Mordechai Caplan, a fourth-year student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, hadn’t seen a doctor for two years when he made his first appointment at the Student Health Clinic, which opened nearly a year ago at 1180 Morris Park Avenue, just a few blocks from campus. He grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and once he started medical school it was hard enough to travel to see his primary care doctor. Then his doctor retired.
Caplan looked for a new physician, but the wait for an appointment was typically several months. Given his busy and somewhat unpredictable schedule, especially once clerkships started, committing to an appointment so far in advance was a big barrier—too big to overcome, in fact.
“I wasn't getting the proper care that I needed, following up on things and addressing my health concerns,” Caplan says. “In the meantime, I was telling patients, you really need to see your primary care doctor at least once a year, maybe every six months depending on your health. I felt like I wasn’t being honest in that I wasn’t practicing what I was preaching.”
Then he found out about the Student Health Clinic, which offers both morning and afternoon appointments, five days a week. It was easy to book a visit by phone or online using MyChart, and he was able to schedule just a week in advance.
“It really put my mind at ease to get some blood work done and make sure I'm still in good health after all the stresses of medical school,” he says. “If the clinic didn’t exist, I definitely would still not have seen a doctor.”
Addressing an unmet need
Darlene LeFrancois, MD, was on vacation in the summer of 2023 when she received an unexpected call. Julia Arnsten, MD, chief of the division of general internal medicine, had a high-priority assignment: Albert Einstein College of Medicine was launching a much-needed student health clinic. Would Dr. LeFrancois agree to be its first clinician?
Dr. Anwar with Eva Pabafikos, practice manager for our 1180 Morris Park Avenue location, home to the Student Health Clinic as well as weight management, endocrinology, and nephrology services for all patients.
“I had to do it,” Dr. LeFrancois says. “These are students who are devoting their lives to caring for others or to the health sciences. It was a no-brainer. Of course, they need to have healthcare themselves.”
Since its opening on August 23, 2023, the clinic has filled an important gap, serving medical, PhD, and postdoctoral students, and their spouses. Many students come from far enough away that it would be impossible for them to receive routine care from their physician at home. Some have chronic conditions that require regular visits and coordination with a specialist.
“Our students have many different medical concerns and before the clinic was here, they often had difficulty finding the right location or getting an appointment,” says Muhammad Jahanzaib Anwar, MD, medical director of student health and an assistant professor in the division of general internal medicine. “Having this clinic, right next to campus, makes it possible for students to take care of themselves so they can focus on their studies. I think of our job as caring for them as they prepare to take care of others.”
Dr. Anwar joined the practice full-time on December 1, 2023, after being recruited by Yaron Tomer, MD, dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The two met while Dr. Anwar was a resident at the Wakefield campus, working together on a weekend during the height of the first wave of the COVID pandemic. Dr. Tomer recognized in Dr. Anwar a gifted “people person” whose talents would be well-suited to caring for our students.
Having this clinic, right next to campus, makes it possible for students to take care of themselves so they can focus on their studies.
Dr. Muhammad Jahanzaib Anwar, medical director of student health and assistant professor in the division of general internal medicine
The clinic has been an enormous success. Practice manager Eva Pabafikos oversees a team of six nurses, three front desk staff, and seven secretaries including Itisha Habersham, a dedicated team member who answers calls from students and helps them with appointments, follow-ups, and routing questions for the care team.
While the administrative and nursing team also sees the practice’s other patients, including those seeking care for endocrinology, nephrology, and weight management concerns, caring for the students gives them special pride.
“We're very proud to support the next generation of doctors and help provide them with the best care,” says Pabafikos. “Our goal is for our students to feel comfortable coming here, and feel heard and understood. We always try to go above and beyond to connect students with follow-up care and make sure they have everything they need. We find available subspecialists and even help them get appointments. Before they leave here, we close any loops.”
Wearing two hats at once
Caring for students also provides a unique teaching opportunity, says Dr. LeFrancois, whose primary focus has been education during her 30 years at Montefiore Einstein. “Teaching and mentoring and coaching our amazing medical students has always been second nature to me in terms of what I value in medicine,” she says. “Another wonderful thing about caring for our students is that they're learning a lot about their own health. Generally throughout my career I will wear one of two hats, clinician or educator. Usually I'm taking one off before I put on the other. When I'm at the clinic, it's a unique situation in that I'm wearing half of each hat at the same time.”
She has been known to print out New England Journal of Medicine articles for her student patients. “That is a first for me in my 30 years of practicing medicine in the Bronx,” she says. “I get to tell them, ‘Here is an amazing paper reviewing the pathophysiology and some of the basic science behind your condition, and there’s also a nice table on treatments and what problems they'll address.’ Students are lapping up that education.”
Besides providing care first and foremost, both physicians are also living examples of doctor-patient relationships. “Students need encouragement and role models,” says Dr. Anwar. “It’s helpful to have someone who is not their professor and see how we are interacting with them as patients, and even how our careers have progressed. In some ways this role is a new direction for me. I hope my example shows students they can pursue anything they want within medicine.”
Dr. Anwar attended medical school in his native Pakistan. He is Muslim and his husband is Jewish and they enjoy gardening together during their time off. His openness about his own life and career helps build instant rapport with his student patients.
“We hardly spoke about my health,” says Caplan. “Obviously he addressed all my concerns, but I felt he was interested in getting to know me as a person and trying to understand how my health fit into my day-to-day life.”
Caplan continues, “Whenever a medical student meets a doctor, we are always looking for things we can emulate. I think of Dr. Anwar almost as a friend, after just one visit. As a primary care doctor that’s an invaluable skill. While I’m not planning to pursue primary care—I’m hoping to eventually become a trauma surgeon—that’s a quality I'd love to bring to my patient care in the future.”
Posted on: Friday, July 12, 2024