WELCOME TO OUR FAMILY

Derek Abbott, MD, PhD

It's a difficult and uncertain time for all of us, but Covid-19 shows us why physician scientists are so important. We need broadly trained experts who can evaluate data and make strong policy recommendations. We also need well trained physician scientists who can rapidly deploy at the bench and ask the most interesting and pressing questions. My lab, for instance, has pivoted and has identified a protein in Covid-19 that activates the inflammasome to initiate pyroptosis. We are using our expertise in drug development to target this protein. After obtaining a CWRU MD/PhD education, these are the sorts of pivots you will be able to make when needed. You are about to embark on one of the most challenging -- but most rewarding -- journeys of your life. We know how difficult it must be trying to decide where you will start this journey given the current circumstances, but we hope this virtual tour will help give you an idea of why we are so proud to call CWRU and Cleveland our home. 

Other suggested resources:

• Some of our student's favorite places around town:  https://www.yelp.com/collection/Nd98FC7yTqLXHvKPpJyPzA 
• MSTP Facebook virtual revisit group (only prospective students and current students): email Kevin Newhall at kpn11@case.edu to be invited
• CWRU SOM Accepted Central:  https://sites.google.com/case.edu/2020-accepted-central/home-all-students?authuser=0 
• CWRU SOM housing guide:  https://media.veryapt.com/guides/HousingGuide/2019-case-western-housing-guide.pdf 
• Ask questions to current students on ZOOM (check email for details)
• Our social media accounts (student spotlights are being posted to instagram!):

And of course, this virtual tour!

Hi there future doctor doctors! I'm Uriel, and I'll be one of your tour guides for this "virtual" tour of Cleveland and CWRU!

I'm a 5th year MSTP student. My research focuses on cancer prevention & control and the Affordable Care Act . I just defended my PhD in Clinical Translational Science (**pause for applause**), and I'm looking forward to returning back to medical school to finish my clinical education.

I was born in Colorado, but grew up mostly in California. I attended the University of Southern California before I joined the CWRU MSTP. The first time I ever visited the Midwest was for my interview at CWRU, so I wasn't sure what to expect of Cleveland. I'm so glad I made the choice to come to CWRU; no place feels more like home than Cleveland. I wish you had the opportunity to visit Cleveland in person for second look, but let me and my colleagues show you around virtually!

Let's start off with the Health Sciences Campus. You were here often during the interview, so it's probably a good reference point -- all of the places we'll mention will be in relation to the HSC. Students tend to call the Health Science Campus the "Old Med School" now after the the Health Education Campus was built down the street, but I don't think the admin really likes it when we call it that...

I digress. The Health Sciences Campus is home to many of the labs of the the CWRU School of Medicine. Many students train in labs at the School of Medicine, but as MSTP students, we can also train with our CWRU faculty who have labs at the Cleveland Clinic, the Cleveland VA, MetroHealth Medical Center, or University Hospitals. The Health Sciences Campus is also home to our MSTP Office -- Diane, Kathy, Jane and Crista are always happy to see us (and dote on us with endless chocolates and sweets!)

So for the first two years in the MSTP, you'll spend a large part of your days on the Health Education Campus (HEC). If you got Apple Store ~vibes~ when you visited the HEC, it's because the architect of the building is none other than Sir Norman Foster! He is the "starchitect" behind many iconic buildings around the world, including several flagship Apple Stores. The HEC, is, of course, his magnum opus. It's stunning is it not? So much light, comfy couches (HEC-ya!), and tech. Also, it houses CWRU's Schools of Nursing and Dentistry and the Medical School's Physician Assistant program, which is important since it means you're constantly interacting with your future colleagues -- Medicine is a team sport!

The HEC is a 20 minute walk away by foot from the Health Science Campus. Shuttles operate every 5 - 10 minutes between the the HEC and the HSC as well! Or you could take the HealthLine (the Bus Rapid Transit System of the RTA; the RTA is the public transit agency of Cleveland; I would apologize about the number of acronyms I'm using, but the alphabet soup will continue...)! Oh, by the way, an RTA pass is offered to Grad Students at a SEVERELY discounted price so you should take advantage of it! In addition to Bus Rapid Transit lines and local bus routes, the RTA has 3 light-rail lines, and 1 heavy-rail (subway) line. The Red line subway passes right through campus and takes you all the way to the airport!

One of the fantastic things about being a CWRU Medical Student and a CWRU MSTP student is that we have the option to work with CWRU faculty at several different clinical affiliates (both in a research and clinical capacity). This multi-affiliate model is a key strength of CWRU since each of our affiliates have complementary research strengths and expose students to a variety of health care systems.

Cleveland is a health care mecca, and all of the major hospitals in the area are our clinical affiliates. Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center are all a close walk from the HEC and the HSC, while MetroHealth Medical Center is a 15 min drive away.

What I've come to appreciate about attending CWRU is all of the other resources around campus (outside of the Health Education and Health Sciences Campuses). There is a substantial undergraduate and graduate population (along with lots of students at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Cleveland Institute of Arts nearby), so there's a nice, vibrant, young energy the permeates the air!

Here, we'll cover some of the neighborhoods that are popular with our students!

• Uptown
• Little Italy
• Midtown
• University Circle
• Cleveland Heights (Cedar Fairmount, Coventry, Cedar Lee)
• Shaker Heights (Van Aken, Shaker Square, Larchmere)
• Downtown
• Ohio City / Tremont / Detroit Shoreway

Uptown is the neighborhood right next to the CWRU campus. It has everything a student could need -- Mitchell's Ice Cream, Chipotle, KungFu Boba Tea, Insomniac Cookies. Oh, yea, I guess the university bookstore is here too if you need to buy a book .

Little Italy is another neighborhood that's immediately adjacent to the Health Science Campus. The neighborhood has tons of historic charm and serves some of the best German food in town (kidding, obvi). It was originally settled by Italian immigrants who helped build the historic and majestic Lakeview Cemetery next door (you must pay a visit! people go there regularly, and it's not strange at all). Little Italy has long been a favorite stomping grounds for CWRU students.

Little Italy really comes alive in the summer, with people dining al fresco, and fun events like the art walk. Pretty much all of town comes to Little Italy for the annual Feast of the Assumption festival, which is not to be missed!

Oh look we just ran into! It's Hannah (PhD 1) and And Josie (MD2). And I think they're going on a run!

Midtown is so named because its halfway between Uptown/CWRU and Downtown. It's the neighborhood that's adjacent to the Cleveland Clinic and the Health Education Campus, so it's convenient for many students . Also home to Dave's (one of our regional supermarket chains), and the love of my life, Aldi.

University Circle is home to one of the densest concentrations of cultural institutions in the nation, and is also home to CWRU! It is so named because this where streetcars of yesteryear would terminate, and there used to be a circular turnabout to help the streetcars go back to downtown (this RTA Healthline covers most of this historic streetcar route).

Here's Michaela (PhD 1) to take us on a tour of the area!

Right up the hill from the HSC and the HEC is the City of Cleveland Heights! This is a popular place for students to live, study, and hang out. There are lots of little neighborhoods in Cleveland Heights, each with their own unique identity.

...now for our first stop on our tour of Cleveland Heights....

This is another stomping ground of CWRU students. Michaela is going to show us around, joined by Kevin Newhall (M1)!

after they jaywalked, smh...

Omg. What. We ran into Hannah and Josie again? They are quite the runners! And now they have the most adorable companion with them!

Next stop, Coventry! Coventry was the center of Cleveland's counterculture in the 60's, and still retains a distinctly bohemian, funky vibe. It's also another popular place for students to live and hang out. Also home to the Grog Shop  https://www.grogshop.gs/  , a popular live music venue.

Here to show us around, Katrina (PhD 2). Also, a cameo by Michael (PhD 2)! We sure are running into a lot of MSTP'ers during stay-at-home!

Katrina and Michael are going to go show us Cedar - Lee next! Cedar - Lee is a popular hang out place, especially at night. You can get a drink at Boss Dog Brewery, grab dinner at any one of the dozens of restaurants, and then a movie at the Cedar Lee Theater!

Right next door to the city of Cleveland Heights is the city of Shaker Heights! This idyllic city is popular for both students and faculty to live in and has a lot of great restaurants and recreational activities.

Hannah and Josie...again??? What are the chances?? Well, go on then, show us around!

Downtown Cleveland is the economic and cultural heart of the greater Cleveland - Akron metropolitan area (home to more than 3,500,000 people). Downtown is 5 miles west of CWRU, straight down Euclid Avenue, so it's a quick 10 minute drive. Alternatively you could ride the HealthLine or the Red line! There are so many things to do downtown that I’m tag-teaming this one with Razaq (M1), who hails from the Lone Star State. Here are just a few of our favorite places in Downtown ! 

Here are some our favorite places places in Downtown Cleveland!

These three neighborhood are on Cleveland's west side, across the Cuyahoga (Eastsiders: "Kai - Yah - HO - Ga"; Westsiders: "Kai - Yah - HAW - ga"; Southsiders: "COG-ah") river. It's about a 20 minute drive to get to them. I could do a whole virtual tour on each of the these neighborhoods, so I'll only cover these neighborhoods in broad strokes. They do share some commonalities, namely, they are quite trendy/hip, and many of Cleveland's young urban professionals (who aren't in medicine) call these neighborhoods home.

If you're looking for somewhere to spend your stipend dollars shopping, there are plenty of places to do it. Totally unrelated fact: the direct deposit hits on the last working day of the month :)

My weekends are 50% eating, 50% sleeping, 50% Netflix, 50% research, and 50% exploring Cleveland (yes, I am PhD - trained in biostatistics, why are you asking?). Here are some of the things I like do!

One thing I want to highlight in particular is the "Emerald Necklace" of Cleveland. The Emerald Necklace is a system of parks that surround Cleveland. The crown jewel? -- Cuyahoga Valley National Park! That's right, we have a national park in our own backyard! The Emerald Necklace and Cuyahoga Valley National Park offer four seasons fun, so they are all worth frequent visits. (Click through the pictures below for Mother Nature looking her finest)

Just a handful of other things to do...

Whew! I'm a little winded -- that was quite the tour, but we've only really scratched the surface. Nonetheless, I hope this gave you glimpse into our lives in Cleveland.

As much as I love Cleveland, what really makes this city feel like home is the people. My friends, colleagues, and mentors in the CWRU MSTP are the most charismatic, funny, intelligent, hard working, humble, and generous people I have ever met. Becoming a physician scientist is not easy, but the CWRU MSTP has unconditionally had my back through thick and thin. When I was choosing where to attend, I chose the place where I thought I felt the largest sense of community and support, and I have to say, I'm so glad I chose correctly.

I'll end with this: in these next few days, take the opportunity to get to know the people you'll be spending the next 7-8 years with -- other prospective students, the mentors you hope to work with, etc. These people will become part of your family. Here at CWRU, we are happy -- ecstatic, actually -- to connect with you. Drop in to chat on ZOOM (details emailed, thanks ZOOMbombers), send us an email, call us, text us, and/or follow us on social media!

Oh, ACTUALLY, I'll end with this: keep scrolling for some pics of our wacky, wild, and wonderful family!

Congratulations again,

Uriel (uxk13@case.edu)

We go to a state park (a different location each year) where we can enjoy the weather, each other's company, and welcome the new MSTP class. Oh. Almost forgot. There's some science mixed in, too.

...and after the sun dips below the the horizon, we all rise to our feet for...

Karaoke!

This is a very serious, somber event.

...NOT! Another great moment to celebrate a milestone with your friends!

(Usually held at the Glidden House or the Alumni House)

A cherished tradition is the White Elephant Gift Exchange!

We also have a dessert baking contest!

Just say the word, and a MSTP director will come to help you!