SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — More than 1,000 employees were recognized Thursday during Upstate Medical University’s annual Employee Recognition Day, celebrating career milestones ranging from five years to five decades of service.
Among those honored was Dr. Mantosh Dewan, Upstate Medical University President, who marked 50 years since beginning his medical journey in Central New York. Dewan came to Syracuse from India to train in psychiatry and said the reputation of the program drew him here.
“Well, I came here not knowing very much about Syracuse in particular, but the psychiatry program that I joined was very famous and had some amazing professors that I wanted to study under. And once I got the Syracuse training, there was no other place that I wanted to be,” Dewan said.
Since arriving at Upstate Medical University, Dewan has served as a physician, educator, department chair and now president of the university. According to Upstate Medical University, he has authored 35 books and book chapters, written 75 academic papers and remains active in patient care.
When asked what accomplishment stands out most after decades of service, Dewan pointed to his time in the classroom.
“Probably most proud of being a faculty member here. I love working with students, and this has given me a chance to work with students who are at the medical school level and the residents, and it’s just been a joy,” he said.
Although the event recognized his personal milestone, Dewan said the celebration was really about the people who make Upstate what it is.
“Well, you’re absolutely right. It should not be about me. It’s about the thousand people we are recognizing today, but even more importantly, the 13,000 people who make Upstate Medical University a truly special place. That’s who we are here to celebrate.”
Looking ahead, Dewan said his focus remains on expanding access to care across Central New York.
“We have goals, and, again, these are collective goals to always be better and bigger, because we need to keep serving everybody who walks through, whether it’s a student or a patient,” he said.
If he could offer one piece of advice to the young doctor who first arrived in Syracuse nearly five decades ago, it would be simple: “You’ve got a wonderful life to look forward to. Go enjoy it.”