Medical Education News - All MD Student Edition

Tuesday march 3, 2026
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1. Message from Vice Dean Logio
2. Student Affairs & Wellbeing
3. Curriculum
4. Financial Aid
5. Research
6. Health Sciences Library
7. Events & Opportunities

Dear Students:

Happy March! March Madness, while it usually refers to the NCAA basketball tournament, in Cleveland, it means the weather can be ANYTHING for the whole month. Sometimes it will feel like spring and other times it will feel like winter. Let’s hope for more spring days than winter days.

Two quick things to share with you. First, medical schools have an obligation to protect your privacy, including your health information. One of the ways in which this is done is to not “mix” your personal physicians with doctors who serve as your teachers. We have recently launched a module for the faculty to remind them that if they are your teacher, they should not be a provider of your clinical care. I wanted to make sure you were also aware of this requirement. Please don’t ask your teachers to provide you with medical advice or prescriptions. Your privacy should be upheld for any personal health care needs and not mixed with your learning space.

The second issue is related to something brought up by the third year students about bias in the clinical environment that comes from patients. Patients can be overtly discriminatory toward members of their care team. There are some published strategies on how to manage these issues including Upstander (or Bystander) Training. Here are some important phrases to consider in these situations:

• Everyone on your patient care team is a highly trained professional and we are all working together to take care of you.
• Before we continue, I need to let you know that the language you are using about my colleague is not appropriate
• Patients and family are part of the care team too, and we expect all members to behave with civility and respect toward others.

In 2021, a team from CWRU (including students who have now graduated) released an iBook on this topic if you seek more information (best viewed on an iPad).

And finally, we are officially changing the name of the Andrew B. Kaufman World Medicine Pathway to the Andrew B Kaufman Global Health Pathway!
 

Match day is Friday, March 20^th in the HEC Atrium. We can’t wait to celebrate with our senior students!!

LL

Know Your Rights Training

Know Your Rights Training (Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights x Ohio Student Association) is offered to learn how to best respond to ICE on campus and in the community.

When: Wednesday, March 4, 5-7 PM. Dinner will be provided

Where: Excelsior Ballroom, Thwing Student Center, 11111 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106

Register on Campus Groups

Please help us identify and Food insecurity at the HEC

Health Professions students nationwide have reported experiencing food insecurity, meaning they worry that their food supply will not last through the month. Please help us understand the extent of food insecurity on our Health Education Campus and identify opportunities to address this need. We would greatly appreciate it if you can take the HEC Food Security Survey 2026 - it is anonymous, voluntary, and it is not research. The survey can also be accessed by scanning the QR Code:

Wellbeing Wednesdays

Check out the Wellbeing Wednesday activities for March.

Want to get involved with promoting engagement and wellbeing?  Email  SOM-Wellbeing@case.edu to join the Office of Student Affairs - Student Engagement and Wellbeing student committees.

Follow us on Instagram @cwru_medwellbeing.

Attention M2s: Important Dates for Clerkships

The clerkship team would like to share some important dates: 

Monday, May 4th from 8:00am-12:00pm in HEC 176: Required M3 Clerkship Orientation. All students must attend, including those who will not be starting a rotation on that day.

Wednesday, April 15: Clerkship courses will be available in Elentra.

Financial Wellness Tip

Develop a “treatment plan” for your financial health by attending AAMC webinars for tips on budgeting, loan forgiveness, and loan repayment programs. 

Watch AAMC webinars anytime in our Debt Management: A Money Matters Course!

M4’s - Getting ready for Residency

As you get ready for residency, now is a great time to focus on your finances. The School of Medicine Financial Aid Office offers resources and webinars on topics such as home financing, filing taxes, loan repayment strategies, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

For event details and registration, please see the announcement in the Debt Management Course on Canvas. 

Tax Season is Approaching!

Check out our Medical Student Tax Preparations guide in the Debt Management: A Money Matters Course for helpful student tax information and resources.

Funded Opportunities for M1s

There are many funded opportunities for M1s during their required research. Check out the R&S Resources page of the Research and Scholarship Elentra site for details on programs in aging, GI, and cancer and funding opportunities in surgery, public health and a variety of other areas. Students can also search in the funded projects database to view opportunities outside of Cleveland.

Student Travel Fund

Did you know that the School of Medicine offers a travel fund to support CWRU School of Medicine students in presenting their research, scholarship, or QI findings at professional conferences? If you are attending a research conference this academic year as a first author or presenter, consider applying for this fund to help defray travel expenses. Visit the SOM Funding & Forms site to learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply. 

Lunch & Learn with a Librarian: Enhance Your Systematic Review Process with Covidence

Join us during your lunch break via zoom to explore Covidence, a systematic review management tool. An overview of its core functionality, and how your team can use it to manage and streamline your systematic review process will be discussed.

• Date: Wed, March 11, 2026 
• Time: 12:30 - 1:00 PM 

Register here

Daniel Lewis Ravin Award - DEADLINE MARCH 6 at 5:00 PM

OPPA Poster & Conference Opportunities for Students - SUBMISSION DEADLINE MARCH 4

The Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association (OPPA), in partnership with the Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Foundation (OPPF), is pleased to offer several exciting opportunities designed for medical students to showcase scholarship, expand professional networks, and engage with leaders in psychiatry.

1. Submit a Poster Abstract - Deadline March 4

Medical Students are invited to submit an abstract for consideration for on-site poster display at the OPPA Annual Psychiatric Update. This is an excellent opportunity to highlight your research, clinical innovation, or scholarly work while sharing insights gained throughout the research process. Posters should present content through a thoughtful combination of visuals and text with engaging commentary.

• Poster Display Event: OPPA Annual Psychiatric Update (April 18–19, 2026)
• Submission Deadline: MARCH 4, 2026
• Poster criteria: Click here for full guidelines

2. Attend the OPPA Annual Psychiatric Update

OPPF is pleased to once again offer student sponsorships to attend the 2026 OPPA Annual Psychiatric Update on April 18-19 at the Hilton Polaris in Columbus. Sponsorship recipients will receive complimentary registration and have the opportunity to sit with a mentor for the educational event. This is a great opportunity to gain additional exposure into psychiatry, to interact with and be mentored by current professionals and receive cutting-edge psychiatric education. For further details and to request a sponsorship, simply go online to register.

This year’s theme, Bridging Worlds: The Art and Science of Modern Psychiatry, will explore cutting-edge developments in clinical care, neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and advocacy—connecting emerging research with the real-world challenges of modern psychiatric practice. Attendees will benefit from dynamic presentations, networking opportunities, and meaningful collaboration with colleagues from across Ohio.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Michelle Mazza, OPPA/OPPF Executive Assistant, at oppf@oppa.org.

Sears think[box] Embedded AI Microgrants 

Interested in bringing AI off the screen and into the real world? Sears think[box] is offering embedded AI microgrants to support students building AI-powered physical devices using sensors, cameras, microphones, and more! 

Choose from curated hardware options (ESP32-S3, Raspberry Pi 5, or NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano) based on your experience level and project goals.

Other highlights:

• Receive funding & hardware (and keep what you build)
• Get $50 in think[box] materials credit to purchase project materials
• Build a portfolio-ready project
• Apply solo or as a small team
• Open to all enrolled CWRU students (grad and undergrad)
• No prior AI experience required!

Applications open: Feb 1

Final report due: April 10

Optional showcase: April 17

Learn more and apply

UH Global Grand Rounds

Mar 10, 2026 12:00 PM via Zoom

Matthew Bonds, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Co-Founder & Scientific Director, PIVOT

Register today

Dr. Bonds is Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Co-Founder & Scientific Director of PIVOT, which partners with Madagascar’s government to strengthen health systems serving over 200,000 people. Holding dual PhDs in economics and disease ecology, his research explores the ecology of poverty and health system transformation. His work has been supported by the NIH, James S. McDonnell Foundation, and Mulago Foundation.

Is Sport Medicine Your Thing? Partner with the Cleveland Browns and UH!

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has an exciting opportunity to participate in a partnership with two hometown heroes: University Hospitals and the Cleveland Browns. The NFL, NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) and Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) are committed to expanding access to sports medicine and launched a program in 2022 to encourage medical students from a variety of backgrounds to consider sports medicine careers. This exciting opportunity is for 3rd or 4th year medical students interested in primary care/sports medicine and/or orthopedic surgery, so keep it mind as you consider your 3rd and 4th years! You will work directly with and under the supervision of a multidisciplinary team of clinicians to gain basic medical knowledge and exposure to patient care in sports medicine. The student will spend approximately one month (preferably during NFL training camp, mid/late July through mid/late August) observing and participating in the day-to-day interactions and care of players/patients with the team athletic training staff. 

With questions, please feel free to reach out to Phillip Rowland-Seymour at par77@case.edu.

2026 Jerry Kowal Student Scholarship - Accepting Applications

The Ohio Geriatrics Society wishes to announce that applications for the 2026 Jerry Kowal Student Scholarship are currently being accepted. This award is to be granted to a medical student, PharmD candidate, physical therapy, occupational therapy, audiology, speech therapy, physician assistant, or nursing/nurse practitioner student who is interested in attending the 2026 American Geriatrics Society National Scientific Meeting being held this year, Virtual platform. Two scholarships are to be awarded. Please complete the application and send to Himika Dalia, hdalia@metrohealth.org, by the deadline of March 31, 2026. Awards will be announced on April 10, 2026.

Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio (AMCNO)

At over 200 years old, and with more than 7,200 members, the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio (AMCNO) is one of the largest and oldest regional medical societies in the country.  We are looking for medical student leaders and physicians-in-training to join our fifth inaugural class of the Future Leaders Council.

The AMCNO Future Leaders Council is dedicated to empowering our medical student, resident and fellow members with educational, leadership and networking opportunities. It will be a collaborative group of young leaders wanting to make an impact on AMCNO’s work and on our community’s health. Future Leaders Council members can make the difference they want to see in medicine and develop a career that is both enjoyable and helpful to them as they grow into the professional leaders they want to be.

Members of the Future Leaders Council will sit on AMCNO committees, ensuring that the voice of tomorrow’s physicians is included in all levels of our work. Their objectives will be to influence policy at the local, state and national levels, while also learning the skills necessary to be physician leaders and advocates. 

Interested applicants should fill out the application by March 1, 2026.  AMCNO membership is free for medical students, residents and fellows during all years of your training. If you have questions, please contact  JJohns@amcno.org. 

We Love our Future Alumni Event!

The Health Sciences Alumni Relations Teams invite all students to join them for hot cocoa and cookies on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 from 11:30am to 1:00pm, Samson Pavilion, 1st Floor. Learn more about the We Love our Future Alumni Event.

Medical Brigade Registration is Live!

Academic Medicine Call for Cover Art

The AAMC peer-reviewed journal Academic Medicine is accepting submissions for theirCover Art feature until March 16. Accepted Cover Art will be published online in Academic Medicine starting in late 2026 and throughout 2027! Learn more about the requirements and submission process.

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