well as chemical, biological, and nuclear research.

Dr. Kadish and the CEO of Lovelace Research Institute, Robert W. Rubin, smiling together at a table while signing the documents for Lovelace to join Touro and NYMC

2022

Touro Granted University Status

Touro College in New York State has been granted university status by the New York State Board of Regents. This comes as Touro celebrates its 50th anniversary and begins rolling out a new brand for all institutions in the Touro University System starting in December of that year.

2022

GSBMS Name Change

At the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, the Graduate School of Basic Medical Sciences became the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in a name change approved by the College’s Board of Trustees. The new title provides a more accurate representation of a student body engaged in the academic and research activities that drive today’s biomedical research and funding, guided by values of excellence, intellectual curiosity, diversity, and inclusion.

2023

60 Years of graduate biomedical education

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences celebrates its “diamond anniversary” 60th year.

2023

New M.P.H. Generalist Program

The School of Health Sciences and Practice opened the Spring 2023 semester with a new Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Generalist Program. The program, which involves less time and cost, enables students to customize their education according to their interests and needs, while gaining a broad grounding in public health and expert knowledge in the core competency areas.

2023

SHSP Clinical Departments Merge

The School of Health Sciences and Practice created the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, comprised of the Division of Physical Therapy and Division of Speech-Language Pathology.

2023

Women in STEM

The Women’s Institute for Science Entrepreneurship (WISE) at New York Medical College (NYMC) was created to support women innovators in cultivating new scientific concepts and launching new businesses to make an impact in their communities and the world. It was established with an $825,000 award sponsored by U.S. Senator from NY Kirsten Gillibrand and appropriated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Scientific and Technical Research Services.

2023

Laboratory Renovations in the Basic Sciences Building Are Completed

Renovations transform the lab into a more innovative and collaborative space. Upgrades include tables designed to withstand vibrations, a shared enclave of protective fume hoods, enhanced lighting, and modular furniture to design custom layouts, specifically tailored to each lab’s investigations, as well as an open floor plan to help facilitate collaboration among researchers.

2024

SLP Inaugural White Coat Ceremony

On April 1, 2024, in a momentous occasion, the speech-language pathology (SLP) program held its first white coat ceremony for students as they begin their time in clinic.

Group of SLP students standing in auditorium during white coat ceremony

2024

NYMC Forms Academic Affiliation in Arizona

On April 11, 2024, NYMC forms a new academic affiliation with Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) in Yuma, Arizona, designating the hospital as a teaching site for the training and education of NYMC’s School of Medicine students training in internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, and surgery.

Main entrance of YRMC. Modern design with lots of windows and shrubbery outside