OMED - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Vice Dean for Education, UPSOM / Professor, Family Medicine
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Associate Dean for Student Affairs / Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Job Titles:
- Educational Program Coordinator - Foundations
Alida O'Neill is responsible for developing and managing all aspects of multiple educational projects and technological functions of educational courses and programs. Her primary focus is the Foundations phase of the curriculum. In addition, she provides support for longitudinal educators and other faculty leadership as well as provides administrative oversight of faculty programs.
Alida graduated from Dickinson College with a B.A. in History and later earned her Pennsylvania Secondary Teacher Certification in Social Studies from Duquesne University.
Prior to joining OMED, Alida worked in curriculum development and assessment for Pennsylvania cyber-schools with an emphasis on creating accessibility and exceeding state and national standards. In addition, Alida brings experience in corporate administration and training including facilitating testing and certification programs for a large engineering firm.
Job Titles:
- SP Training Specialist
- Standardized Patient Training Specialist
Allison is the Standardized Patient Training Specialist. In this role, Allison assists in the support of the Standardized Patient (SP) population and the administrative, academic, and creative needs required for SPs to be included in program activities. This includes SP communication, role play and training, skill coaching, editing of training materials, case assignments, and support of the administrative functions surrounding SP management.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Associate Dean for Continuing Medical Education
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid / Professor of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Catherine serves as the Standardized Patient Program Manager. She manages the collection and dissemination of information for events to include detailed communication regarding learning objectives, logistics, materials development, and standardized patient hiring and training parameters for all clients of the Standardized Patient Program. She also reviews and edits SP cases and training materials and participates in the communication, administration, and human resource functions related to the SP program.
Originally from NYC, Catherine holds a BA in History and Literature from Harvard, and an MFA in Acting from The Old Globe/University of San Diego. Catherine has a background in performance and performance education. She has performed as an actor and puppeteer throughout the US and abroad, and taught movement, acting, and devising at the university level. She comes to this position after years of working as a standardized patient, and a trainer of standardized patients. She is passionate about embodied communication and the pursuit of empathy.
Christine oversees the day to day operations of the Office of Medical Education and its staff. She is responsible for purchasing, payments to community educators, and room scheduling for teaching spaces in Alan Magee Scaife Hall. In addition, she assists with strategic initiatives and planning and provides advanced level administrative support to OMED leadership.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Neurology
Job Titles:
- Director of Medical Student Assessment
- Director of Medical Student Assessment / Professor, Department of Medicine
- Professor
Dr. Elnicki is professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He received his MD from Pitt, completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Rochester and a general internal medicine fellowship at the University of North Carolina.
Prior to returning to Pittsburgh, he was on the faculty at West Virginia University School of Medicine for 10 years. While there, he served as director of the Medicine Clerkship and the Evidence Based Medicine Course and chaired the School of Medicine curriculum committee.
Since returning to the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Elnicki has directed the section of General Internal Medicine at UPMC Shadyside and the Combined Ambulatory Medicine Pediatrics Clerkship. He chaired the Academy of Master Educators and Phase 2 of our Curriculum Reform effort. His primary are of scholarship is medical education.
Nationally, he has served as chair of the AAMC's Research in Medical Education (RIME) committee. He was President of the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) and served on the Board of the Alliance in Academic Internal Medicine. He served on and chaired several committees for the National Board of Medical Examiners. He serves as Editor in Chief for the journal of General Internal Medicine. He was selected as a Master of the American College of Physicians and as an expert in clinical hypertension by the American Society of Hypertension (ASH).
He is involved in teaching and mentoring students, residents and fellows and has received numerous awards for both teaching and research in medical education.
Job Titles:
- SP Curriculum Specialist
- SP Program Curriculum Specialist
Darrell is an SP Curriculum Specialist and Media Support for the Standardized Patient Program. he operates on the Technology side of team events: maintaining upkeep and monitoring of the department laptops, zoom meetings, acquiring and implementing new technology. He also assists with internal ultrasound events involving standardized patients and medical students.
Darrell comes to us with years of audio visual and multi-media experience working both freelance and non profit organizations; often times at the same time! He has used his multi media experience to also build instructional e-courses for remote teams while working with driverless tech companies.
Job Titles:
- Educational Program Coordinator - Clinical Skills
Denise Downs is responsible for developing and managing all aspects of multiple educational projects and technological functions of educational courses and programs. Her primary focus is the Patient Centered Care block within the Foundations phase of the curriculum. She also provides support for the Clinical Skills Preceptors and faculty leadership as well as oversees the Flex Weeks and Professional Enrichment Courses.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Ex - Officio Member
- Assistant Dean for Clinical Education / Professor of Medicine
- Associate Dean for Clinical Education
Dr. Raquel Buranosky serves as the Associate Dean for Clinical Education of OMED. Additionally, she is a Professor of Medicine, the Director of Internal Medicine Residency Advising Program, and Medical Director of Pittsburgh's Underserved Women's Center Clinic.
She has a fascinating and diverse educational background. Dr. Buranosky first earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Georgetown University in 1990. She continued her education at Duke University Medical School in 1994. Lastly, she received her MPH at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in 2000.
She has extensive training, which includes an Internal Medicine Residency Training Program completed in 1997. Dr. Buranosky also served as Chief Medical Resident in 1998 and continued on to complete her General Medicine Fellowship in 2000. Her training was all completed at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Buranosky's educational interests are in direct teaching of medical students and internal medicine residents as well as in curriculum development for these programs. On a national level, she has contributed to many task forces, working groups and committees on membership and leadership levels that focus on improving internal medicine residency training and career development. She is known nationally for expertise in innovation in medical education. On a local and regional level, she is known for her curricular work on intimate partner violence, prevention and intervention.
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Assistant Dean for Equity and Justice
- Assistant Dean for Medical Education
- Assistant Dean for Medical Education / Associate Professor of Medicine
- Associate Professor of Medicine
Dr. Eloho Ufomata is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine. She earned her B.S. in Biology, her B.S. in Psychology, and her M.D. at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Ufomata completed her internal medicine residency and a fellowship in General Internal Medicine as an Academic Clinician Educator Scholar at UPMC. Lastly, she received her master's degree in medical education from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She also serves as a Clinical Skills Preceptor Co-Lead and an Accreditation and Continuous Quality Improvement Faculty Lead.
As the Assistant Dean for Medical Education, she oversees curriculum development, delivery, and management on health equity, social justice and community engagement and advocacy across our program. She works closely with other OMED Deans and UPSOM Offices, as well as course/clerkship directors, to ensure that our curriculum is representative, inclusive, and just.
An active clinician, Dr. Ufomata is a general internist who has a special interest in Gender Affirming Care for transgender and gender diverse individuals, Women's Health, and care for the underserved. On a local and national level, she is known for expertise in medical education on antiracism, LGBTQ+ health, bias, and communication skills. She has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, the Golden Apple Award, and the Social Justice Educator of Year Award.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Job Titles:
- Director of Program Evaluation, CQI
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences
James is the Bridges Coordinator and supports courses and events both in the Three Rivers and Legacy curriculums. He manages advanced level and longitudinal courses within the School of Medicine by building relationships with physicians, clinics, and other sites to cultivate placements for courses, providing instructional support for courses and events, serving as a first point of contact for medical students within these courses.
James did his undergraduate studies at Florida State University before enlisting in the Marine Corps. He graduated from Pitt's Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences with a master's degree in Japanese Language and Literature.
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Associate Dean for Medical Student Research
Janice serves as the SP Program Administrator. She is responsible for overseeing human resources, budgeting, outreach, event coordination, and daily operations for the SP Program.
Janice majored in photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology and previously worked in medical publishing and in the music poster import and distribution business.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Associate Dean for Medical Education
- Associate Dean for Medical Education / Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Director of Medical Student Education for the Department of Psychiatry
- Professor
Jason Rosenstock, MD, is a professor of psychiatry in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He earned an undergraduate degree in history from Brown University, where he also received his MD. In 1992, Dr. Rosenstock came to Pittsburgh for a residency in general psychiatry at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC).
Since joining the faculty in 1996, his work has focused on schizophrenia: providing direct clinical care for patients; teaching students, trainees, and health professionals about the illness and its management; and helping to develop and administer services on behalf of patients and families affected by this illness.
Since 2005, Dr. Rosenstock has served as director of medical student education for the Department of Psychiatry and was among the inaugural inductees of the School of Medicine's Academy of Master Educators. He has won numerous awards for teaching and humanism, and he has been involved in international collaborations around medical education. Since 2011, he has served as the Chair of the school's Curriculum Committee.
Job Titles:
- SP Program Education Manager
As Education Manager, Jennifer's job is to form and nurture new and ongoing partnerships with departments at the University of Pittsburgh that utilize Standardized Patients (SPs), oversee SP training opportunities, and coordinate logistical, personnel, and curriculum details for SP events. She brings to this new role a background in higher education teaching, improvisational performance, and professional writing as well as experience as an SP.
Currently, she is a PhD candidate in Creativity, exploring applied theatre as a tool for language learning and mental health awareness in migrant communities.
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs / Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics
Karen is the Program Coordinator and supports both the Community Alliance Program (CAP) and the Longitudinal Alliance Program (LAP). She also manages additional student programs that support career development and exploration as well as tracks student progress and compliance.
Karen completed her undergraduate work at the Pennsylvania State University, earning a degree from the Smeal College of Business. She then went on to earn a Master of Education degree from the University of Pittsburgh with a teaching certificate in Mental and Physical Disabilities. Prior to coming to OMED, she was employed by Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Job Titles:
- PCAT Associate Coordinator
Karen is the Primary Care Accelerated Track (PCAT) Coordinator. She provides administrative support to the PCAT Program by overseeing the admissions process, managing student courses and clinical placements, tracking student milestones, and serving as a liaison between the School of Medicine and the UPMC residency programs.
Karen graduated from Saint Vincent College with a B.A. in Psychology and Elementary Education. Her experiences have led her through case management, retail management, and Drug & Alcohol counseling.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Office of Medical Education
- Member of the Association of American Medical Colleges Curriculum Committee
Katie is a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges Curriculum Committee, Group on Institutional Planning, and Group on Business Affairs. She is also a member of the Accreditation Preparation and Quality Improvement (APQI) community of practice and currently serves as the Membership Chair.
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Assistant Dean for Foundations
- Professor of Immunology
Dr. Borghesi is a Professor of Immunology and the Assistant Dean of Foundations with primary responsibilities in the pre-clerkships (MS1-2) curriculum.
She is deeply committed to medical education in a thriving academic environment. Dr. Borghesi's pedagogical leadership and innovations are recognized with the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award (2021) and membership in the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators (2022). Her accomplishments in education have been recognized through invited lectures that profiled her curricular materials.
Dr. Borghesi joined the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2004, leading an NIH funded research program in B lymphocyte development and function, and serving as Director of the Unified Flow Cytometry Core. She has secured >$7M in NIH direct funds to advance her immunology research and procure new instrumentation technologies that elevate the impact of biomedical research across the university.
Nationally, Dr. Borghesi served as Section Editor for the Journal of Immunology, was a standing member or co-chair of NIH study sections and was appointed to the Faculty of 1000 (F1000). In her six years as a member of the Public Affairs Committee of the American Association of Immunologists, she advocated for immunologists' interests to Congress and met with elected officials on Capitol Hill. Locally, Dr. Borghesi collaborated with the Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, spearheading an IRB-approved study to identify programs that best assist women. She is active in voting rights and election awareness.
Job Titles:
- Admin Assistant
- Administrative Assistant
Lonnie is the Admin Assistant for both the Pitt Stanardized Patient Program and WISER simulation for the simulation center. After working as a standardized patient and proctor since 2010, he has now become a member of the team, assisting students and standardized patients with access to the simulation center and to assist in a range of areas for support for the programs.
Lonnie has a background in administrative support for film production, OTCBB trading markets as well as customer service and corporate training.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Michael serves as the Standardized Patient Scheduling Specialist. His work includes scheduling and coordination of the standardized patients within the SP Program and its activities.
Michelle supports the data management needs related to program evaluation and curriculum mapping and integration. She works closely with senior leadership to support accreditation and continuous quality improve processes as well as overall operational planning and development. Additionally, she modifies and updates the OMED website.
Michelle graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Master's in Public Health (concentration in Health Policy and Management) and a Master's of Studies in Law. In addition, she received her Bachelor's degree in Rehabilitation Science, a Minor in Administration of Justice, and a Certificate in Pathokinesiology in Rehabilitation.
Job Titles:
- Program Administration Assistant Director
Michelle serves as the Program Administration Assistant Director. In this role she develops, implements, and evaluates administrative and curricular programs in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and various community partners, with a particular focus on the Longitudinal Alliance Program (LAP) and the Community Alliance Program (CAP). She supports the program evaluation process in these and other community related programs.
Michelle graduated from Messiah University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science (concentration in Exercise Science.) Her career experiences before joining the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine focused primarily in the areas of office and project management within Obstetrics and Oncological Clinical Research. She is excited to expand her professional focus to include Academics here at the Office of Medical Education.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Nomi directes the administrative and instructional functions of the Standardized Patient (SP) Program. This includes human resources, budgeting and finance, and superintending instructional support and design.
Prior to joining the SP Program, Nomi was the Director of Administrative Operations at Falk Laboratory School. She has extensive experience in operational leadership in K-12 and higher education, as well as the performing arts. Nomi has a Doctorate of Musical Arts from THE Ohio State University and regularly performs as a drummer and percussionist throughout the Pittsburgh region.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Cell Biology
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Associate Dean for Medical Student Research / Co - Director, Dean 's Summer Research Project
Job Titles:
- Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery and Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Van Deusen is an associate professor in general internal medicine and pediatrics. Originally from Pittsburgh, he went to the University of Cincinnati for medical school and residency. He was excited to come back home for a general internal medicine-pediatrics fellowship focusing in medical education, which he completed in 2008.
He has served as the associate program director for the combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency from 2009 to 2016, and he enthusiastically joined the Office of Medical Education in 2016 as the Medical Director of the Standardized Patient Program. Prior to accepting this position, he was involved in education at the medical school in multiple venues. His greatest educational passion is teaching doctor-patient communication skills. He became the Assistant Dean for Human Simulation Education in 2019.
His clinical work involves caring for patients of all ages. He practices inpatient and outpatient medicine for adults and outpatient medicine for children. His clinical niche is providing primary care for patients with complicated pediatric-onset illness who are too old to be seen by their pediatricians. This program is called the Progressive Evaluation and Referral Center (PERC). Pediatricians from across the region refer their patients who are transitioning to adulthood to PERC for longitudinal primary care and care coordination.
Job Titles:
- Ex - Officio Member
- Associate Dean and Director of MSTP / Associate Professor of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Cell Biology