Dr. Nicole CruzThe Weill Department of Medicine is delighted to announce that Dr. Nicole Cruz has been named the National Hispanic Medical Association Resident of the Year. This honor will be bestowed at the NHMA National Meeting in Washington, DC in May 2017.
Dr. Cruz is currently a senior resident in the Residency Training Program in Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell. Dr. Cruz attended the University of Puerto Rico where she graduated with honors, and then was a top notch student at the San Juan Bautista Medical School in Puerto Rico. An exemplary house office at NYPH/Weill Cornell, she has pursued research opportunities throughout her educational trajectory, exploring basic science projects at several institutions, including Johns Hopkins, and has coauthored several posters and publications. Despite her heavy clinical load as a medical resident, Dr. Cruz has developed a project at Weill Cornell in collaboration with Dr. Monica Guzman, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology. This project is evaluating the expression level of CD123 in leukemic cells of AML patients to emphasize the relevance of the receptor as a potential CAR-T cell target. Dr. Cruz’s dedication, curiosity, intellect and meticulous attention to detail speak to an outstanding potential for a career in research and academic medicine. She also demonstrated impressive leadership skills as a Co-Chair of the Department of Medicine’s Minority Housestaff Committee, spearheading a mentorship program for housestaff and working to enhance diversity, community, and opportunity in the training program.
Dr. Cruz plans a career in academic hematology-oncology and will begin her fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at Weill Cornell in July 2017. The department congratulates Dr. Cruz and it is anticipated that she will make important contributions to biomedical science, academic medicine, and to the Latino community.