Where Are They Now?

A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Maxine Ames is an Attending Physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in Springfield, PA. She joined the CHOP team in 2022 after spending four years as a General Pediatrician at Torresdale Pediatrics in Bensalem, PA, where she practiced general outpatient pediatrics, conducted nursery rounding, and served as response co-captain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, Dr. Ames utilized her medical knowledge and expertise as a grant writer and editor at ACCESS Community Health Center in New York City, a federally qualified health center serving adults with special needs and those with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level. 

Dr. Ames is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Pennsylvania Medical Society. She is the recipient of the Richard C. Gozon Compassion in Medicine award, the Cornell University Honors in Academic Excellence & Service to the Dean award, and was nominated for the Jefferson Volunteer Faculty Award. In 2015, she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She has authored and contributed to numerous publications and abstracts and has held positions on professional committees, including the Resident Education Committee at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she collaborated with chief residents to enhance the educational experience in the hospital’s residency program. From 2016 to 2018, Dr. Ames served as the Director of the Orange Street Clinic, a free, resident-run clinic held at the Salvation Army Shelter for women and children in downtown Wilmington, DE. The clinic provided acute care to children at the shelter and assisted in their transition to a medical home.

Dr. Ames earned her medical degree from the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in 2015 and a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in 2010. She completed her residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital/A. I. duPont Hospital for Children. 

What’s the best part of your day? 

My day is spent seeing patients, sick and well, from birth to age 18 years in my office. I love seeing the children I met as newborns grow and reach new milestones. It is such a privilege to be able to care for a person’s child and to be entrusted with monitoring their health as they grow.

What attracted you to apply to a new medical school? 

I was excited about the innovative curriculum. I knew I learned best in small group settings and was looking forward to the case-based learning. From day one, we were asked to “trust the process,” and they were right. The focus on “process over content” set me up well for lifelong learning. Even in just the 10 years since graduation, medicine has undergone significant changes, and I feel grateful for the tools I acquired during medical school that continue to help me grow and advance my practice of medicine. 

What was it like to be a member of the Zucker School of Medicine’s (then, the Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine) inaugural Class of 2015? 

Being a member of the inaugural class was so special and the opportunity to be involved from day one was unique. There were many more faculty than students initially, and we could tell that our time and attention were in demand. Both the school and hospital system were so excited to have us, every department, every area was thrilled to have us involved if we were interested. It was also remarkable that there was no precedent for different issues that would come up, such as the dress code- we were asked to draft one.

How did the Zucker School of Medicine help prepare you for what you are doing now?

One of the areas in which I felt most prepared for residency was communicating effectively with patients.  I am grateful for all the attention we gave “purple time.” Purple time was what we called the portion of the curriculum that focused on communication with patients. How to gather a history, build trust, and communicate effectively. This was vital during residency. There was SO MUCH to learn about pediatric wellness, illness, and treatment, and already feeling confident in my ability to clearly and efficiently communicate with families allowed me to gather information proficiently. 

Has the school's awareness and reputation grown over the years since you graduated?

The school's reputation has only increased since I graduated. Early on, I would sometimes hear, “I didn’t know Hofstra had a medical school?!” but I never had to clarify that anymore. 

Are there any other physicians or healthcare professionals in your family? 

My grandparents and great grandparents were pharmacists, but I am the first physician. 

Do you have any inspiring words or words of advice for our current students?

Trust the process. It is understandable to feel so eager to advance to the more clinical part of medical school that you want to breeze through the first two years, but that time is vital for setting the foundation of your medical knowledge. You will see plenty of patients during the rest of your training, but really dig in during PEARLS, try to learn as much as you can, because it is hard to find time to focus on the hard sciences again. I would love to spend a semester in the structure lab getting to review the anatomy in a hands-on way, but that period of medical learning is very brief and mostly doesn’t come up again.  I also didn’t appreciate at the time how special the access to experts you have as a medical student is. I felt so welcome to pose questions or raise concerns, even to the most senior chair, as a medical student at Hofstra- that is very rare. Lastly, take advantage of the mentorship… and stay in touch! The faculty is so kind, thoughtful, and generous with their time and attention.  Since graduation, I have sought out advice and guidance, and I am grateful to have such insightful mentors available. 

Is there anything else you would like us to know, perhaps an unusual story about you or your background or experiences?

When the occasion arises and I need to share a fun fact about myself, I often mention that I was the first graduate of my medical school.  I am very proud to have been in the inaugural class, but I was also first alphabetically, and so I was the first graduate from the medical school ever!