Deborah L. Cabaniss, MD
Director of Psychotherapy Training and
Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry |
Deborah L. Cabaniss, M.D. is the Director of Psychotherapy Training and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. In this role, she coordinates all of the teaching and supervision of psychotherapy for the psychiatry residents. She also teaches two seminal year-long courses in psychotherapy for the residents, lectures 2nd year medical students, and offers numerous electives for both residents and medical students. Her research interests have focused on the development of learning objectives and evaluation methods.
Dr. Cabaniss has won numerous teaching awards, including the Nancy Roeske Award for teaching medical students, the Irma Bland Award for teaching psychiatry residents, and the Edith Sabshin Award for teaching psychodynamic concepts to medical students and residents. She is also a Training and Supervising Analyst at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research, where she is co-chair of the Selection Committee. She is currently writing a book about learning psychodynamic psychotherapy, and she leads workshops in teaching for psychoanalytic institutes and residency training programs. |
Elsa-Grace V. Giardina, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.P., F.A.H.A
Professor of Clinical Medicine and
Director of the Center for Women's Health |
Elsa-Grace Giardina, M.D., is Professor of Clinical Medicine and Director of the Center for Women's Health. Her commitment to teaching and mentoring is well recognized in Cardiology where she guides medical students, house staff, fellows, graduate students, and young faculty.
In 1996 she was recognized by Governor George Pataki of New York State for her research advancements in women and for founding the Center for Women’s Health, a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary program focusing on women’s health.More than 10 years ago, she developed the elective in Women’s Health for 4th students at CUMC.
Additionally, Dr. Giardina implemented a program to improve awareness and knowledge of cardiovascular disease among women living in Washington Heights. This program provided a unique venue for mentoring, integrating resources and collaborating with primary care physicians, pediatricians, and students and faculty from the Institute of Human Nutrition and the Mailman School of Public Health.
On a national level, Dr. Giardina is also recognized for advocacy in mentoring and teaching. For over 7 years, she served on the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Foundation, whose mission is to guide medical student for careers in cardiovascular health. Representing the Sarnoff Board of Directors, she led the strategic plan for its 25th anniversary. She is a Trustee of the New York Academy of Medicine where she upholds promoting education and advancing the health of NY’s urban women. |
Dr. Patrice Spitalnik
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology and
Assistant Director of the MD-PhD program
The College of Physicians and Surgeons |
Dr. Patrice Spitalnik is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology and the Assistant Director of the MD-PhD program at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is section director for histology in the Science Basic to the Practice of Medicine course and a lecturer and lab leader in the Pathophysiology course. Dr. Spitalnik runs a weekly surgical pathology seminar during the surgery clerkship as well.
She is the Associate Director of the Intersession course in the major clinical year of the new curriculum which is under development now. Her clinical interest is in laboratory hematology. |
Candice Zemnick, DMD, MPH, MS
Assistant Professor of Prosthodontic Dentistry
College of Dental Medicine |
Dr. Zemnick serves as the Director of Predoctoral Prosthodontics which encompasses Fixed, Removable and Implant prosthetics. She seeks to provide her classes with a continuum of knowledge correlated with patient cases in a demonstrative image-based way, so that disparities between the clinical and didactic realms are minimized. In addition to positive student evaluations, her dynamic teaching skills and enthusiasm have been recognized in her receipt of awards including the Stanislaw H. Brzustowicz Faculty Award, D2009, and D2010 Teaching Awards. As a Maxillofacial Prosthodontist, she actively involves students and residents in the collaborative efforts required to treat patients with congenital and acquired defects of the head and neck and allows them to take part in intraoral and facial prosthetic fabrication and research.
Dr. Zemnick forges an inclusive alliance between the disciplines of medicine and dentistry, because she believes it is the foundation of comprehensive care. Besides teaching several courses and seminars, Dr. Zemnick is an instructor for both predoctoral and post-doctoral clinics. She has been invited to participate in over 15 CDM committees and subcommittees that address curriculum and teaching. She is an active participant in the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics and the American College of Prosthodontists academic committees and workshops and is continually asked to lecture for national student organizations and symposiums. |
