news PS - Columbia University Medical Center

tunities for P&S students. We have close partners
at our sister schools on the medical center campus,
Columbia’s Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences, and Columbia Business School.
What do you expect to learn from this inaugural
year of scholarly projects?
The first year is very exciting as we see how
students experience this new opportunity. We
are learning about how best to support students
as they search for mentors during what
is already a rich and busy time for them and
how to build in the time for reflection and
“big picture” thinking that we believe is crucial
in helping the students select a project
that is meaningful to them. The students will
show us the breadth and depth of their interests
and we anticipate the scholarly projects
program will evolve over time to match their
needs. We are also curious about the impact of
scholarly projects on the students’ experience
in the residency match. As the match becomes
increasingly competitive, we hope students
will find that their experience in the scholarly
projects program will enhance their ability to
differentiate themselves in their applications.
What have you learned already?
So far, we have learned that creating an opportunity
for scholarly work within the curriculum
has allowed our students and our faculty to think
broadly about the kind of experiences that can
contribute to our students’ professional development.
With this program, P&S students are
showing us that the intelligence and determination
that we have always known them to have
also translate into extraordinary creativity.
How can faculty and alumni be supportive of
this endeavor?
Faculty and alumni are crucially important to this
effort and we welcome all input as we develop the
scholarly projects program. We encourage anyone
who is interested in working with students
on projects, in identifying new opportunities to
expand the scope of the program, or in supporting
student work through dedicated funding to
contact us at psspp@columbia.edu.
Columbia Practice Plans Move to Midtown
ColumbiaDoctors, the P&S faculty medical practice, is expected to move to new facilities adjacent
to Rockefeller Center early in 2013. The practice signed a 25-year lease for 120,000 square
feet at 51 W. 51st St. The new site will replace the existing ColumbiaDoctors Eastside practice
on East 60th Street.
The new space, being built out over this year, will provide the practice room for expansion.
ColumbiaDoctors is one of the largest medical group practices in the Northeast, comprised of
approximately 1,200 physician faculty members in 80 specialties and subspecialties.
“Our midtown offices make the outstanding care provided by ColumbiaDoctors within easy
reach of people who live or work anywhere in Manhattan and the greater New York area,” says
Louis U. Bigliani, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at P&S and president
of ColumbiaDoctors.
“With our partners at NewYork-Presbyterian, we will be able to provide the clinical services
that our patients need in a comfortable, convenient place,” says Mark McDougle, chief
operating officer of Columbia University Medical Center. “The long-term lease demonstrates
our commitment to serving all of our patients, both midtown and at our main campus in
Washington Heights.”
The move parallels an expansion of ColumbiaDoctors to the north of New York City. As of
July 1, ColumbiaDoctors will have more than 40 doctors (specialists in cardiology, internal medicine,
gastrointestinal medicine, pulmonary care, cancer, and podiatry) in Westchester, Orange, and
Rockland counties, with plans to recruit more medicine faculty in that region next year.
Spring 2012 ColumbiaMedicine 9
MARK SteeLe