NYM School of Radiation Therapy Holds Graduation

Date: 9/17/2007

The eight graduates of NYM''s School of Radiation Therapy Technology recently filed into the East Pavilion Auditorium to the sounds of cheers and applause from family, friends and Hospital faculty. Members of the seventeenth class of the school were reaping their just rewards after the completion of the rigorous two-year program, which combines classroom instruction, laboratory sessions and a strong clinical component.

"On behalf of the Hospital, I want to congratulate you on completing such a demanding and important course, said Errol Hankin, senior vice president of NYM. "We look forward to seeing you as you further your careers and hope that you will always remember that New York Methodist Hospital was the place where you got your start in radiation therapy, he said.

Having completed their coursework at the school, the graduates can now pursue careers as radiation therapists, who are responsible for recording and auditing treatment records, observing patient reactions, assisting in nursing care and providing patients with nutritional guidance.

Sameer Rafla, M.D., chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology, congratulated the graduates and thanked the Hospital''s faculty for their role in the education process. "The School of Radiation Therapy Technology has come a long way in the past 17 years and I believe that the original mission of the school has been carried through, thanks to the terrific faculty, he said. "They are the reason that our graduates are so highly thought of in the field."

Mary Reynolds, program director, reminded the graduates of their commitment to patient care. "Your job is to help people through one of the most difficult times of their lives, so remember that everything you do for a patient is important, she said.

With an astounding cumulative grade point average of 98 percent, graduate Jose Cruz, a resident of Borough Park, was awarded the Clinical and Academic Award, the Humanitarian Award and the Sameer N. Rafla Demitrious Memorial Award given for overall excellence.

Joining Mr. Cruz as members of the School of Radiation Therapy''s class of 2007 are: Carrie Bauermeister, of Long Island, Anna Finnerty, of Sheepshead Bay, Justin Lee, of Queens, Chikezie Mbalewe, of New Jersey, Shivani Shah, of New Jersey, Natalie Ventafredda, of Staten Island, and Sharon Wilson, of Bedford Stuyvesant.

For more information on New York Methodist Hospital''s School of Radiation Therapy Technology, please call 718) 780-3689.