In Vivo - EVP Journal

In Vivo

About the Incoming Class
Message from EVP Dr. Lee Goldman
5-Help Teams at the Ready
IT Drives Widespread Change on Campus
Pioneering Gerstner Scholars
At Work Across Disciplines
Stem Cell Discovery Spurs ALS Research
Cancer Research
Skin and Laser Center Grows
Research Briefs
Employee Recognition
Appointments, Awards & Honors
CUMC's Affiliate, Harlem Hospital, Receives Coveted
"Baby Friendly" Designation
Subway Improvements

EVP journal

Dear Colleagues & Students,

   As the 2008-9 academic year begins, I again have the great pleasure of welcoming a group of exemplary new students to Columbia University Medical Center. This year, nearly 1,000 students have enrolled in our schools and programs, and each one of those students is a standout in his or her own right. Our students’ talent and enthusiasm strengthen and invigorate this campus.
   This year begins with a number of changes in academics, facilities and service.
   At Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, Linda Fried, MD, an expert on aging who joined CUMC in February from Johns Hopkins, has the opportunity to guide and nurture her first class of incoming students as the new dean of the school.
   A newly established PhD in Nursing program at the School of Nursing received its first group of students – health policy experts, nurse researchers, and clinical scholars – this fall. The PhD program provides students with an understanding of the philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of nursing science and a strong foundation in research methods. Graduates of the PhD program will have acquired the skill and vision to further nursing knowledge at the local, national, and international levels.

Education Enhancements
on Many Levels

   Changes in curricula for several of our programs are under way to improve how we prepare our students for 21st century health care. Ronald Drusin, MD, professor of medicine, was appointed vice dean for education at P&S in August. Dr. Drusin is leading a task force that is developing a new medical school curriculum to go into effect in fall 2009 for the class of 2013. The new curriculum will allow students to have more patient contact earlier in their education, better integrating classroom teaching with clinical exposure. In their last year, students will complete an academic project in one of five areas: research, medical education, global health, social medicine or community service.
   The College of Dental Medicine has enhanced its curriculum on care for patients with special needs, for the first time instituting a clinical rotation at the Cerebral Palsy Center of New York for each third-year student. More curriculum enhancements are planned for next year.
   Under the leadership of Richard Robinson, PhD, professor of pharmacology and associate dean of graduate affairs, the first phase of the reorganization of the PhD program – aimed at creating a uniform admission standard across all departments – was implemented in fall 2007. Initial curriculum changes have gone into effect this fall as part of a plan to create a doctoral program that encourages greater collaboration in both teaching and research.
   Our educational leaders have been engaged in ongoing renovations to create the classrooms and study space in the new education center in the lower levels of the Hammer Health Sciences Center. This new space will greatly improve classrooms and educational space for all of CUMC.
   I am also pleased to report that classrooms on the third and fourth floors of Hammer have all been standardized with new audiovisual equipment and podiums. So far, 15 classrooms have been upgraded with the latest in classroom technology; by next year, all 45 classrooms will be transformed.
   An important service change has been made to 5-Help, the medical center’s help desk. Previously, this was the number to call when experiencing computer problems; now 5-Help offers a convenient way to have most issues related to working, living and studying on campus swiftly resolved. The change to 5-Help is part of an ongoing effort to streamline support services to students, faculty and staff so that they may concentrate on their work – whether it is research, administration, teaching, patient care or studying – without impediments.
   CUMC remains committed to providing its students the best possible curricula and learning environment. As new and returning students come to campus this fall, we look forward to another outstanding year as they prepare for careers as the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

Lee Goldman, M.D.