Media Advisory: In virtual talent show, UB medical school students and faculty share artistic sides

BUFFALO, N.Y. – They sing and dance, perform on the piano and ukulele, paint with oils or henna, indulge a pet cat’s musical preferences and play diabolo, a derivative of the Chinese yo-yo.

They are the faculty, students, medical residents or trainees of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Many spent the past year on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, caring for patients with COVID-19, some of whom were gravely ill.

Now, at the end of this extraordinary academic year, the Jacobs School community is coming together, virtually, to showcase the artistic talents they pursue in their “off” hours and to have some fun.

The virtual event is free and open to the public. Click here for a sneak peek.

The show is the brainchild of Archana Mishra, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine in the Jacobs School and a physician with UBMD Internal Medicine. Mishra got the idea when her niece was married during the pandemic, explaining her inspiration:

“Our family is dispersed all over the world, and with travel restrictions in place, it was obvious that an entirely in-person wedding would be impossible. Instead, we each decided we would do a little virtual performance for the couple,” she said. “None of us are particularly talented, but despite that (or maybe because of it), the celebration was a lot of fun. As soon as we were done with the wedding, I thought, ‘Why not do the same with my other family- UB?’”

The result is the Jacobs School’s inaugural talent celebration of faculty, residents and students, which Mishra expects will become an annual affair.

“Be prepared for an evening of fun as you enjoy the show, judge our top performances, and play games,” she says, adding that attendees should tune in on time to earn extra points for a chance to be the virtual talent trivia winner.

When: Wednesday, April 28 at 5 pm on Zoom. It is free and open to the public. To register: https://buffalo.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYrcOmvqTwrG9IHuHVFo_vqPs5Fp3QiyKNQ

What: Faculty, trainees and students perform with musical instruments, they dance in the Bollywood style and share their visual art. One participant sings a song in Bengali; another performs a composition by Bach; two students perform on the ukulele. The event will also feature a trivia contest and “Talent Treasure Hunt”. Audience members can vote on their favorite performance and compete in the online games.

Who: More than two dozen Jacobs School faculty, students and trainees will perform in the talent competition. Students in their first through fourth years are participating as well as UB faculty and medical residents who care for patients at UB’s partner hospitals including Buffalo General Medical Center, John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, the Veterans Administration Health Care System of Western New York and Erie County Medical Center. Some of their nursing colleagues have also joined in on the fun.

UB President Satish K. Tripathi and Kamlesh Tripathi, Michael Cain, vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School and Peggy Cain will be in attendance. Alan Lesse, senior associate dean for medical curriculum, will be master of ceremonies.