The Guthrie Scholars program was initiated in 1990 to address the shortage of residents and primary care physicians in northeastern Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York. As part of the program, exceptional high school students are admitted to a medical school as high school seniors, and are provided with a semester of field experience during their senior year of undergraduate study. The Scholars program is a cooperative arrangement among Guthrie, Wilkes University, SUNY Upstate Medical Center at Syracuse, Hershey Medical Center, and Drexel University College of Medicine.

Below you will find more information on some of our past Guthrie Scholars.

Class of 2005 

Five Wilkes University seniors recently completed a semester of clinical observation and research on the Sayre campus as part of the Guthrie Scholars Program. Initiated in 1990 to assist in addressing the decreased interest of residents and physicians in providing medical service to rural areas in northeastern Pennsylvania and contiguous counties in the southern tier of New York, the goal of the program is to provide exceptional high school students an opportunity to be admitted to a medical school as a high school senior and to obtain a semester of field experience on Guthrie’s Sayre campus during their senior year at Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA. This semester’s participants were Rajitha Devadoss, Larissa Dobransky, Elizabeth Miller, Abhishek Nemani and Kristin Pisani.

The semester on the Sayre campus during the scholar's senior year at Wilkes University has been determined to equal a traditional 15-credit academic semester. The Guthrie Scholar's time while on the Sayre campus is divided among a research project, and attending Medical Grand Rounds, Surgical Grand Rounds, resident and student lectures, Teaching Rounds, conferences, and shadowing doctors, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, allied health care providers, administrators, and other personnel from departments throughout the campus. This experience includes spending one week in the Wellsboro regional office, two days with Guthrie Hospice and Guthrie Home Care, one day with the Greater Valley Emergency Medical Services, and one day with the STAT MedEvac flight team.

"The Guthrie Scholars Program is a unique opportunity for local students who are interested in becoming physicians,” said Shelly Monks, Administrative Director of Medical Education. “Based on feedback from the Guthrie Scholars, it provides the advantage of spending one semester observing all aspects of the health care environment prior to beginning medical school. We are very excited that the Guthrie Scholars Program is celebrating its 15th year with 85 individuals at all levels of training, undergraduate, medical school, residency and a few who are in practice at Guthrie. Dr. Lee Meyers is a family medicine physician currently practicing at the Wellsboro regional office, Pediatrician Dr. Karen Ephlin currently practices on the Sayre campus and Dr. Matt Novak is completing his third year of residency in Internal Medicine at Robert Packer Hospital."

Class of 2004

Back Row: Gina Mosier, Medical Education  Administrative Coordinator (far left), Michael Brown (Drexel), Jason McDermott (SUNY Upstate),  Eric Eutsler (Drexel) Bottom Row: Kristen Jones (PCOM), David Grasso (Drexel) Shelly Monks, Medical Education Administrative Director

Class of 2002

Two Guthrie Scholars in their senior year at Wilkes University are conducting research this semester under the direction of scientists at the Guthrie Research Institute. Jaya Nemani of Vestal, New York, is working closely with Shulamith Shafer, Ph.D., in the laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, under the direction of Carol Williams, Ph.D. In her study, "Effects of the Rho Kinase Inhibitor Y27632 on Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation and Morphology," Nemani is studying how the enzyme Rho kinase affects small cell and non-small cell lung cancer in search of ways to inhibit metastasis and cell growth of lung cancer. Suraj Puttaniah of Endicott, New York, is working in the Laboratory of Immunobiology under the direction of mentor Vicky Hickey, research technician, and lab director Donald H. Beezhold, Ph.D. Puttaniah’s project, "Identification of the Lipid Transfer Protein in Hevea brasiliensis," is aimed at determining whether a certain protein found in the rubber plant (Hevea brasiliensis) is a latex allergen. Nemani and Puttaniah plan to attend SUNY Upstate University School of Medicine and MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine, respectively. Guthrie scholars are provided with an intensive, semester-long introduction to the operation of an academic medical center. Visit www.guthrie.org/residency/scholars to listen to audio clips of recent Guthrie scholars describing their experiences.

The spring 2002 Guthrie Scholars, Jeff Ward and Jennifer Lewis, both of Wilkes University, were recognized at a luncheon on April 30. Guthrie Scholars spend a semester on Guthrie’s Sayre campus and at Guthrie’s regional facilities learning about all aspects of care in a rural medical center by participating in research, shadowing physicians and other providers and observing surgical procedures. Also this spring, past Guthrie Scholars Jaya Nemani and Jeff Ward graduated from Wilkes University and will enter SUNY Upstate Medical Center’s medical school program in the fall; Suraj Puttanniah and Jennifer Lewis will attend MCP Hahnemann Medical School. Amy Blake, Carrie Bohenick, Michael Fras, Kelly Kellmel, Bill Lavelle, Jill Fasciana McCoy, Elizabeth "Betsy" Purdy, William Su and Tara Wilson have graduated from MCP Hahnemann Medical School, and Preeti Patel, Niral Shah and Chris Sung have completed medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical Center.

Four area pre-med students recently completed the Guthrie Scholars program, concluding with a luncheon hosted by the Medical Education Department. Melissa Petras and Pia Chatterjee, both of Endicott, NY, Lance Henninger of New Albany, PA, and Deidre Blake of Binghamton, NY, spent their fall semesters on the Guthrie’s Sayre campus.

Petras is a senior Biology Major at Wilkes University and will begin medical school next fall at Upstate Medical University, Health Science Center in Syracuse, NY. Chatterjee is a senior Biochemistry major at Wilkes University and will attend MCP Hahnemann University Medical School next fall. Henninger is a senior Biology major at Wilkes University and will attend MCP Hahnemann University School of Medicine next fall. Blake is a senior at Wilkes University majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and will attend medical school at Upstate Medical University, Health Science Center at Syracuse, NY.

Congratulations to the Guthrie Scholars from Wilkes University who recently completed their Spring semester at Guthrie. They are, (L-R): Erin Stewart, Amanda Robski and Robert Cooney. 

Class of 2000

The winter semester, three Wilkes University senior pre-med students attended the program. They are Andrew Clark, Kerri Kissell and Joe Scordino. The trio was recently recognized with a luncheon by the Medical Education Department.

The spring semester Scholars from Wilkes University were, (L-R): Dora Lam and Kathleen Terrenoire. 

Guthrie Scholars Alisa Merolli and Lisa Werheiser pose for a photo following their semester at Guthrie's Sayre campus.  Merolli, from Shakerstown, PA and Werkheiser, from Saylorsburg, PA gained early admission to medical school through the Guthrie Scholars Program.  While in Sayre campus, the women spent half their time involved in bench research with Dr. Aronstam and Dr. Carol Williams, and the other half shadowing health care professionals, including physicians, residents, nurses, social workers, and even the chaplain.

The semester recently spent in Sayre included participating in research at Guthrie Research Institute, shadowing physicians and other health care providers in Guthrie Clinic in Sayre and Wellsboro, and learning about many areas of the hospital environment such as Pastoral Services, Social Work, Ethics Committee, Employee Health program, Employee Assistance Program, safety & Security and the Dietary Department.

Guthrie Scholars, seated (left to right): Kelly Kellmel and Amy Blake, standing: Preeti Patel, Bill Lauelle, Carrie Bohenick, Jill Fasciana, Jacqui Benedict, Guthrie Scholar Advisor; and Dr. Fred Rose, Medical Director, medical education.

Currently six Guthrie Scholars are in residence in the student dormitory. During their semester in Sayre, they will attend medical grand rounds and lectures, shadow physicians, observe in the OR, and complete either a scientific or clinical research project. They will also spend much of their time in the Family Medicine Center or in one of the rural clinics so that they will be exposed to all aspects of the hospital and clinical environments. Please join in welcoming these students as they embark on a journey that will help shape the future of health care.

• How Do I Enroll?
• What Our Past Scholars Are Saying
• Meet Some Of Our Past Scholars
• 2002 End of Year Reception