Grand Rounds Speaker | Dr. Michael E. Zenilman

Oct 31, 2024

The SUNY Downstate Department of Surgery was honored to welcome Dr. Michael E. Zenilman back to SUNY Downstate as a Grand Rounds speaker. Dr. Zenilman is a graduate of SUNY Downstate Medical School and was the Clarence Dennis Professor and Chair of Surgery at SUNY Downstate for 10 years. 

Dr. Zenilman is currently the Chairman of the Department of Surgery NewYork-Presbyterian at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, the Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, and a Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. 

Dr. Zenilman is a distinguished surgeon, established researcher, and prominent leader in surgery. He has more than 100 peer reviewed articles, published chapters in textbooks, and served on the editorial boards of prominent journals including JAMA Surgery and the American Journal of Surgery. He has integrated community and academic surgery centers, developed quality assurance programs, and created mentoring programs for junior faculty. 

Dr. Zenilman gave an inspiring talk titled “Surgical Heroes: Who are Yours?” He included a description of SUNY Downstate’s role in surgical history, including its contribution to the invention of cardiopulmonary bypass. Dr. Zenilman emphasized the importance of learning about the history of surgery and famous surgeons. A memorable quote included, “If you are going to stand on the shoulders of giants, you should know who you are standing on.” We thank to Dr. Zenilman for generously returning to Downstate to share his knowledge and expertise with our Department of Surgery at SUNY Downstate.