Scholarships and Awards

The medical school funds a variety of awards to support your professional development and recognize your accomplishments.

The Patrick Lee Foundation

The Patrick Lee Foundation is a private, family foundation committed to achieving immediate and measurable impact in the areas of education and mental health. Working with the University at Buffalo Department of Psychiatry, it has funded a number of important initiatives. 

The Patrick Lee Scholarship

The Patrick Lee Scholarship is for third- and fourth-year medical students from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo who are interested in pursuing careers in psychiatry. Students must be from one of the eight counties of Western New York, and will commit to practicing in Western New York for five years after their training.  Up to three scholars from each year will be selected to receive a scholarship for $32,000 per year.  

Requirements

  1. Each scholarship candidate must have graduated from a high school located within one of the eight counties of Western New York (Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming). Candidates outside of Western New York may be considered if they have strong ties to Western New York.
  2. Each scholarship recipient must be a U.S. citizen.
  3. Financial need of each scholarship candidate shall be considered when selecting recipients.
  4. Scholarship recipients will sign a pledge to live and work within the eight counties of Western New York for five continuous years following the completion of their residency and any subsequent subspecialty fellowships.

Application Process

Interested medical students should submit their CV and an essay describing why they are pursuing psychiatry and their commitment to practicing in Western New York to the psychiatry assistant to chair.

Assistant to the Chair

Kathy Benz

Assistant to the Chair

Psychiatry

ECMC, 462 Grider St., Buffalo, NY 14215

Phone: (716) 898-5945; Fax: (716) 898-4538

Email: kbenz@buffalo.edu

Please contact the director of medical student education or the residency program director with any questions.

Director, Medical Student Education

Camp, Charles

Charles Camp, MD

Director of Medical Student Education, Psychiatry; Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry; Medical Director, ECMC Partial Hospitalization Program

462 Grider St Buffalo, NY 14215

Phone: (716) 898-5080; Fax: (716) 898-6232

Email: ctcamp@buffalo.edu

Program Director

Pristach, Cynthia

Cynthia Pristach, MD

Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Residency Training in Psychiatry

University at Buffalo - Psychiatry Erie County Medical Center 462 Grider St. Rm 1168 Buffalo, NY 14215

Phone: (716) 898-4221

Email: pristac@buffalo.edu

Current Patrick Lee Scholarship scholars include:

  • James Thompson III, MD  PGY-4
  • Matthew Castellana, MD PGY-3
  • Justine Forrest, MD PGY-3
  • Austin Milbrand, MD PGY-2
  • Lauren Lucente, MD PGY-2
  • Madison Carlson, MD PGY-1
  • Maxwell Costich, MD PGY-1
  • Kevin Rogers, MD PGY-1
  • Madeline Carver MS4
  • Gary Iacobucci MS4
  • Brandon Mariotti MS4