Duquesne, AHN Partner to Educate Next Generation of Physician Leaders

AHN will welcome initially approximately 20 of COM’s medical students, growing to a cohort of approximately 40 third- and 40 fourth-year students over the next three years. Students will complete clinical rotations in emergency medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, geriatric medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, psychiatry and surgery.  
 
In addition, students may pursue elective rotations across more than 50 accredited medical/surgical programs and subspecialties. They will also have the opportunity to work alongside the nearly 600 physician trainees within AHN’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program.
 
Duquesne welcomed its first class of medical students last July. As part of its mission to provide horizon-expanding excellence in medical education, the school’s curriculum is specially designed to train health care leaders to address health care disparities and primary care gaps in communities where the need is greatest.
 
“We are excited to add AHN as a clinical partner that will help provide students with the expertise and hands-on experience they will need in the field,” said Dr. John Kauffman, founding dean of the COM. “The partnership is a great example of two Pittsburgh organizations working together to help meet the health care needs of the region, and especially of people living in underserved areas.”
 
AHN has a long-standing commitment to training future physicians as part of its robust undergraduate and graduate medical education programs. It has trained thousands of doctors who have gone on to care for patients around the world.
 
“We are so pleased to collaborate with Duquesne to help shape the future of health care in our region and beyond,” said James B. Reilly, MD, MS, FACP, AHN’s senior vice president of academic affairs. “This partnership will play a crucial role in developing a highly skilled physician workforce, while enhancing AHN’s ability to continue to attract and retain the best medical professionals.”
 
In the coming months, AHN will establish a COM clinical site leadership team, appoint a regional assistant dean, and recruit a diverse and experienced clinical faculty across multiple specialties.

AHN faculty members holding key leadership roles within the college to date include Alicia Kaplan, MD, AHN psychiatrist and medical director of the Center for Adult Anxiety & OCD and Matthew Poremba, DO, FACEP, AHN emergency medicine physician and medical director of LifeFlight. Dr. Kaplan is serving as the school’s division chief of psychiatry, while Dr. Poremba is serving as its division chief of emergency medicine.

The COM arrives at a critical time as the number of physicians in the region has declined in recent years while the need for health services continues to grow, says Dr. Amber Fedin, associate dean for clinical affairs and associate professor of family medicine at the COM. She adds that the college has created similar partnerships with hospitals and health centers throughout western Pennsylvania aimed at enhancing the region’s health care expertise and workforce.
 
“These partnerships help to expand student horizons while improving the quality of care in the region,” said Dr. Fedin. “We look forward to working with all our partners, including AHN, to help train the next generation of physicians.”

 About Allegheny Health Network 
 Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is comprised of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, an employed physician organization, home and community-based health services, a research institute and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, cardiovascular disease, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women's health, diabetes and more. AHN employs approximately 23,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Duquesne University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of more than 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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