Columbia University Medical Center
In Vivo - The Newsletter of Columbia University Medical Center
Home
Back Issues
Contact Us
Calendar
Contents
In Vivo
evp journal

Dear Colleagues & Students,

Perhaps no other academic field is changing as rapidly as the health sciences, both in terms of the expansion of scientific knowledge and the recognition of the needs for health care, domestically and globally. The goal for our four schools and our graduate programs at CUMC should be to equip our graduates for the challenges ahead and to inspire in them the intellectual rigor to become role models in their fields. It is our responsibility as educators to reassess our curricula and adjust our courses on a regular basis, to ensure that our educational programs reflect the real-world challenges that our graduates will face.
   A number of recent initiatives are under way at CUMC to meet that goal. The School of Nursing’s development of the DrNP, the doctor of nursing practice degree, addresses our society’s need for more health care practitioners to provide clinical care. Now the nursing school is taking the next step by transitioning its curriculum for the professional research doctorate (DNSc) into a program that will grant Ph.D.s.
   The Mailman School of Public Health’s Global Health Track, the only one of its kind among schools of public health, integrates an increasing focus on prevention with the need to address problems throughout the global community. In the coming year, Mailman will partner with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences to launch the nation’s first multidisciplinary doctoral training program in gender, sexuality, and health.

Transforming Our Curricula
   New approaches in diagnosis and operative programs are driving curricular change in the College of Dental Medicine. Both predoctoral students and postdoctoral residents are being introduced to the use and interpretation of technologies that can better inform their clinical practice. These initiatives include CT scans for the diagnosis of conditions involving head, neck or jaw; CADCAM technology for dental restorations; and laser treatments. The dental curriculum is evolving rapidly to incorporate these technologies, so as to place our graduates at the forefront of dentistry.
   At the College of Physicians & Surgeons, a total transformation of the curriculum is planned. Principles of basic science and medical practice will be taught together, so that students gain a sense of the impact of disease on biological structure and function. Students will begin their patient care experiences sooner, alternating classroom study with clinical clerkships to foster relevant real-world learning. Team-based learning will engage small groups in critical thinking and problem-solving, mirroring the health care practice environments of today. Exposure to basic research, clinical research, and community and global health issues will broaden our students’ experiences. Electives will allow students to work in developing countries and provide opportunities for cross-registration across CUMC schools. In the coming year, we will reexamine the curricula of our various Ph.D. programs to balance core courses for all Ph.D. students with courses specific to individual career plans.
   I am pleased to say that education and training geared to integrated disciplines is a key focus at CUMC. Shepherded by our four-school Education Resource Council, we are committed to ensuring that our education innovation is as high a priority as the research and clinical innovation for which we are internationally recognized.


Lee Goldman, M.D.

Top