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INFORMATION FOR

Cynthia Frary McNamara, MD, FACP

Assistant Professor; Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine

Contact Information

Cynthia Frary McNamara, MD, FACP

Appointments

Biography

Dr. Cynthia Frary McNamara is an Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, Traditional Track. She is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and is an internist at the Veterans Administration Hospital Connecticut. She is honored to provide primary care for our country’s veterans and to teach medical trainees. She is part of the Women's and Gender Health Education core faculty. Her interests also include medical education, mentorship, social and identity-based determinants of health, global and rural health, and health disparity.  She has received two Yale/Stanford Johnson & Johnson Global Health Scholar awards to serve as a teaching physician in Uganda and Rwanda and has worked providing primary care in areas of Central America.

Education & Training

  • Resident
    Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1994)
  • MD
    Cornell University Medical College (1991)
  • BS
    Boston College, Biochemistry (1987)
  • Medical Education Fellowship
    Yale School of Medicine

Certifications

  • Board Certification
    AB of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (1994, recertified: 2014)

Activities

  • Development of an ambulatory addiction medicine curricula for internal medicine (IM) residencies at two Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities
    Boston, MA, United States 2023
    Society of General Internal Medicine
  • Development of an ambulatory addiction medicine curricula for internal medicine (IM) residencies at two Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities
    Washington, DC, United States 2023
    AMERSA
  • Integration of an ambulatory addiction medicine two-week curriculum within an Internal Medicine (IM) residency at a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility
    Yale School of Medicine Medical Education Day Virtual Poster Presentation 2023
    Yale Medical Education Day
  • Teaching politically charged, controversial topics: the challenge for women’s and gender health
    Yale School of Medicine Medical Education Day Virtual Poster Presentation 2023
    Yale Medical Education Day
  • Teaching politically charged, controversial topics: the challenge for women’s and gender health
    Aurora, CO, United States 2023
    Society of General Internal Medicine
  • Socioeconomic determinants of health (SDOH) in the Yale Office-based medicine (YOBM) curriculum.
    Yale School of Medicine Medical Education Day Virtual Poster Presentation 2022
    Yale Medical Education Day
  • Telephone Medicine
    Gave a talk on the history of virtual care and how to incorporate telephone and video medical visit into clinical care. 2021
    Noon Conference

Honors & Recognition

AwardAwarding OrganizationDate
Medical Education FellowshipYale University School of Medicine2021
Nominee, Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine AwardYale School of Medicine2021
Nominee, Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine AwardYale School of Medicine2020
Humanism AwardYale Internal Medicine Residency Program2019
Compassion in Healthcare 2018 Essay ContestIntima, a journal of narrative medicine2018
I CARE Department of Veterans AffairsDepartment of Veterans Affairs2014
Yale/Stanford Global Health Scholars ProgramYale School of Medicine2011, 2017
Fellow, American College of Physicians1999
Varoon Mahajan Memorial Scholarship Award1991
Summa Cum LaudeBoston College1987
Phi Beta KappaBoston College1987

Professional Service

OrganizationRoleDate
International Medical ReliefDisaster Area Relief Team Physician2023 - Present
Program for Humanities in MedicineI coordinated and administered the 2022 Program for Humanities in Medicine Creative Writing and Arts contest. The contest included submissions from participants who were students in a Yale Health Program. Categories included prose, poetry, and visual arts. I was also involved in the coordination of the workshop entitled The Queer Family Making Event. I also provided de-briefing for clinical year medical students between clerkships.2022
Program for Humanities in MedicineInterim Director2022
Christ Episcopal Church VestryWork to maintain the finances and other committees in the Church2021 - Present
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare Committee, VA ConnecticutThe Schwartz Rounds program offers opportunity for discussion in panel format topics with social and emotional dilemmas faced in patient care. The committee chooses relevant topics and panelists and moderates the discussion.2020 - Present
Scarce Resource Allocation Committee, VA ConnecticutThis committee has worked to decide how to allocate scarce resources during the pandemic. Tasks have included decisions regarding allocation of ventilators, blood, oxygen, and medications for outpatient treatment and prevention of COVID.2020 - Present
Diversity Committee, VA ConnecticutThis committee started creating policy for expectations of respectful behavior amongst patients and employees towards one another.2019 - 2020
ACP Connecticut Chapter Scientific MeetingFacilitator, Women's Breakfast2019
ACP Connecticut Chapter Scientific MeetingPoster Session2018 - 2020
Community Health Partnership - HondurasWorked to arrange interim services for residents of rural villages in La Florida, Honduras; Provided medical care and collaborated with local health care workers and health promotors to arrange for longitudinal care in a medical clinic in Opatoro, La Florida, Honduras.2018 - 2019
Community Health Partnership - HondurasProvided medical care and collaborated with local health care workers and health promotors to arrange for longitudinal care in a medical clinic in Opatoro, La Florida, Honduras2018 - Present
Intern Selection Committee, Internal Medicine Residency ProgramCommittee Member2018 - Present
Outreach Committee, Christ Episcopal ChurchMember2018 - Present
A Better ChanceMentor and host family for a student participant in the A Better Chance Program in our community. Hosted her one weekend monthly at our home and met additional times to provide mentorship and support.2017 - 2020
Build2Heal: Services for families affected by the genocideCollaborated with business leaders and students from University of Rwanda and Clubhouse International to arrange services for victims of Rwandan genocide and their families2017 - 2018
Hope for Haiti Medical BrigadeProvided medical care and collaborated with local health care workers and health promotors to arrange for longitudinal care in a medical clinic in Petite Riviere de L'Artibonite, Haiti2016 - 2017
Community Health Partnership - HondurasProvided medical care and collaborated with local health care workers and health promotors to arrange for longitudinal care in a medical clinic in Opatoro, La Florida, Honduras2015 - 2016
Disruptive Behavior Committee, VA ConnecticutThis committee reviews and makes decisions about management of patients with disruptive behavior utilizing allocation of a graded "Behavioral Flag" system.2014 - Present
Instituto Tecnologico de Santo DomingoPreceptor for first year medical students from Yale School of Medicine and Intec, Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic2013
Hope for Haiti Medical BrigadeProvided medical care and collaborated with local health care workers and health promotors to arrange for longitudinal care in a medical clinic in Petite Riviere de L'Artibonite, Haiti2012 - 2013
Refugee Committee, Christ Episcopal ChurchWorked with Christ Episcopal Church and Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services to help a family relocated from Burundi.2008 - 2009
Integrated Refugee and Immigrant ServicesHost family for teenage boys from Burundi.2007 - 2017
Christ Episcopal ChurchMentor two boys from Burundi2006 - Present
Depression Reminder Committee, VA ConnecticutThis committee worked with mental health providers to develop a reminder to screen for depression.2005 - 2006
Domestic Violence Program, Ama Doo Alchini BighanI was the medical consultant on the Board of Directors of the local Navajo Nation chapter of the Program for survivors of Domestic Violence.2001 - 2002
Domestic Violence Diagnosis and Support Committee, Chinle Comprehensive Healthcare FacilityThe committee implemented the utilization of the Abuse Assessment Screen, a validated tool for diagnosis of current or previous domestic violence prevalence, in the outpatient internal medicine and OB-GYN clinics, as well as a process for support for patients identified as survivors.2000 - 2002
Domestic Violence Task Force, Chinle Comprehensive Health Care FacilityCoordinated screening and implemented protocol for survivors of current and past domestic violence working with health care workers and community based domestic violence organization Ama Doo Alchini Bighan1999 - 2002
Domestic Violence Task ForceCommunity-based task force to support survivors of domestic violence in the community.1999 - 2002
University City Hospitality Coalition, Homeless Health CareVolunteer1994 - 1996

Departments & Organizations