Message from the Dean
What does it mean to become a Mount Sinai doctor? It means entering society as an informed advocate and activist ready to advance research and clinical care and promote change.
Our goal and responsibility in the Department of Medical Education is to enrich the medical field with humanistic, scholarly physicians who are self-directed, lifelong learners. Nothing could be more important to the future of medicine. As a result, all our efforts and reforms are focused on creating a more integrated, patient-centered learning experience in both basic science and clinical medicine.
Forty years ago, leaders of The Mount Sinai Medical Center had a bold new vision for medical education: a hospital-based medical school that existed without a major university affiliation, that was a hub of groundbreaking research, and whose overarching mission was to provide service to those most in need.
The benefits of this paradigm are as follows:
- A seamless connection to the Hospital allows us to teach basic science education effectively within a clinical context. As a result, our students see and better understand an incredible range of disease in patients — not just in textbooks.
- Our size allows us to focus enormous energies on biomedicine and translational science, without the usual distractions and bureaucracy of a major university.
- Both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association have recognized us for service to patients in our neighborhood and advocacy for their medical care. No other medical school has consistently achieved such distinction in both the scientific and humanitarian spheres.
Throughout our website, you'll read about programs and curricular innovations that build on Mount Sinai’s infrastructure and strengths. These include:
- Our focus on team building, both in the classroom and in clinical settings
- Our many unique opportunities for students to be mentored by world-class researchers
- Our new competency-based approach to education, which is designed to integrate the learning of foundational science and clinical medicine
- Redesigned courses and content to support translational science
Through team learning and our honor-based exam system, we foster integrity and professionalism in all our future physicians and researchers.
We take great pride in our most innovative programs, including the Mount Sinai Visiting Doctors Program, the Global Health Center, the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, the Adolescent Health Center, and the Center for Multicultural and Community Affairs. Please visit these sites and learn more about our community efforts.
David Muller, MD
Marietta and Charles C. Morchand Chair in Medical Education and Dean for Medical Education