RMED is an elective experience that allows third-year medical students the opportunity to live and train in small-town communities. Participating students complete three core clinical rotations including: Family Medicine, Surgery and Emergency Medicine, along with the RMED elective while living and training in a small town environment. For the elective, an emphasis is placed on the continuous and comprehensive care of patients. Students develop skills in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of common ambulatory and secondary hospital problems of patients across the age spectrum. Students participate in office hours and conduct inpatient rounds, laboratory work, night call, and case presentations with community-based attendings.
Grella is a third-year medical student at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and will be graduating in May 2025. He will be doing his clerkships at in family medicine and emergency medicine.
“Throughout my life, I have lived in suburban Long Island, larger cities like Syracuse, and more rural areas like Horseheads and Geneseo. There is something about the quietness and sense of community of more rural areas that draws me in. Along with that, I believe that everyone deserves to have the best medical care possible no matter where they live. I hope to be able to bring the best care to people who don’t live in big cities with hospitals that have all the newest technologies. I strive to provide the best care possible while also increasing health maintenance awareness in the community” states Grella who intends to specialize in either internal medicine or emergency medicine after his residency.
Grella graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from SUNY Geneseo. He is a native of Long Island but moved to Horseheads, NY when he was in elementary school.
UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health has a long-commitment to rural medicine education and has hosted 22 RMED students for clinical rotations at their various locations. Past students include:
- Cherilyn White, MD, 1993
- Maureen Goldman, MD, 1994
- Sean Mclaughlin, MD, 1995
- Andrew Reese, MD, 1996
- Douglas Bowerman, MD, 1997
- Gavin Noble, MD, 1998
- Douglas Bowerman, MD, 1998
- Nicole Canada-McConnaghy, MD., 2000
- Sami Beg, MD, 2001
- Casey Patunoff, MD, 2004
- John Robertson, MD,2005
- Rubie Jackson, MD, 2006
- Kevin Smeenk, MD, 2007
- Patrick Belton, MD, 2014
- Rachel Kopicki, MD, 2015
- Kyle Hagenbuch, MD, 2017
- Elizabeth Presutto, MD , 2018
- Courtney Franceschi, MD, 2019
- Tyler Fuller, MD, 2022
- Claire Sheen, MD, 2023
- Sophia Turbide, MD, 2023
- Megan Lafferty, 4th year medical student, 2024
