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It’s in His Bones:
Orthopedic Surgeon
Pays It Forward
By Margarita Oksenkrug
Leon E. Popovitz, MD, orthopedic surgeon and sports
medicine specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital, recently created the
Efim and Mila Popovitz Scholarship for Exceptional Character at
the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, his alma mater.
The scholarship, named in honor of Dr. Popovitz’s parents, will
be offered to one deserving student annually over the next five
years. Each winner, who will be chosen based on exemplary moral
character, will receive a $20,000 gift toward his or her medical
education. “I stress the importance of ‘exceptional character’ in
the scholarship because when it comes down to it, no matter our
intelligence or accomplishments, it is our character that is the
measure of what kind of people we are,” explained Dr. Popovitz.
“That is particularly true of doctors.”
Founded at City College in 1973, the Sophie Davis School of
Biomedical Education is far from a typical medical university. Its
socially, economically and ethnically diverse base of students is
recruited right out of high school; the students are committed to
Residents and Fellows Plan
More Community Involvement
A relatively
new initiative
by the North
Shore-LIJ Residents
and Fellows Forum strives to
increase staff involvement in
volunteer and community
services activities.
The original mission of the
Residents and Fellows Forum
was to serve as a liaison with administration
and hospital staff
to address and resolve matters
within North Shore-LIJ. But
over the past several years, the
mission has evolved to include
a more patient-centered focus
both within hospitals and now,
the community.
Since the North Shore-
LIJ Health System already
had strong community
service involvement, several
residents and fellows seized
the opportunity to spearhead a
program at CitiField. During
the 2012 baseball season,
members are spending time at
the Health Information Team
pursuing a career in medicine from a very young age. One of the
school’s core principles, according to Dr. Popovitz, is ensuring
that its alumni give back to communities that are underprivileged
and underserved, similar to the ones they themselves have come
from. That concept struck a resonant chord with the doctor,
who immigrated to the US from the Soviet Union as a young
boy and recalls that the first few years here were “arduous and
impoverished times,” as his parents struggled to create a better
life for him and his brother.
Inspired by the unwavering support, confidence and
encouragement from his parents to pursue his American dream,
Dr. Popovitz created the scholarship to help a new generation
of aspiring physicians turn their own fantasies into real
success stories. “I established this scholarship because it is my
responsibility as an alumnus
to give support to those special
people who are devoted to
making somebody’s life better,”
remarked Dr. Popovitz in the
speech he made at the school’s
recent white coat ceremony
in which he announced the
inception of the scholarship.
The first recipient of the Efim
and Mila Popovitz Scholarship
for Exceptional Character will
be selected this summer.
Leon Popovitz, MD
(HIT) booth sponsored by
the North Shore-LIJ Health
System and the Katz Institute
for Women’s Health. Residents
and fellows educate fans about
health and wellness issues and
solutions before and during
the game.
What does the future
hold for the health system’s
residents and fellows? During
the next year, the plan is to
focus on undergraduate and
medical student mentorship
programs, health literacy
seminars in the community
and child safety initiatives.
Through these opportunities,
the leadership of the Residents
and Fellows Forum believes
that together, the residents,
fellows and the healthcare
system can have a measurable
impact on the community for
many years to come.
The New Standard 39