Project Medical Education Offers Community Partners an Inside Look at CUIMC

On July 30, Columbia University Irving Medical Center welcomed community and institutional partners to campus for Project Medical Education (PME), an immersive, daylong experience offering participants a firsthand look at the breadth of CUIMC’s work and its impact within and beyond the medical center.

Throughout the day, participants experienced CUIMC through sessions led by faculty and leaders from across the medical center. The program included sessions on public health at the Mailman School of Public Health; medical education, CAR T-cell therapies, and biomedical research at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons; mental health and neuroscience at New York State Psychiatric Institute; oral health at the College of Dental Medicine; and a hands-on simulation experience at the School of Nursing.

Moving across the CUIMC campus and engaging directly with faculty, researchers, clinicians and academic leaders gave participants a closer look at the research, education, patient care and community engagement that define the medical center.

For many, the experience broadened their understanding of CUIMC and its connections to the surrounding community. “I had no idea the breadth of community engagement,” said Merrill Pond of Partnership for NYC. Hannah Farley of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene described PME as “an amazing and engaging way to learn and connect.”

Hosted jointly by the Office of Academic and Community Partnerships and the Office of Government Affairs, PME is designed to strengthen connections between CUIMC and its community and institutional partners.

“PME gives our partners an opportunity to experience CUIMC firsthand, while giving us an equally important opportunity to listen, learn and strengthen our relationships with the communities we serve,” said Sandra Harris, Vice President for Community Affairs and Partnership Engagement.

“Project Medical Education is a wonderful opportunity for community residents and others to see first-hand what we do here at CUIMC each and every day,” said Ross Frommer, Vice President of Government Affairs. “Our guests have already given us some great ideas for the 2027 program.”

The next Project Medical Education program is planned for July 2027. CUIMC schools, departments and programs interested in highlighting their research, educational initiatives, clinical work or community engagement during a future PME program are encouraged to contact the Office of Academic and Community Partnerships at acp@cumc.columbia.edu.