Dr. Benjamin Hartley, a resident in neurological surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded the 2020 Pioneers in Diversity Bruce Laine Ballard, M.D. Award. The award recognizes commitment to improving student life and to fostering a supportive environment where all students are able to thrive. Dr. Hartley was recognized for his work as co-founder of the Primes Mentorship Program as well as his ongoing efforts to develop and expand the program.
Primes (Program for Individualized Mentorship Education Solutions) is a unique near-peer mentorship system that pairs current medical students with undergraduates from underrepresented demographics who are interested in medicine. The pairs follow a comprehensive curriculum that includes targeted objectives and tracking tools to assess progress. The program was co-founded in 2018 by Dr. Hartley, neurosurgeon Caitlin Hoffman, MD, and Cristina Londono, who at the time was a medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College and is now a resident in Seattle.
Dr. Hartley will be presented with his award, which includes a $1,000 prize in addition to a plaque, during Weill Cornell Medicine’s annual Diversity Week (which will be rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic).
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