Student Julie Centofanti appointed to NEOMED Board of Trustees

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has appointed third-year medical student Julie L. Centofanti to the NEOMED Board of Trustees as a student member. Her term extends to June 29, 2028.

TheBoardman resident earned her bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University. She is active in student groups at NEOMED, having served as co-president of the Internal Medicine Interest Group and participating as a pianist with Creatives in Medicine.

She shared her thoughts on her appointment and the future with The Pulse.

How did your appointment to the Board of Trustees come about?

My appointment was inspired by my interest in serving the student body and learning more about issues that impact our University.

During my undergraduate experience at Youngstown State University, I had the honor of serving as a student trustee on the YSU Board of Trustees. This was an excellent opportunity to learn more about higher education, constructing a strategic plan and representing the student body at the highest level. I was mentored by successful board members that have taught me to assess challenges by fostering a strategic plan, utilizing critical thinking skills and compromising as necessary. After these leadership experiences at YSU, I wanted to use my prior trustee knowledge to serve as a student trustee at NEOMED. 

During my first two years at NEOMED, I served as a student representative for the Practice of Medicine courses. In this role, my goal was to address questions and concerns between our students and faculty. Each week, I summarized information for our class to review, as well as pertinent medical techniques that we would review for upcoming seminars with local physicians. Through this position, I had the opportunity to interact with the student body to learn more about their concerns, as well as relaying this information to our course coordinators.

What are you looking forward to most in this role?

With my prior experience as a student trustee, I look forward to expanding on the skills that I learned to meet the needs of NEOMED. I look forward to collaborating with members of the Board of Trustees, University leadership and faculty to learn more about initiatives that will help our students achieve their professional and personal goals.

One of the most meaningful aspects of my role as student trustee at Youngstown State was meeting students from various majors, colleges and backgrounds. During our meetings, we introduced various student groups to the board, providing them with the opportunity to present to the YSU community. This was my guide to understanding the needs of all students. I am looking forward to connecting with students from each college at NEOMED and helping to expand the outreach of our University. I am honored to be selected as a student trustee, and I am excited to represent the student body at the highest level.

What is your biggest goal as a member of the board?

It has always been my dream to pursue a career in medicine and serve as a physician in Northeast Ohio. Upon serving as a Student Trustee at Youngstown State and discussing my future career, President Jim Tressel once told me that NEOMED was YSU’s medical school, and that YSU and my community would always be part of my future endeavors. My goal is for NEOMED to remain a pillar of education and continuity to help provide excellent physicians to our communities for many years to come. I will always do my best to advocate for NEOMED, which is my home.

I aim to be accessible to the student body and welcome all ideas that can be relayed to the board. I also hope to collaborate with other student entities on campus, including NEOMED Student Council, which can also provide information regarding student perception.

What inspired you to enter the health care field?

My inspiration to enter the healthcare field was driven by the compassion and care that my family received while my father was undergoing dialysis and receiving a kidney transplant. Even as a young girl, I will never forget the call that my father received from the hospital, informing him that a kidney may be available. While he was being wheeled into surgery, I will never forget the words of his transplant surgeon, Dr. Dai Nghiem: “I am going to take good care of your father. Do not worry.” In the future, I hope that I can console patients and their families in the way that my father’s physicians helped our family through this challenging time. I will never forget him. 

What do you enjoy most about being part of the NEOMED community?

The NEOMED community is truly welcoming, supporting all students through their various interests in medicine, research and leadership.

At NEOMED, I have had the opportunity to participate in research, advocacy and volunteer activities that aligned with my personal interests. For example, I have gained experience learning about liver cirrhosis and the gut microbiome with members of the Ferrell Lab (Jessie Ferrell, Ph.D.), which has helped me gain a better understanding of potential treatments of metabolic associated steatotic liver disease. This research experience at NEOMED earned first place at the Ohio American College of Physicians Conference in Columbus, Ohio, with the opportunity to present in San Francisco. This would never have been possible without the excellent mentorship at NEOMED.

Working with Dr. Austin Fredrickson and the Area Health Education Centers has provided the opportunity to invite students from my alma mater, South Range High School, to participate in a hands-on learning experience at NEOMED to discover opportunities within the medical field. Several of these students who attended this field trip are applying to NEOMED!

NEOMED also champions opportunities to showcase talent and culture. At the Multicultural Festival, I played the Tarentella and other Italian classics on the piano. I was delighted when many students from various cultural backgrounds started dancing! I also enjoyed learning more about their cultures and watching their performances.

These fantastic mentors and learning experiences have accentuated my love for medicine and truly make NEOMED feel like home.

Are you originally from Northeast Ohio? What’s something you enjoy about your hometown?

I am from Boardman, Ohio, which is located 20 minutes south of Youngstown. One of my favorite aspects of my hometown is the combination of nature and culture. We have wonderful local parks and museums, which fuel my hobby of photography, especially in the fall. As a musician, I enjoy watching music in the park with my family, as well as playing softball with my friends! Youngstown is also the perfect place catch an Italian festival and play bocce!

What’s a fun fact that most people may not already know about you?

I enjoy playing the piano! I have been studying music for nearly 20 years, and the piano has always been an outlet of relaxation and creativity to balance studies. Some of my favorite genres of music include jazz and ragtime, and I earned the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award when I was in high school. It really meant a lot to me to play the piano for the families of the donors at the Body Donor Memorial Service. I will never forget what I have learned from our donors and will have great respect for them the rest of my life. I hope to continue sharing my love for music with my patients, as music is truly an aspect of healing!