Recent Activities
On 6/4/25
McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society Mentoring and Community Affairs Committees joined the School District 29 Annual Health and Wellness Fair 2025, in Queens NY
On June 04, 2025, the McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society participated in the 2025 School District 29 Annual Health and Wellness Fair that took place at PS 33/Edward M. Funk Elementary School, located at 91-37 222nd Street, Queens Village, NY. The fair promotes healthy lives through community engagement and education.
It was eagerly awaited and strongly supported by the local residents, since well before the beginning of the program, the school auditorium was filled to capacity with both students and parents.
The fair was launched by the lead organizer, Ms. Karen Reid, family support coordinator Jordan Nichols, Community Superintendent Crystal Bond, and Deputy Superintendent Dr Melissa Vaughan. Then, R.A. Wholeness led the audience into a session of meditation and movement through yoga and breathing exercises.
The program provided fun entertainment for the children in the Kid’s Zone with music, dancing and tasty treats. However, the thrust of the event was to provide health education and open the students to all available opportunities in the Healthcare fields.
Members of the McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society and a team from Northwell Health (including the STARRS Physical Therapy program, Cohen's Children Medical Center, Northwell Center for Gun Violence Prevention) were at hand to engage both students and all family members.
The McCune Smith- Cordice Medical Society was represented by Louis Auguste, MD, MPH (Surgical oncology), James Satterfield, MD, MS, MBA (General Surgery), Monique Defour Jones , MD, MS, MBA, Lorraine Williams, MD, Francine Hippolyte, MD, Carmen Rodriguez, MD and Alan Toles, MD (Obstetrics and Gynecology), Roosevelt Clerisme, MD, Louis Belzie, MD, MPH, Daniella Belzie, MD, Guitelle St Victor, MD (Psychiatry), Gardith Joseph, MD (Oncology) , Sonya Ventour, MD (Gastro-Enterology), Daniel Laroche, MD (Ophthalmology), Anthony Joseph, MD (Nephrology).
They brought organ models and patient information literature.
The pre-teen schoolers were fascinated to learn about the different functions of the human body and how they can be affected by disease. At the same time, they were provided with advice and counseling about how they can also achieve a successful career in health care. The parents also expressed great interest in all the ways to achieve and maintain wellness.
Overall, it was an incredibly rewarding experience to connect with the students and community at large. Knowledge is Power and the McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society is pleased to play its part in empowering all our communities toward achieving better health and for the younger generation to achieve all their potentials and beyond.
On 3/21/25
On March 21, 2025, the McCune Smith Cordice Medical Society’s Mentoring Committee had the privilege of visiting two schools for Career Day, engaging with students, and sparking their interest in the medical field.
Dr. Toles visited PS 118 in Queens. He did an outstanding job connecting with students and sharing insights about a career in medicine. Dr Toles grew up playing in PS118 and still lives in the neighborhood. It was a very special day for Dr Toles and the students.
Meanwhile, Drs. Sonya Ventour, Guitelle St Victor, Stephanie Buck-Haskins, Michele Germain, and Carmen Rodriguez visited John W. Dodd Middle School in Freeport. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, as the enthusiasm and curiosity in the students' faces filled everyone's hearts. Their thoughtful and eloquent questions reaffirmed our belief in the immense talent among the students.
The doctors went to different classrooms and ran sessions of 30-40 minutes for classes of 20-25 students. The doctors spoke to their journey from middle school, High school to college, medical school, and residency. Thereafter they answered questions like-
How long did it take you to get to where you are?, Did you have to study hard?, What advice would you give to a middle school student who wants to work in your field? How does your work affect your family or personal life? What is a typical day at work for you?
Other questions came from the models and scenarios used in the presentations.
Dr Buck-Haskins and Dr Germain remained together featuring a large size pelvis with a well-formed baby in the uterus. They discussed pregnancy and fetal development.
The students were engaged and asked about premature birth and causes of it, twin delivery and what happens with a large a baby. Other questions included what is the smallest baby and largest baby delivered ? what are the causes of Cesarean section vs vaginal delivery? what happens when the water breaks?
Dr St Victor brought a large plastic brain model and presented details of the different parts of the brain ( cortex, hindbrain, and inner brain ) and their functions. She had a picture of a neuron and synapse and explained where medications work and how drugs and alcohol can affect the brain.
She explained different mental illnesses
The student questions were amazing questions like: what is the difference between bipolar disorder and borderline personality ?
Dr Ventour opened up with having the students pronounce the word Gastroenterologist . They had lots of questions about colonoscopy, who should do it and why. Lots of laughter regarding bowel movements and gas . They discussed effects of spina bifida on bowel function and what is Crohn’s disease.
Several students expressed interest in Gastroenterology. Some students were taking notes during her presentation. She showed models and posters of the intestinal system as well as instruments used for evaluation.
Dr Rodriguez presented in English and Spanish. She used a model to teach suturing techniques during gynecological surgery and showed pictures of different benign tumors of the uterus and ovaries like fibroids and cysts. Many inquisitive questions and interest in the instruments and surgeries as well as the pictures.
It was a successful event.
On 2/25/25
Meet and Greet/Day in the Life Simulation with doctors from the MCSC Medical Society mentoring committee presented a unique opportunity for students of School District 29 of Queens to learn firsthand about the career journeys, daily responsibilities, and educational pathways of professionals in the healthcare industry.
During this meeting, students gained a deeper understanding of the healthcare environment, asked
questions, and interacted with doctors about their work. It was a fantastic opportunity of exploration into potential careers in medicine and they gained insights into what a day in the life of a healthcare professional looks like.
03-04-25
The mentoring committee event 03-04-25
Collaborated with medical students from the ZSOM
LMSA-Latino Medical student Association and the SNMA -students of National Medical association for a day of immersion into medicine at The Donald and Barbara Zucker School Of Medicine (ZSOM).
The D-29 students experienced a meet and greet with ZSOM students and McSCMS physicians and then had a tour of the school premises and were able to participate in lectures and hands-on activities thru different stations medical stations - They rotated thru Dermatology , Cardiology, neurology and sonography. They were engaged and excited.
Lunch was served and then a mentoring session with medical students ,McSCMS physicians and members of the ZSOM DEI office. Then closing remarks and a farewell goodie bags were distributed.
