Happy New Year! 2026 has arrived! I hope you all had a chance to relax and restore over the holiday break. My holiday included lots of cooking and baking….and of course, eating! There was some shoveling involved, too.
A new year provides an opportunity to reflect on the past year. My prompt this year was, “What brought you energy that you could do a little more of in 2026?” Think about it and make a choice to be good to yourself and celebrate your best habits and how to grow them.
The first-year students are busy this week in the Teaching Kitchen learning about Food is Medicine. Lots to learn in how we can use food to help our patients and ourselves to be healthier. Here are some photos:
Following the safety measures put in placeat the end of fall semester, all buildings on the Case Western Reserve University campus will remain card-access only using valid CWRU IDs until further notice.
There still have been no threats against or security concerns at our university; however, we are evaluating our safety measures to ensure our campus is as safe as possible for our entire community.
As a reminder, building access is available as follows:
Academic buildings: All faculty, staff and student IDs will work in every academic building.
Administrative buildings: ID card access will be limited to those who work within each specific administrative building. Those needing access to additional buildings for business purposes should coordinate in advance with their colleagues in these buildings.
Please know that this move may cause some access issues; please call the CWRU Police non-emergency number at 216.368.3300 or contact a nearby police or security officer if you need assistance gaining access to a building.
As a reminder, do not:
prop interior or exterior doors at any time,
hold an outside door open for strangers, or
allow strangers to “piggyback” on your access card.
Curriculum
Attention M1/M2s - Summer Electives
M1s can choose to gain extra clinical experience through one of two summer electives-- The Svec Family Summer Community Service Scholarship or the Leroy Rodgers Summer Fellowship. The Svec program includes full time work at The Centers, a local Federally Qualified Health Center, rotating through departments such as Primary Care, Behavioral Health, and Quality Improvement. In the Leroy Rogers program, students are matched with a Family Physician to get an in-depth experience of the breadth of care provided by Family Docs. Both programs provide financial incentives for participation. Applications and additional information for each program were sent by email on 12/11/25, and more information will be provided at the M1 class meeting on 1/21/26.
Student Affairs & Wellbeing
Non-Clinical Career Series in January/February
The Office of Student Affairs is hosting a Non-Clinical Career Series in January/February. The goal of this series is to help you explore the variety of non-clinical careers available to you. We have planned this series based on your topic preferences (thank you for your feedback)! Also, we are still in the process of finalizing a few sessions and will update the sign-up sheet once they are confirmed.
All sessions will be recorded for those who cannot attend. The recordings will be posted both in Elentra and on the sign-up sheet.
As a reminder, please RSVP to the calendar invite at least one week in advance to receive food. The calendar invite is sent out after you submit the Google Form. We want to provide food for everyone who plans on attending, and this helps us order accordingly. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
As you may know, several students attended a SOM SNAP Town Hall on Tuesday Dec 16, 2025. The purpose was to better understand the process of addressing food insecurity - especially among students. In case you missed it, you can find the recording here.
Attention M1/M2s - Near-Peer Tutors
In the New Year, we'd like to remind you of the support Near-Peer Tutors are able to provide. Consider joining our weekly content review or MCQs sessions, hosted both in person and virtually. Sign up for an individual session for targetted content support. Our next Study-a-Thon will be hosted on January 31st, as M1s prepare for their Block 3 exams. Come study at the HEC, with a coffee shop vibe, therapy pups, and crafts.
GET READY! Annual Cultural & Wellbeing Week
SOM’s Annual Cultural & Wellbeing Week (formerly Diversity Week + Wellness Week) is coming up! Your fellow students (multiple interest groups, affinity groups, and CSE3G) have been working hard to plan a bunch of fun and engaging stuff - movie nights, game nights, dinners, lunch & learns, crafts, and more - happening January 12–16, 2026. Take a look at the schedule of events to check out the opportunities.
To help us order the right amount of food, please RSVP for the events you’re planning to attend. Each event will have food, and your RSVP really helps us make sure we have enough (without ordering way too much or running out).
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.
Spring 2026 Loan Disbursement and Tuition Billing Dates
Please visit the SOM Financial Aid Website for upcoming Spring 2026 loan disbursement and tuition billing dates. For more assistance, the SOM Office of Financial Aid can be reached directly at medfinancialaid@case.edu, 216.368.3666, or by visiting our office in the HEC, Suite 111.
Research
CWRU SOM Affiliation & Logo
We know you are publishing and presenting great work. Please make sure you are listing your affiliation with CWRU SOM and including the SOM logo on your publications and presentations! You should always list the SOM as your affiliation, no matter where your mentor is affiliated. If your research advisor wants you to also list their affiliation as your own, you may do so, but in ADDITION, not in substitution for CWRU SOM.
Getting CWRU’s name out into the world helps us all! Download the SOM Logo Slides here.
Health Sciences Library
Lunch & Learn with a Librarian - Navigating Open Access Author Agreements at CWRU
Everyone likes to save on Open Access fees, right? Join the CHSL on Wednesday, January 14, 12:15 PM to 12:45 PM in exploring the agreements that the campus libraries have in place to save you Open Access Publishing Fees. Register today.
Opportunities & Events
Call for Nominations: 2026 Tom Mettee, MD Foundations of Clinical Medicine Award for exceptional contributions in teaching and mentoring.
Applications are due no later than Friday, February 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Over the past 12 years, the School of Medicine has six times given The Tom Mettee, MD Foundations of Clinical Medicine Award for exceptional contributions in teaching and mentoring to a physician that we have felt deserving of this to honor Dr. Tom Mettee. It is a biennial award that involves a committee of faculty, students, and staff to review individuals recommended for consideration typically presented at the Annual Education Retreat for Medical Education.
Nominees must be CWRU faculty clinicians who work with Case Medical Students in outpatient clinical setting(s) in the pre-clerkship years, and who demonstrate exceptional contributions in teaching and mentoring as exemplified by Dr. Mettee. Students, faculty, and staff may submit nominations. The selection committee will include a minimum of two students and two non-nominated faculty. Review the award criteria in the application.
PLEASE NOTE - only applications from CWRU program Classes of 2026, 2027, 2028 + MSTP Students will be considered.
Staff Spotlight
Dawn Reid, Assistant Director, Student Affairs
Dawn has been with CWRU SOM for 17.5 years, starting in June 2008 as an Office Manager in the Office of Curricular Affairs. In November 2024, she advanced to her current position as Assistant Director in the Office of Student Affairs and her kindness and welcoming demeanor is matched perfectly with the Student Affairs family.
About her role, Dawn says… “to name just a few 'top' things, I serve as Molly’s right-hand in supporting our students and programs. I help coordinate and deliver class meetings and collaborate with teams on major SOM events—including Orientation, Graduation Awards & Graduation, and the Student Clinician Ceremony. I also work closely with faculty and administrative colleagues to support the efforts of the Wellbeing Committee. The best part about my job is absolutely the students—they mean so much to me. And right alongside them is my incredible work family. I’m so grateful for the team I get to work with every day.”
An experience that reflects her approach to her work and the OSA culture… "On one of my first days, Dr. Azok told me she hoped I was a hugger because there’s a lot of hugging in OSA. That moment showed me what this place is all about. Since then, I’ve witnessed countless hugs given right when someone needed it—often before they even realized it themselves. It reflects my own approach to work: leading with care, support, and connection, just as our OSA culture does every day."
Dawn was born and raised on the west side of Cleveland and currently lives in Middleburg Heights. Her family includes her husband, their three daughters (she's both a girl mama and a twin mama!), and their boy pup. She's always been very involved in her kids’ schooling as a PTA mom and in their activities as a cheer and basketball mom. Family is everything to Dawn.
A few fun facts about her:
- She and her family are diehard Notre Dame fans.
- She fangirls Kate Middleton, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales.
- She's never met a potato she didn’t like.
- She loves sunflowers—they’ve been very symbolic throughout her life.
- Her favorite color is orange, even though it’s not the most popular choice. If you’re an orange fan too, let her know!
As a longtime New Kids on the Block fan—especially of Donnie Wahlberg—Dawn needs to get to Wahlburgers (downtown) for a meal. She still hasn’t been and it's been open for years!!! It’s definitely on her bucket list!
Dawn is definitely not an early bird - "I’d hit the snooze button 100 times if it were allowed. I’m much more of a night owl, happily binge-watching my shows after the kids go to bed… and then paying for it the next morning!"
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Dr. Marcus Germany (Geiger Society Dean) and his wife, Kiara. They have a baby boy due June 10th.
