Premed In the Time of COVID-19
Lehman College is home to over 500 registered premedical students. (Photo credit: Perla Tolentino)
By Natalie Nunez
With the recent coronavirus pandemic crisis, the preparation and application process for pre-medical students who hope to enroll in medical school has changed. Applicants have had to adjust to constrained circumstances, from taking online lectures and lab courses to preparing for a shortened admission exam.
Lehman is home to 500 active pre-med students, and those who plan to start medical school in 2021 will be applying this year. Dr. Scott Calvin, director of Lehman’s pre-health program, said, “I expect that in this environment some of the people who were planning to apply to medical schools this year will decide to wait a year.”
The application process usually begins in May and takes nearly one year, but this one will be unlike any past cycle. Application portals opened on May 4 and 5 as planned. However, allopathic schools will now begin reviewing applications on July 10, rather than June 26, as previously scheduled.
Medical schools traditionally prefer letter grades and for students to take prerequisite classes, particularly in-person lab courses, but these standards will change amid COVID-19 circumstances.
A recent Association of American Medical Colleges survey indicated that 78 percent of participating schools will accept pass/fail grades for prerequisite classes taken between January and August of this year, and 76 percent will accept online lab courses for the spring 2020 semester.
Students planning to volunteer or shadow doctors this spring and summer also face challenges, as most clinics and physicians have cut non-essential personnel including students, because of social distancing. This might present gaps in students’ applications.
As the COVID-19 outbreak had led to the closure of many medical labs and related facilities, some Lehman students who were planning to do research to gain further science-related experience will not be able to do so.
“I was supposed to work at the NIH this summer and increase my immunology experience. It could also have led to several publications, but the pandemic has caused them to cancel the research,” said Ezekiel Olumuyide, a 20-year-old junior biochemistry major.
The MCAT, which can take months to prepare for, has also been adjusted due to the pandemic. The exam was shortened from seven and a half hours to five hours and 45 minutes, by eliminating unscored portions of the exam that would have been used to create future exams to allow for more sittings per day and reduce the number of examinees in the room.
Sabrina, a recent Lehman graduate who will be taking the MCAT this year, shared her concerns with the recent admission test changes, “It can be a disadvantage for those who have practiced taking the longer exam. Now we will have to change our approach to the test.”
She added: “All of the changes have definitely caused added anxiety. My set plan has had to change to accommodate the climate.”
Test dates in April and May were canceled and more dates in June and September were added to compensate for the cancelations. Examinees will also be allowed to wear gloves and face masks, to help avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
Applicant interviews, which begin as early as September, will most likely be conducted virtually for the upcoming cycle, as medical college campuses are now closed indefinitely. In a March 19 statement, the AAMC encouraged medical schools and teaching hospitals to conduct online interviews for the time being.
Despite the feeling that the application process can be an even more stressful process with the adjustments, Lehman students are still motivated to enter the medical field.
Kristian Punu, a 21-year-old junior majoring in biomedical science said, “The pandemic and its repercussions have cultivated my aspiration to use medicine as a platform to advocate for the less fortunate. People living in underserved areas tend to be more affected by this negatively.”
Dr. Calvin encourages those students who planned to apply this cycle to continue moving forward in the process. “Doing so will work in your favor, but also shows consideration and sympathy to those who truly need to wait for a year.”
NY Hispanic Cosmetology & Beauty Chamber of Commerce Empowers Aspiring Business Owners
Photo from the 2019 Beauty Gala of Excellence. (Photo Credit: Charito Cisneros)
By Natalie Nuñez
The New York Hispanic Cosmetology and Beauty Chamber of Commerce helps immigrants start businesses in the beauty industry from Lehman’s off-site campus CUNY on the Concourse. Founded by Charito Cisneros, the non-profit center provides workshops, training, certifications, networking opportunities and job placement services, as well as yearly symposiums throughout New York City where lawyers and representatives from the Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Services among others, give guidance to aspiring beauty entrepreneurs.
Cisneros, who has spoken widely on TV and radio, as well as in Washington D.C. alongside former President George W. Bush, was once in the same position as many of her clients. She immigrated to the United States from Ecuador in 1972, and after working in factories for some time, decided to study cosmetology and become a beauty teacher.
Like many immigrants, Cisneros felt that the US was a land of opportunity, and she wanted to share her knowledge with others. The lack of support and guidance in her community is what inspired her to start The New York Hispanic Cosmetology and Beauty Chamber of Commerce.
The New York based organization primarily serves Latin American clients but is not exclusive to New Yorkers or Hispanics.
“We have worked with clients from all nationalities from Koreans, to Jamaicans and Italians; we’ve used translating technology to help them. Our clients have also come from all over the U.S., even as far as Texas,” said Cisneros.
Lehman students and Bronx residents praised the organization's initiative and impact.
Business owners receiving awards. (Photo Credit: Charito Cisneros)
“Cisneros has helped me tremendously in starting my business and many others that I have referred. I am very grateful for her service,” said Magda Oquendo, a long-time client who owns a successful beauty salon in Queens. “I came from Ecuador to the United States in 1993 and met Cisneros in 2008 after seeking to obtain a license of cosmetology.”
“I think it’s a great concept to help educate and guide future professionals in this industry, to have a base or foundation and know where to go,” said Ericka Acevedo, a junior health administration major.
Rosario Ricketts, a 24-year-old Political Science major at Lehman, agreed: “I think it’s a great initiative that will provide opportunity to an economically marginalized group. The beauty industry is growing very fast with social media and influencers. I’m pleased that this organization is helping people of Hispanic/Latin [background] access this industry.”
Noticing that many people were not being recognized as professionals, despite having credentials in the beauty industry back in their countries of origin, Cisneros has traveled to countries like the Dominican Republic where many of her students migrated from. She wanted to learn about the process of licensing and certifications and whether or not these can count towards opening a business in the U.S. Along with her team, she helps verify the legitimacy of clients’ diplomas and certificates from their country, as she believes the success of any industry requires constant education and updates on the practical and legal aspects of a business.
“Organizations like this give people opportunity to keep their families afloat, while providing a service to the community they’re in, which is a win for everyone.”
The chamber also helps clients obtain grants and loans to start their businesses. It holds a yearly Beauty Gala of Excellence that serves as a fundraising event as well as networking opportunity for clients and sponsors of the organization.
“Immigrants come to this country looking to work and earn a better life for themselves and their children,” said Joseph Deleeuw, a 23-year-old nursing major at Lehman. “Organizations like this give people opportunity to keep their families afloat, while providing a service to the community they’re in, which is a win for everyone.”
The center is currently helping clients obtain federal assistance during the pandemic, as many small businesses, including beauty salons, had to close their doors indefinitely.
“We are telling our clients to remain calm and take the necessary precautions with their businesses,” said Cisneros. “There is an American Dream, but we have to know what steps to take and work hard daily to obtain it. The triumph of someone who has left our office is a triumph for all of us.”
The Bronx’s Andrew Freedman Home Builds Community Through an Appreciation for the Arts
“Weekend at Auntie’s” by Jessica Spence, on display as part of “The Living Room Kitchen” (Photo Credit: Natalie Nunez)
By Natalie Nunez
Nestled on the west side of the Grand Concourse between 166th St. and McClellan Street in the Bronx, the Andrew Freedman Home is a mansion-styled community center for art and free-of-cost resources in a space that once served as a retirement home. An official landmark since 1992, the building was erected in the 1920s, modeling the Italian Renaissance Palazzo fashion by a self-made millionaire, the home’s namesake.
The Andrew Freedman Home originally served as a place of retirement for the formerly wealthy, where residents could live out the twilight of their lives lavishly from 1924 to the 1970s. The rising costs eventually forced the home to close, but in 1984 the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizens Council took ownership of the property and revamped it to what it is today: a culture and community hub that benefits the community in many ways.
The Family Preservation Center was the first community initiative placed in the Andrew Freedman Home in 1995 and still serves as a community center for various resources for people of all ages. Free daycare is offered there, as well as High School Equivalency classes and testing, immigrant education programs, and after-school and summer programs for children.
“Ma y Pa” by Raelis Vasquez, on display as part of “The Living Room Kitchen” (Photo Credit: Natalie Nunez)
Aside from many other available services including a food pantry, benefits assistance, workforce development, and case management, the Andrew Freedman Home also showcases art through exhibits like “The Living Room Kitchen,” a body of work by various local artists that focuses on home life, currently on display until April 4.
Curated by Kiara Ventura, a Dominican-American Bronx native, “The Living Room Kitchen,” depicts artwork of home and family life, aptly and thoughtfully placed around what was once the living room of the Andrew Freedman Home. The exhibit welcomes viewers to a unique New York City lifestyle experience.
Navigating the artists’ psyches involves an immersive walk through the gallery. The works include paintings, photographs, and installations: intimate glimpses of living areas and the inner workings of the creators, all of whom are local artists of color. The art ties together concepts that include culture, identity, family, and spirituality in a very poignant and uplifting way, offering a sense of empowerment and recognition of the community through art.
Installation on display as part of “The Living Room Kitchen” (Photo Credit: Natalie Nunez)
One of the first exhibits was appropriately named “No Longer Empty,” for which 20 of the former bedrooms were transformed by painters, sculptors, and graffiti artists in 2012. Since then, countless artists have exhibited their work at the home and numerous pop-ups have held space as well, including the very first Bronx Fashion Week in 2014. Since then, artwork is found around every corner of the mansion.
The Andrew Freedman Home is not just a showcasing art-space, but also a place to create. There are 14 private studios reserved for an artist residency program that offers workspace in exchange for community service.
The Andrew Freedman Home. (Photo Credit: commons.wikimedia.org)
The “The Living Room Kitchen,” exhibit will host an interactive open conversation event on March 7, in which artists talk about their upbringing, and a closing reception called “The House Party” on April 4. These events welcome the audience to socialize with the artists and have a personal experience with the community, aside from enjoying the exhibit.