Staff Members of The Morchand Center

Terry Sommer
Director

Tel: 212-241-0612
E-mail: terry.sommer@mssm.edu

Terry brings a longtime background in acting, actor-training, business theater and the world of international relations to her position. Terry oversees all activities at the Center, which puts roughly 2,500 trainees through some 30-plus programs each year. In addition, under Terry's stewardship the Center has consistently developed new formats that apply Standardized Patient (SP) methodology and theater-in-education principals beyond strictly undergraduate and graduate medical school assessment. A sampling of some of the programs developed under Terry's stewardship include: the Employee Customer Service Training, a multi-year undertaking targeted to the 600 staff employees of Mount Sinai's Faculty Practice, including role play workshops, simulated video encounters with SPs and SP mystery shoppers; the New York Organ and Tissue Donation Consent Coordinator Trainings and Union-MSSM Bioethics Trainings. In addition, Terry has directed a variety of training videos using SPs and leads workshops in listening and communication using theater techniques. Terry has a Group Leader Certification from The Center for Group Studies, a New York psychoanalytic institute.

Erica Friedman, MD
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education

Tel: 212-241-0612
E-mail: erica.friedman@mssm.edu

Dr. Friedman is Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education and oversees the curriculum and the assessment for the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She led the development and implementation of a comprehensive assessment of medical students at the end of the second and third years of medical school. These assessments include the use of Standardized Patients to provide feedback to students about their clinical skills in history taking, physical examination, written and oral communication and in diagnostic and ethical reasoning.

Katharine Yamulla
Program Coordinator

Tel: 212-241-0653
E-mail: katharine.yamulla@mssm.edu

Katie has lent her talents in various capacities to the Morchand Center since 2006. Katie’s experience as a Standardized Patient (SP), then as an SP Trainer and Program Facilitator, provided her with the valuable tools needed to excel in her current position as Program Coordinator. In addition to coordinating the daily programs, Katie also oversees the computer and video systems used at the Morchand Center, directs and edits training/industrial videos, assists with the casting of standardized patients and co-trains the SPs/Facilitators for many of the programs. Katie holds a B.A. from DeSales University (magna cum laude) and has acted with many professional theater companies. A proud member of Actors Equity, she has performed with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Theatre for the New City, Manhattan Theatre Source, Main Street Theatre, Neighborhood Playhouse, Blatt's Theatre and the Workshop Theater Company. In the areas of Television and Film, she has appeared on MTV in a promo spot for the hit show "24" and was featured in a Time Warner Cable commercial. She has also tapped into her talents for organization and administration in the corporate world, where she has worn a variety of hats for companies such as Toshiba, Lexus, Roundabout Theatre Company and Martha Stewart Living. As a member of the Morchand team, Katie is able to combine her love for the medical profession with her passion for acting.

Erin McGuigan
Administrative Assistant

Tel: 212-241-0612
E-mail: erin.mcguigan@mssm.edu

Erin brings many diverse skills to The Morchand Center, previously working as an administrative assistant for environmental consulting and architecture firms. She has a B.A. in Women's Studies and is also a student of holistic healthcare - pursuing her interests in yoga, massage therapy and aesthetics.

The Ensemble

In addition to the permanent staff, the Center relies on a rotating cast of 150 professional actors who are trained to portray standardized patients and evaluate participants. More than 1000 professional actors are in our database, as well as various proctors, who help facilitate the daily programs and video techs and control and monitor the videotaping of all seven interactions simultaneously.

Actor Submissions

Send a hard copy of your headshot/resume via US mail or email us at:
MorchandActorSubmission@gmail.com
Note: This is the only email address. Please do not phone or email the staff directly. Your consideration is appreciated.