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Community Leaders Experience CUIMC Through Project Medical Education

January 5, 2026

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Last fall, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) welcomed community leaders, local residents, and policy partners to campus for Project Medical Education (PME), a hands-on experience designed to educate the community about the role of academic medical centers like CUIMC and highlight their impact on health, well-being, and innovation in surrounding neighborhoods and beyond.

A gloved instructor guides a participant practicing a medical procedure on a silicone training pad at a classroom table.

PME participant Leticia Cortes Ortiz from The People's Theatre, practices a hands-on medical procedure on a training pad with guidance from an instructor

PME is more than a campus tour. It’s an opportunity for our community partners to see, firsthand, how CUIMC’s mission of education, research, and patient care translates into real benefits for Northern Manhattan and beyond. From affordable dental care and community mental health programs to cutting-edge research and workforce training, academic medical centers play a critical role in keeping communities healthy, often in ways that aren’t visible from the outside.

“Without understanding how academic medical centers work, it’s easy to miss how investments in institutions like CUIMC translate into direct benefits for the community—from accessible care to improved health outcomes.” — Luis Miguel Adames, Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat

Part of a national initiative led by the Association of American Medical Colleges, CUIMC’s PME has been bringing neighbors and decision-makers together since 2011. This year’s program—our 14th, more than any other institution nationwide, hosted 28 participants, nearly half from Northern Manhattan. Throughout the day, guests engaged directly with faculty, students, and clinicians across CUIMC’s schools and research centers, experiencing everything from medical simulation labs and dental clinics to stem cell research and public health initiatives.

A clinician demonstrates an ultrasound-guided injection technique on a simulated arm while two PME participants observe closely at a training table in a classroom setting.

A clinician demonstrates ultrasound-guided injection technique on a simulation arm as PME participants observe and practice during a hands-on workshop.

What resonated most was the connection between institutional resources and community impact. Participants explored how public and private investments in academic medicine support accessible care, train future healthcare professionals, advance lifesaving discoveries, and strengthen the local health system. These experiences help bridge the gap between perception and reality, showing that when CUIMC thrives, the community benefits.

By opening our doors and sharing our work, PME empowers community leaders to become informed ambassadors for academic medicine. Their voices help ensure our neighbors understand not only what CUIMC does, but why it matters, today and for generations to come.

The next CUIMC Project Medical Education program will take place in mid-2026.