Elizabeth Crinzi, MD
Kindness among faculty and residents, strong dedication to the surrounding community, and a wide variety of training opportunities were the main reasons why Elizabeth Crinzi, MD, chose the Jacobs School for her residency training.
Elizabeth Crinzi, MD, is a PGY-2 trainee in the combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency program.
Originally from Orchard Park, NY, she moved to Pittsburgh to complete her undergraduate degrees in molecular biology and French at the University of Pittsburgh before returning home for medical school at the University at Buffalo.
When looking at med-peds residency programs, what qualities were most important to you?
Kindness among faculty and residents, strong dedication to our surrounding community, and wide variety of training opportunities. As a med-peds resident, we have the unique opportunity to engage with both the internal medicine and pediatrics programs separately, which easily lends itself to mentorship, research, and networking.
I wanted to be sure to choose a program that balanced the depth our training with maintaining its own identity. Importantly, availability of opportunities for advocacy and to advance health equity was non-negotiable.
What specific attributes about UB’s program appealed to you the most?
During my fourth year of medical school, I had the privilege of being a part of the Generalist Scholars program, which allowed me to participate in research and join conferences with UB med-peds residents.
I was able to see firsthand the confidence, collaboration, and support that UB’s program fosters. Rotating between four hospitals serving the diverse populations of our region cultivates a clear sense of determination and flexibility.
What is the training atmosphere like in the residency program?
The faculty are down-to-earth, get to know us personally and make it a priority to create a family-like environment. Training can be difficult, and it’s important for us check in on each other regularly. I have made lifelong friendships among my co-residents as we grow together into our professional careers.
Did your involvement in UB’s Community Health Equity Research Institute (CHERI) project that documented housing conditions for Black residents in Buffalo impact your decision to pursue med-peds as a specialty?
In medical school I was incredibly fortunate to work with Henry Louis Taylor Jr. PhD, one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable advocates for racial justice in Buffalo.
We created a project to investigate the intersection of longstanding neighborhood segregation and health outcomes among Black residents on the East Side. I performed on-the-ground assessments of housing disparities and reviewed U.S. Census tract data by zip code to evaluate household income, rent burden, employment and educational levels.
Overall, the experience deepened my connection with the community and inspired a passion to advocate for the social determinants of health. The housing disparities that negatively impact Buffalo’s Black residents are closely linked to the diseases we spend much of our training trying to control in adults and children.
Treating lifelong chronic illness with longstanding patient relationships is what drew me to medicine and ultimately to med-peds.