Published:

“Adelphi had a strong reputation. Its graduates had a high acceptance rate to medical schools,” said Dr. Kennedy.

Member of Adelphi University’s Profiles in Success program.

Chief Medical Officer at Precision Urgent Care; Medical Director for the Suffolk County Medical Department; Attending Physician, St. Francis Hospital; Chief Medical Officer/President, Expert Medical Care

Memorable faculty: Dr. Richard Lund

Advice for current students: Determination plus motivation plus passion equals success. Remember “CLICK.” Care, about people, yourself, family and friends. Listen carefully to the advice of others. Implement your dreams and plans; don’t just talk about what you want to do, do it! Communicate effectively with people, be clear and focused. Kindness: treat others with respect and kindness, as you would want to be treated. You get what you give.

Dr. Michael Kennedy ’81 is a sports and emergency medicine physician. He has made a career for himself doing the work he always hoped he would be doing, and he credits his success to a great support system of people who helped him along the way. “I am grateful that angels showed up along the way to help,” he said.

Ever since he struggled rehabilitating after a high school football injury, he was inspired to become a doctor. When it came time to choose a college, he picked Adelphi because of the caliber of its pre-med program. “Adelphi had a strong reputation. Its graduates had a high acceptance rate to medical schools,” said Dr. Kennedy, who double majored in biology and psychology.

His mother, Tery Grant, a psychotherapist, was also an Adelphi graduate. Dr. Kennedy said the unwavering encouragement his mother and grandmother provided him was central to his ability to pursue such a rigorous education and career path.

At Adelphi, in addition to balancing a full course load, he got hands on experience working as a trainer for Adelphi men’s lacrosse and traveling to games with the team. Off campus, he volunteered in the emergency room at North Shore Hospital in Manhasset to make certain he was well suited to become a physician. In addition, he worked several part time jobs.

He found a mentor in Dr. Richard Lund, his pre-med advisor and a professor of biology. To this day, Dr. Kennedy has vivid memories of meeting him for lunch at the Rathskeller. “Professor Lund would tell me exactly what classes I needed to take to get into medical school. I used to joke that I was in ‘The Lund Program,’” he said. “I could have fallen off the radar, but Lund gave me a shot and believed in me.”

After completing his undergraduate degree from Adelphi, Dr. Kennedy applied to medical school at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. His mom provided him money for airfare to Fort Worth to get to his interview. He met with a panel made up of a faculty member, administrator, and a current medical student who was the first in his class. That medical student was also an Adelphi alumnus. Dr. Kennedy was accepted to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The day he was moving out and loading up his car, his grandmother asked if he had packed his Adelphi diploma. “I hadn’t received my diploma yet because I still owed the University $600 but didn’t have the money for the bill,” he said. His grandmother walked up to her bedroom and came back downstairs with his final payment in cash. “The day I’m supposed to leave for Texas I had to drive to Garden City, and go to several offices across campus to get that diploma. I pleaded with everyone that they needed to give it to me, that my grandma wouldn’t let me leave for medical school without it!” he said

After earning his D.O. degree in osteopathic medicine, he returned to New York to pursue his surgical internship at Flushing Hospital Medical Center. While attending college he volunteered at North Shore Hospital, and was introduced to Dr. John Mountain. Dr. Mountain shared with Dr. Kennedy his wisdom and counsel, and provided advice about residency programs and future career options.

It was Dr. Mountain who wrote a letter recommending Dr. Kennedy for the emergency medicine residency at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, to which Dr. Kennedy was interviewed for and was accepted. “At the Medical College of Pennsylvania I was surrounded by Ivy League educated students,” said Dr. Kennedy. “Dr. Mountain was an esteemed clinician, surgeon and teacher. I have no doubt his recommendation played a big role in helping me get into such a prestigious program.”

Over the course of his more than 20 year career, Dr. Kennedy has served as core faculty at North Shore University Hospital at Manhasset, assistant director at Plainview Hospital and chairman of Emergency Medicine at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center. In 2004, he also went on to earn his M.B.A. from Cornell University. Today he is an attending physician at St. Francis Hospital, a police surgeon for the Suffolk County’s Office, and the chief medical officer and president at Expert Medical Care. He cares for a wide range of injuries of athletes of all ages and sporting events.

In addition to these roles, in June 2014, he opened the acute urgent care center, Precision Urgent Care, less than two miles from his alma mater. “I spent four years in this area as an Adelphi student. Now I’ve returned to work in this town as its physician,” he said. “Nothing is better than having this opportunity to be part of this community again.”

Dr. Kennedy resides with his family in Lloyd Harbor, Long Island. His son, Christian, earned his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in 2014 and his daughter, Courtney, a promising athlete, is a junior at Cold Spring High School.

Published August 2014


For further information, please contact:

Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director 
p – 516.237.8634
e – twilson@adelphi.edu

Contact
Phone Number
More Info
Location
Levermore Hall, 205
Search Menu