A School of Medicine grad stays close — and gives back

As an undergraduate, Robert M. Corey, MD ’13, was doing everything he could to have an outstanding medical school application, including shadowing physicians in his hometown of Pittston. That’s when he began to hear the news that a local coalition was working to establish a medical school in Scranton.

“Even before I ever heard that the charter class would receive financial help, there was this excitement among the local clinicians,” he said. “Many of the doctors and surgeons that I had worked with were so eager for the opportunity to teach.”

It was his mentors’ desire to give back and to teach that inspired Dr. Corey to apply to the new medical school to join its first class.

Once he joined the charter Class of 2013, Dr. Corey never looked back. He’s gone on to a career he loves as an orthopaedic surgeon for the Guthrie Health System and as the team doctor for Cornell’s basketball teams, having added a sports medicine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic to his orthopaedic residency at St. Louis University. One of the best parts of working for the Guthrie system, he said, is the opportunity that he has to work with medical students from Geisinger.

“I’ve had a number of medical students from Geisinger observing and scrubbing into my surgeries,” he said. “I’ve also had students with questions about getting into orthopaedics and the match process, so I’ve opened up my phone to them. I’ve always been interested in mentoring students in the same way my mentors have helped me.”

In addition to teaching and mentoring, Dr. Corey has made a philanthropic gift to Geisinger School of Medicine.

“I’ve been so impressed by the substantial growth of our school over the years,” he said. “When I left, it was a tiny medical school. There were no residencies, no fellowships, and now, with Geisinger the growth’s exploded, I want to give back, particularly to people from the area who want to stay in the region.”