Giving Back: Our Internship/Mentorship Program and Youth Scholars Program

One of the key philosophies of Dr. Muller’s practice is giving back to the community through helping others. Over the past 30 years Dr. Muller has been teaching younger physicians; additionally, in the last few years, Dr. Muller has been dedicating significant time, energy and resources to two special programs.

Clinical Gap Experience/Mentorship Program

This program is designed for individuals who have graduated from college and who intend to matriculate to medical school (i.e. this is a gap program). Participants are trained as medical assistants while also being mentored, sponsored, and guided through the medical school application process by Dr. Muller.

This opportunity provides unparalleled, hands on clinical experience along with real world practical exposure to the day to day workings of a private medical/surgical practice. There is a strong emphasis on mentoring with the goal of creating the leaders of tomorrow in the field of medicine, and in "lifting as we climb".

With its continued success, this program has been expanding.

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Sofia Lopiano

Sofia is from New Jersey and graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with a degree in Neuroscience. While at Michigan, Sofia did research in a neuroscience lab, volunteered in a surgical unit and tutored elementary school students with the nonprofit 826michigan. In her free time she enjoys cooking and playing volleyball. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, Sofia plans to attend medical school.

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Isabella Rodoni

Isabella is from San Francisco, California. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Society with a minor in French. In college, she led social justice organizations, worked in research labs, and was a college ambassador. She likes to hike, cook, and spend time with friends and family in her free time. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, Isabella plans to attend medical school. 

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Olivia Piscano

Olivia is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Entomology and a minor in Nutrition and Health. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, she plans on matriculating to medical school. In her free time, Olivia enjoys spending time running out-of-doors and trying new restaurants in New York City.

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Gianna Bevacqua

Gianna is from New Jersey and graduated from Georgetown University with an Honors degree in Biochemistry. She spent her college years doing research in a chemistry lab, teaching undergraduates, and working as a barista on campus. Upon graduation, she joined Dr. Muller with future plans of becoming a physician.

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Jessica Bai

Jessica, a Philadelphia native, graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, Health, and Society and a minor in Inequality Studies. During her time in college, she was involved in research, volunteering, philanthropy, and teaching. In her free time, she loves to travel, hike, and cook. Jessica aspires to be a physician and plans to matriculate into medical school after her internship with Dr. Muller.

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Kaylee Fitzgerald

Kaylee graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences, a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior, and a minor in Spanish. While at Cornell, Kaylee competed as a member of the Varsity Women’s Soccer team and served as Captain her Senior year. While working as a medical assistant during her internship with Dr. Muller she also volunteered at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center in the Neurology ICU. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, Kaylee entered medical school in her home state of California.

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Andie Bulbin

Andie is a New York native. She graduated from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and a minor in Gender and Health.  Upon graduation from college she joined Dr. Muller as a medical assistant, after which she entered medical school and is studying to become a physician. In her free time, Andie enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, friends, and dog Lucie.

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Lydia Kersh

Lydia grew up in New York and attended Cornell University. Upon graduating from Cornell with a Bachelor of science degree in Biology, she obtained a Masters of Science in applied Cognition and Neuroscience from the University of Texas in Dallas. Upon completion of her degrees, Lydia joined Dr. Muller as a medical assistant for several years and has since entered medical school.

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Crystal Y. Chung

Crystal is currently a medical student. She graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Biological Engineering. She then worked as the Chief Medical Assistant at Dr. Jacqueline W. Muller's practice for 2.5 years. She is the first person in her family to graduate from a university in the United States. She became interested in medicine when she learned that medicine encapsulates all that she enjoys, such as problem solving, building relationships with people, and life-long learning. She hopes to become a family medicine physician one day and serve patients in marginalized communities.

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Hannah Walsh

Hannah is from Massachusetts and graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology. During her time at Georgetown, Hannah did research in a neuroimaging lab, tutored elementary school students, led social justice organizations, and played club ice hockey. Upon graduation, she joined Dr. Muller with plans to attend medical school in the future.

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Charlotte Jones

Charlotte is from New York City. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development minoring in nutrition and gerontology. In college, she spent her time working in a nutrition research lab, teaching, volunteering and promoting disability awareness on campus. In her free time, she enjoys biking, live music and cooking. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, Charlotte plans to attend medical school.

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Diana Uhrig

Diana holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a minor in Biology from Dartmouth College. She completed her post baccalaureate in pre-medical sciences at Washington University in Saint Louis. Prior to joining Dr. Muller’s team, Diana volunteered as an outdoor emergency care technician on the Ski Patrol at the Dartmouth Skiway, and subsequently worked as a Medical Assistant at a primary care clinic in Saint Louis, Missouri. Diana plans to attend Medical School following her internship at Dr. Muller’s practice.

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Jesse Lama

Jesse is from Westchester, NY. She graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, with a concentration in Neurobiology. During her years at Cornell, she was a cofounder of Rho Psi Eta, a pre-health sorority, and was involved in research. In her free time, Jesse loves to workout and volunteer on the ambulance in her hometown. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, she plans on attending medical school.

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Samantha Donovan

Samantha Donovan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in Physics, Biochemistry, and Biophysics. At Penn she volunteered in a free primary care clinic, conducted computational neuroscience research and led a group of students tutoring children in West Philly public schools. In her free time she enjoys reading, running and making music with friends. After her internship with Dr. Muller, Sam plans to attend medical school.

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Stella Jorgensen

Stella is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Biology and a minor in Spanish. In college, she was involved in organizations such as the student advisory board for SVPP (Sexual Violence Prevention Project) and was a trained SAPA (Sexual Assault Peer Alliance). Additionally, she was involved in research, was a leader for Dartmouth’s First Year Trips program, and was on the leadership council for her sorority, Chi Delta. In Stella’s free time, she enjoys hiking, painting, running, and reading. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, Stella plans to attend medical school.

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Hannah Quan

Hannah is from New Jersey and graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, Health, and Society and a minor in Health Policy. While at Cornell, she volunteered at the local hospital, conducted research in a memory and neuroscience lab, and volunteered with senior citizens with Alzheimer’s Disease. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, Hannah plans on attending medical school.

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Talia Stern

Talia is from Annapolis, Maryland and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry. During her time at Penn, she was involved in Penn Reproductive Justice, a student volunteer organization called Service Link, Sigma Kappa sorority, clinical research at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, SAT tutoring, and Neuroscience research at Penn Medicine. Following her internship with Dr. Muller, she hopes to attend medical school.

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Naya Lipkens

Naya grew up in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Upon graduating from St. John’s University with a degree in Biomedical Sciences, she obtained a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Loyola University Chicago. During her time at St. John’s and Loyola, Naya competed on the Varsity Women’s Soccer team and served as team captain during her time at Loyola. While working at Dr. Muller’s practice, Naya volunteers in the Oncology unit at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center and continues to be involved in public health research. Naya plans to attend PA (Physician Assistant) school following her internship with Dr. Muller. 

The Weill Cornell Youth Scholars Program

Dr. Muller has also been involved with the Weill Cornell Youth Scholars Program.

This program is a four-week summer enrichment experience designed to expose underprivileged, underrepresented students from inner city high schools to the vast educational resources and opportunities at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Weill Cornell medical students, residents and attending physicians serve as the mentors and teachers. This program is free of charge to participants, including providing transportation and lunch.

The program helps to expose students early to the rigors of medical education and training as it helps develop the necessary attitudes toward learning, interpersonal skills, and the self- confidence that students will need to be successful. The program also aims to inspire students to set academic and professional goals and encourages them to work cooperatively and to think critically. The curriculum consists of problem-based learning sessions, mentor/mentee sessions, visits to the anatomy lab, basic science lectures, and some classes on writing college essays.

All students who have completed this program have reported that it had a significant impact on their personal motivation to pursue a career in science or medicine, and that they were motivated to take more challenging courses in high school.

Most of the students who participate in the Weill Cornell Youth Scholars Program are first generation students.

“By helping our students to pursue higher education through acceptance to college, we can positively impact the course of their entire lives.”       Jacqueline W. Muller, M.D.