INSTITUTIONAL SELF-STUDY REPORT
ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
September 2014
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
I. INSTITUTIONAL SETTING
A.
B.
GOVERNANCE/ADMINISTRATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-10
II. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE M.D. DEGREE
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-17
TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-18
CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-21
EVALUATION OF PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-22
III. MEDICAL STUDENTS
A.
B.
C.
ADMISSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-24
STUDENT SERVICES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26
THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-28
IV. FACULTY
A.
B.
C.
NUMBER, QUALIFICATIONS, AND FUNCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-30
PERSONNEL POLICIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
GOVERNANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31
V. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
A.
B.
C.
D.
FINANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31-32
GENERAL FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33
CLINICAL TEACHING FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33-34
INFORMATION RESOURCES AND LIBRARY SERVICES . . . . . . . 34-35
STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35-37
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-40
Institutional Self-Study Report
2
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
INSTITUTIONAL SELF-STUDY REPORT
ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY
SEPTEMBER 2014
INTRODUCTION
Brief History of Albert Einstein College of Medicine
In 1950, Yeshiva University’s charter was amended to allow it to grant the degree of Doctor of Medicine.
Subsequently, an agreement was reached with the City of New York whereby medical care of patients in
the then-under-construction Bronx Municipal Hospital Center would be the responsibility of the faculty of
the new College of Medicine. On March 15, 1953, Professor Albert Einstein formally agreed to permit his
name to be used for the medical school; the first class, comprising 53 men and 3 women, matriculated in
September 1955.
Beginning with a faculty of 75, many of whom had been excluded from other academic institutions
because of their ethnicity or political views, Einstein has become an internationally recognized center for
biomedical research and medical education. The full-time faculty now comprises approximately 2300
clinicians, basic scientists, and medical educators in every major biomedical specialty. Their consistently
high level of scientific achievement has resulted in successful competition for federal, foundation, and
commercial grants and contracts. Seven major research programs in Cancer; Liver Diseases; Diabetes;
Aging; Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; Health Disparities; and Clinical and Translational
Research have been awarded funding by NIH through a competitive peer review process. Other Einstein
research centers in areas such as cardiovascular disease, and stem cell and regenerative medicine have
been established through philanthropy and foundation funding. These research centers are integrated with
the College’s education and training programs, providing the opportunity for students to train in an
environment that reflects the dramatic changing nature of Medicine as it advances in the 21st century.
Einstein opened in close partnership with Bronx Municipal Hospital Center. That recently rebuilt facility,
now called Jacobi Medical Center, continues to provide outstanding clinical experiences for Einstein
students. Beginning in the 1960s, Einstein established an academic relationship with Montefiore Medical
Center. Most recently, this relationship has evolved into a highly synergistic partnership. It provides the
College with access to a network of hospital divisions in the Bronx (Moses, Einstein, Wakefield, and the
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore), to numerous community-based, ambulatory facilities, and to an
outstanding cadre of clinician educator faculty. In addition, Einstein is affiliated with several other major
clinical institutions located across the New York Metropolitan Area.
Einstein’s physical plant has grown progressively. From a single building (Forchheimer), that in 1955
housed both research and educational programs, it now encompasses: the Ullmann Research Center for
Health Sciences (1964); the Kennedy Center for Research in Mental Retardation and Human
Development (1970); the Belfer Educational Center for Health Sciences (1972); the Chanin Institute for
Cancer Research (1978); the Golding Research Building (1996), the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research
Center (2002), and the Price Center for Genetic and Translational Research, located in the Block
Research Pavilion (2008), as well as a housing complex and a sports and recreation facility.
Most recently, Einstein has expanded by leasing from NYC 15 acres located on the Jacobi property and
has begun reconstruction of one of the original hospitals on the site (Van Etten). This facility now houses
the Gottesman Clinical Skills Center, and numerous other research and educational functions.
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
Prior Survey Results and Status:
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein) was last surveyed in December 2006 and received a
letter of accreditation dated February 28, 2007. There were eight institutional “strengths.” The LCME
identified several areas of noncompliance with accreditation standards:
ED-2: “At the time of the site visit, the surgery clerkship had not established criteria for student clinical
learning experiences needed to meet the objectives of the clerkship. A paper log system was implemented
during academic year 2006-2007 to track clinical encounters in all clerkships, but its effectiveness for
monitoring and adjusting student clinical experiences had not been determined.”
ED-30: “The average time for students to receive final evaluations of their clerkship performance exceeds
eight weeks, and in some cases may extend for several months. There has been some improvement in
recent years, but timeliness of grade reporting for clerkships was also a concern at the time of the
college's last accreditation survey.”
ED-46: “The college does not collect outcome data about graduates during or after residency training to
determine how well the educational program prepares them for the next stage of their training.”
MS-9: “There are no technical standards published regarding admission of handicapped applicants.”
MS-19 and MS-20: “Career advising efforts, especially during the early stages of student training, appear
to be fragmentary rather than systematic, and heavily dependent on student initiative. Medical Student
Performance Evaluation letters are inconsistent in content and quality. There is no central oversight or
monitoring of student elective choices, whether the electives are provided by the college or take place at
extramural sites.”
MS-23: “The report notes that students do not receive effective counseling about the implications of their
borrowing, nor about other topics that would help them manage their indebtedness. This was also a
concern at the time of the previous accreditation survey.”
ER-5: “Although this was not cited as a noncompliance issue by the survey team, the LCME noted the
comments from the student survey indicating that notwithstanding an overall impression that the campus
is safe, there is a lack of student knowledge about safety resources. Housing security guards were found
to be asleep on the job on several occasions, and there was substantial student dissatisfaction with the
safety and timeliness of the transportation service that provides taxis and shuttle service for students.”
ER-9: “The current affiliation agreement with the Montefiore Medical Center does not address student
and faculty access to clinical education resources, the primacy of the medical college regarding academic
affairs and medical student education, and the role of the college in the appointment and assignment of
faculty members responsible for medical student teaching.”
The LCME also noted the following areas in transition:
1. “Due process in student hearings: Recently enacted measures to ensure that students are
adequately represented when the college takes actions that might adversely affect them have not
had sufficient time to determine their effectiveness.”
2. Clinical skills teaching space: “As noted by the survey team, the college has identified space and
committed resources to construct a new clinical skills center.”
Einstein submitted a series of annual progress reports and was visited by the Secretariat in June 2010. On
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
October 12, 2012, Einstein was notified that the LCME had determined that no additional information
was required, and had voted to continue the accreditation of the educational program leading to the MD
degree for the remainder of the term; the next full survey to take place during the 2014-15 academic year.
Preparation for the current survey:
In January 2013, Dean Allen M. Spiegel appointed Michael J. Reichgott, MD, PhD, as faculty lead and
Penny Steiner-Grossman, EdD, MPH, as administrative lead for the self-study. With the administrative
support of Ms. Vilma Kalten, the leads developed a self-study timeline and undertook a series of
informational meetings to inform students, faculty and administration about LCME accreditation and
about the quality improvement aspects of the self-study process. A self-study website was created and
linked to the Einstein homepage. A self-study table of organization comprised 15 standards-specific
working groups organized into five sub-committees corresponding to the sections of the accreditation
standards (IS, ED, MS, FA, ER). Each section sub-committee included representatives of students,
faculty, administration, and alumni. In addition, student leaders were recruited; they organized
administered and evaluated a contemporaneous student survey. The Self-Study Committee, chaired by the
executive dean, comprised the chairs of each section committee, the faculty and administrative leads, as
well as at-large faculty and students.
Standards working groups drafted responses to data collection instrument (DCI) questions. These were
collated by the section sub-committees, which drafted corresponding sections of the self-study summary
report based on information in the DCI, and incorporating data from the student survey. Final drafts of the
Institutional Self-study Report, the DCI, and the student survey were collated and reviewed by the SelfStudy Committee in preparation for submission in early September 2014. Updated data and other
information will be submitted to the survey team prior to the date of the visit as they become available.
Participation by all constituent groups has been enthusiastic and with significant commitment of time and
effort. Over 200 faculty members have participated in the self-study process. Student survey response
rates were 94.5% and 83.5% for the first and second year classes, respectively, 67.7% for the third-year
class, and 56.2% for the graduating class.
I.
INSTITUTIONAL SETTING
A.
Governance and Administration
The Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Einstein) is committed to innovative biomedical research and to
the development of an ethical, compassionate and diverse group of physicians and scientists. These
priorities are clearly stated in the College’s mission statement.
Appointed in 2006 as the Marilyn and Stanley Katz Dean, Dr. Allen M. Spiegel instituted a series of
ongoing planning initiatives involving senior administrators, the Executive Committee of the Medical
Education Council, the Science Council, the Senate Council, department chairs, other members of the
faculty, and students. All planning initiatives are overseen by the dean and receive input and ultimate
approval from Einstein’s Board of Overseers (and/or the Board of Trustees of Yeshiva University). Plans
are “mission-based,” and encompass biomedical research, medical student education, the Campus Master
Plan, and relationships with Yeshiva University and clinical affiliates.
Research: The strategic planning process for research began immediately after Dr. Spiegel’s arrival and
has resulted in the focused distribution of resources on several major science and technology themes and
health-related areas. The Price Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine/Block Research Pavilion
opened in early 2008, providing 212,000 sq. ft. of new research space; it is the center of Einstein’s
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
expanded efforts in genetics and translational research. The research plan was updated in 2010 and
recommended some changes in direction, emphasizing clinical research and closer collaboration in
research with Montefiore Medical Center and other affiliated institutions.
Medical Education: A new senior associate dean for medical education was appointed in December
2009. She actively reorganized the curriculum committee structure and processes and initiated ongoing
review of the medical school curriculum. A critical element of this effort was the development in 2012 of
a new set of educational goals and objectives, the Einstein Educational Competencies. In early 2013 these
were mapped to all courses and clerkships and to student assessments. A separate task force comprising
faculty, students and administrators developed a plan for new educational facilities focused on active
learning. An initial component of this Education Center has been completed in the Forchheimer Building;
additional components, including a state-of-the-art Anatomic and Surgical Skills Learning Center, a
simulation center, and a theater-based learning studio, will be located in the Van Etten Building as it is
renovated.
Campus Master Plan: A comprehensive Campus Master Plan was prepared in 2008 and is designed to
support research, teaching, and improved amenities for both students and faculty. Emphasis in the plan is
on consolidation, relocation and reorganization. For example, the Van Etten building, a 350,000 sq. ft.
hospital building recently acquired by Einstein is being renovated to accommodate education and research
activities.
Yeshiva University and Clinical Affiliations: Einstein has been a constituent college of Yeshiva
University, which is chartered and legally authorized by NY State to offer the MD degree and is
accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The governance structure of Einstein
has been appropriate to the needs of the medical school. Einstein is guided by a Board of Overseers (a
sub-board of the YU Board of Trustees), which has a well-defined Policy on Conflict of Interest requiring
each member to submit an annual COI disclosure. Board members must recuse themselves from voting on
any matter in which they may have a personal or fiscal interest. As a matter of policy, Einstein refrains
from contracting for services from any company or individual with which a member of the Board might
have interests.
The interactions between Einstein and Yeshiva University are effective. The Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz
Dean serves as the chief executive officer of Einstein and also as the vice president for medical affairs for
Yeshiva University. He serves as the chief advocate for the Einstein faculty and students not only to the
Board of Overseers but also to the president of Yeshiva University. The Board of Overseers has vested
the dean with the authority to make both administrative and faculty appointments.
Montefiore Medical Center is the primary clinical affiliate of Einstein. Dr. Steven Safyer (a graduate of
Einstein) became President and CEO of Montefiore in 2008. Dean Spiegel and he have brought the
College and the medical center into a close and collaborative relationship. A new affiliation agreement
was signed with Montefiore in 2009. This fundamentally changed Einstein-Montefiore interactions.
Appointment of new chairs of clinical departments has been positive and synergistic. Highly competitive
candidates were appointed chairs of Surgery and Pediatrics respectively and each advanced the academic
and research missions of their departments in major ways. A new chair of Ophthalmology has revamped
the clinical and residency programs while adding to the funded research base. Orthopedics was elevated
to departmental status at Einstein with a chair who has supported NIH-funded recruits. Integrating
Einstein research centers such as the Liver Center with Montefiore clinical services has led to creation of
a new organ transplant center including the first ever Bronx-based liver transplant program. Multiple
Montefiore clinical recruits in transplant, surgery and other departments have facilitated new avenues of
clinical research. More recently, new chairs in Anesthesiology, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Urology
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
have been recruited. Searches are underway for chairs of Obstetrics/Gynecology, and for Medicine (an
interim chair was appointed in July 2014).
These accomplishments serve as the basis for an ongoing realignment of relationships in which Yeshiva
will remain the degree-granting institution but Montefiore will assume responsibility for finance and
operations of the medical school. Notification concerning this planned change of governance was
submitted to the LCME on August 11, 2014.
The Einstein Senate is the organization through which the administration, faculty, research fellows and
the student body collaborate in the formulation of institutional policy. Its operation is defined by the
Bylaws of the Senate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, which serve as institutional bylaws. The
Rules and Regulations Providing for System of Appointments, Titles and Compensation Arrangements
serves as the guiding document for faculty. Both documents are easily accessible on the Einstein web site.
The bylaws are comprehensive and address, among many other things, administrative processes,
departmental status, definitions of standing committees, and the constitution of ad hoc committees,
including academic search committees. The method of revising the Bylaws (last revised February 8,
2010) is clearly described and requires multiple levels of approval, assuring stability.
Dean Spiegel has expanded the academic administration of the College of Medicine to include a cadre of
assistant and associate deans appropriate to the needs of the school. This group includes seven assistant
deans, based at their respective clinical sites, who oversee Einstein’s academic program at affiliated
institutions. Einstein’s academic departments include 11 basic science departments and the library, all
located on the Resnick campus and based at the College of Medicine, and 20 clinical departments whose
chairs are jointly appointed with Montefiore Medical Center. This administrative structure allows for
efficient management and oversight of the College’s research, educational and administrative functions.
Senior administrators, including department chairs, have clearly defined mandates and are given the
authority and resources to carry out these mandates. The dean holds regularly scheduled meetings with
chairs and with associate and assistant deans for purposes of communication and policy setting.
This administrative structure functions well in support of Einstein’s academic programs. As examples: the
deans and staff of the Office of Student Affairs are available on a regular basis to the students, and
provide counseling on their progress through their medical education and regarding career development;
the Office of Medical Education has been intimately involved in development and deployment of our
institution-specific competencies and in planning the new Education Center; the Office of Clinical and
Translational Research has successfully guided the College of Medicine to membership in the NIHsponsored Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Consortium.
Dean Spiegel is eminently qualified to lead the College of Medicine. Internationally recognized as a
researcher and endocrinologist, his prior position was as an institute director (NIDDK) at NIH. He enjoys
the confidence of Yeshiva officials, the leaders of Montefiore and other teaching affiliates, and the chairs
of both basic science and clinical departments. He has proved adept at long-term planning, managing
resources and fundraising for the College of Medicine. This success is confirmed by his recent
reappointment to an additional term following review of his performance as required by the bylaws.
Institutional leadership is stable and turnover has not affected institutional or departmental function. The
average tenure for chairs of clinical departments is 11 years and for basic science departments is 14
years. Two clinical chairs have recently given notice they will either retire (Ob/Gyn) or pursue another
career path (Medicine) once their successors are recruited; the OB/Gyn search is underway; an interim
chair of medicine has been appointed as of July 2014. There are two interim chairs in the basic science
departments: Developmental and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience. Decisions on searches are
planned for spring 2015.
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
B. Academic Environment
Einstein provides a rich academic environment encompassing basic and clinical sciences and the clinical
practice of medicine. Graduate science programs are important contributors to the intellectual and
research environment; they influence all members of the Einstein community including medical students.
There are 291 PhD students and an additional 20 students in master-degree programs related to clinical
research, public health and bioethics. Medical student and graduate student education are linked in the
NIH-supported medical scientist training program (MSTP), and many other MD students elect research
experiences in basic science laboratories, where they also interact with PhD students and faculty.
Graduate programs in the basic sciences are under continuous review by the Graduate Division’s
Academic Affairs Committee and its Graduate Executive Committee. Faculty representatives from PhD
degree-granting departments are members of the committees together with representatives from the
student body and administration. The committees review student progress, the curriculum, and the
academic policies and recommend changes to departments and to the associate dean for implementation.
This review process has resulted in broad revision of graduate education to achieve a shorter residence
time in the PhD program by streamlining the academic course work and the required research rotations.
Students currently enrolled in PhD and Masters programs provide an adequate critical mass to sustain a
robust academic and research environment in graduate science, although these numbers will decrease in
future years due to both fiscal constraints and the recommendations of national leaders in biomedical
research.
Einstein is at the center of one of the largest residency training networks in the US, with more than 2,500
residents and fellows in sponsored or affiliated programs. Einstein clinical clerkships all operate in
institutions with multiple GME programs. This provides Einstein students with unusual depth in their
relationships with residents and fellows. A change of the affiliation of Beth Israel Medical Center
occurred as of June 2014, removing that institution from the Einstein network. In anticipation of that
change, Einstein established a comprehensive clerkship program at Maimonides Medical Center in
Brooklyn and has expanded clerkships in hospitals in the Bronx. The LCME was notified of these
changes in October 2013, and in April 2014 acknowledged the notification and indicated that no further
action was needed. Montefiore Medical Center has recently acquired several hospitals in Westchester
County that are geographically convenient to Einstein, and the potential for adding these as additional
training sites in future years will be evaluated.
Einstein’s Center for Continuing Medical Education was founded in 1976, is fully accredited by the
ACCME, and coordinates all major clinical department CME programs. The scope of CME is
international, national and community-based. CME sponsors approximately 400 activities annually
comprising more than 3,000 hours of education per year. Students and clinical trainees at all levels are
welcomed without charge.
Einstein is a research and education-rich environment with teaching responsibilities and biomedical
research projects extending across all of its academic departments. The NIH Reporter lists 492
independently funded NIH research and training grants, and faculty published approximately 5,000 peerreviewed articles and more than 700 books or chapters in 2013. Since the Price Center/Block Research
Pavilion opened its doors, there has been greater emphasis on genetics and translational medicine, and
aggressive recruiting and retention have rapidly populated the new research building with productive
faculty. In 2013, Einstein ranked 25th in NIH funding among US medical schools and actually increased
in rank despite reduced federal funding. Despite the 5% decrease in the NIH budget as a consequence of
the federal budget sequester, NIH funding at Einstein decreased only by 3%. The College has provided
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
generous interim support to sustain research programs between extramural grants. In the past fiscal year,
$9.7 million was provided to research laboratories to help bridge research funding gaps.
Einstein has developed an extensive set of research resources to foster access to nearly all aspects of
biomedical research technology. There are more than 40 shared research facilities at Einstein, which
enable Einstein researchers to investigate the most compelling and complex questions. The critical role of
these shared facilities in supporting research programs was recognized during the strategic planning
process initiated in June 2006, which proposed the development or expansion of several new shared
facilities. In addition to the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center, these include an Epigenomics
Facility, and a Macromolecular Therapeutics Facility.
Every medical student is required to submit a Scholarly Paper (SP) as a graduation requirement. The SP
can be an original paper from a hands-on research experience; a mentored review in translational or basic
science; a bioethics issue paper; a case report; or a discussion of public health or health education issues.
Summer research fellowships, extra-year research programs, and a variety of other structured research
opportunities are all available; financial support is provided for all of these.
Multiple communication systems ensure that all medical students are informed about the opportunities for
participation in research. The Einstein website contains information about the medical student research
programs, including Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR). During orientation the Office
of Medical Student Research distributes information on research opportunities. Einstein’s learning
management system (eMED) and the Office of Medical Student Research provide detailed information
about the SP and SOAR programs, including information on how to find a mentor. The Office of Medical
Student Research conducts class meetings at which student panels describe research access and
experiences. The directors also hold informal lunch meetings to introduce students to research
opportunities, and class-wide blast emails remind students of research programs and fellowships,
deadlines and procedures.
Einstein offers extensive opportunities for community service, both domestic and international. All
medical students must participate in service learning as part of the Family Medicine clerkship by
completing a project at a community health center that may involve: health interventions; nutrition;
diabetes screening and management; substance abuse; postnatal care; asthma; blood pressure screening
and control; exercise; or other issues of student interest. Students also must participate in the Einstein
Community Health Outreach (ECHO) free clinic on two Saturdays during the clerkship. At ECHO,
faculty mentoring and participation with interdisciplinary teams help support students as they provide
care to uninsured patients with limited resources. Many students choose to remain engaged in community
service by volunteering additional time at the ECHO clinic.
The Community-Based Service Learning office (CBSL) coordinates volunteer service activity. It provides
supervision and support for a variety of programs including: Patient Advocate Connection (PACt); Bronx,
Obesity, Diabetes and You (BODY); HIV Education and Rapid Testing (HEART); Homeless Outreach
Program at Einstein (HOPE); the MSTP Continuity Clinic; Einstein Human Rights Clinic (EHRC) for
immigrants. Students may initiate service activities of their own interest and there are several smaller
programs in place.
Students wishing to participate in international health learning and practice can go abroad during the
summer after their first year (four weeks) or during their fourth year (eight weeks) to work in community
clinics or on public health or health education projects. Experiences include learning medical Spanish,
clinical shadowing, health-services research, and clinical or public health and education projects.
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
Einstein is dedicated to assuring access to a diverse student body. This was stipulated in a letter from
Albert Einstein, himself, when he granted permission to use his name for the College of Medicine:
“The Yeshiva University Medical School will be unique, in that, while it will bear the imprint of a Jewish
University devoted to the Arts and Sciences and will represent a collective effort by our people to make its
contribution in the field of medical science, it will welcome students of all creeds and races.” (emphasis
added)
Programmatic and institutional goals for diversity are defined in the mission statement of the Office of
Diversity Enhancement. The objectives of the office are to: recruit qualified, broadly diverse students
with focus on excellence, integrity and commitment to health care; ensure success and career
development of the students; promote national leadership for students; promote diversity in all areas of
medical education; promote a pipeline to Einstein for minority and disadvantaged students; and integrate
community-based service for all students.
Einstein’s success in promoting diversity among students, faculty and staff is based on the work of a
broad array of groups:

The Committee on Admissions’ mission statement includes the following statement: “A diverse
student body is consistent with the history and mission of Einstein and supports a key educational
objective to raise the cultural awareness and competence of our graduates.” For 2013, acceptance was
offered to 110 African-American, Latino, or socio-economically disadvantaged students (420 total
acceptances), and 43 enrolled; for 2014 there were 134 offers (351 total acceptances) and 61 enrolled.

The Office of Diversity Enhancement actively recruits minority students with open house programs;
hosting visits from diversity students of local colleges; and through regional and national recruiting at
more than twenty local and national events. Student members of the Student National Medical
Association (SNMA), Latino Medical Student Association (LSMA) encourage minority recruits by
hosting interviewees.

The Office of Diversity Mentoring was formed in 2011 to enhance career development and mentoring
for underrepresented faculty and staff. It has developed a five-year vision for diversity mentoring
including: a Faculty Individual Development Plan; a universal annual faculty performance tool; an
annual Faculty mentoring Award; a career development web page targeting underrepresented faculty
and trainees; and meetings and seminars on topics such as “Achieving institutional Excellence
through Diversity.”

The Einstein Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Steering Committee, emphasizes
recruitment and mentoring of LGBT students, the creation of a supportive climate for LGBT students,
staff and patients, informing on challenges in LGBT health equity, and promotion of LGBT visibility.
II.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR THE M.D. DEGREE
A.
Educational Objectives
Einstein recently completed an intensive curriculum-wide review and has begun the transition to
competency-based education. Drafting the competency document involved a diverse group of faculty and
input from multiple sub-committees of the Medical Education Council (MEC). Feedback was provided by
Dean Allen M. Spiegel, members of the administration, course and clerkship directors, faculty educators
and students. The final version of the document was approved in October 2012. This approval was
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September 2014
followed by a comprehensive effort to disseminate the information, including the design of a competency
logo, and the production of an Einstein Educational Competencies video. Orientation to the competencies
took place during Einstein’s annual Davidoff Education Day, and at the spring Clerkship Retreat. Faculty
at the medical school and at affiliated hospitals received the new competencies by email, as well as a link
to the video. Residents and non-faculty teachers were educated over the summer as well. New faculty
members were oriented to the competencies and viewed the video in October 2013. Medical students
were introduced to the competencies during mandatory orientations held for each class; they viewed the
video and received pocket cards detailing the competencies.
The Educational Competencies that have been adopted were identified and defined based on expectations
of the medical profession and public. They incorporate competency concepts established by the ACGME
and used by other medical schools, but were selected to be consonant with Einstein’s educational mission
and goals. Competencies in seven dimensions were identified as key to the practice of medicine. These
include: Healer; Scientist; Advocate; Educator; Colleague; Role Model: and Life-long Learner. During
Davidoff Education Day in January 2013, faculty educators worked together to map course and clerkship
objectives to the newly articulated competency model to identify any gaps in curricular content. Mapping
is ongoing as curricular innovations are introduced. A complete mapping of the competencies to the full
set of curricular objectives is presented in the DCI.
Competency-based objectives are being used to guide student assessment, and each course and clerkship
objective has been linked to one or more assessment method. In year 1, Introduction to Clinical medicine
(ICM) has instituted competency-based narrative assessment, and in the clinical years, clerkships are
using competency-based evaluation instruments. The summative Clinical Skills Assessment required of
all third-year students also has been shifted to a competency-based report format. Course directors are
implementing software that allows written exam questions to be linked to specific competency areas; this
will further facilitate assessment of students’ attainment of each competency. The student survey
completed for the self-study included questions about student knowledge of, clarity about, and
satisfaction with competency-based objectives. It revealed an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward
and understanding of the new competency-based curriculum.
Einstein intends to use data from longitudinal assessments of performance to track each individual
student’s attainment of each competency over the course of his or her medical education. Initial measures
of competency-based achievement have been obtained in the past year using summative assessments in
pre-clinical courses and the new competency-based evaluation forms on the clerkships. Students have
demonstrated high levels of achievement in these assessments. Einstein students have historically
performed well on the USMLE Step exams. Positive responses from residency program directors on
surveys of performance in PGY 1 have shown that Einstein graduates are demonstrating adequate
competency in residency.
A list of conditions and procedures that students must encounter during third- and fourth-year clerkships
and sub-internships (the Einstein 203) was established with input from all clerkship directors. This list
was based on population health data and incorporates recommendations from national medical education
societies, and is linked to the Einstein Educational Competencies and to specific clerkship learning
objectives. The Einstein 203 delineates the appropriate level of student responsibility, the clinical
setting(s) for each encounter, and alternate experiences for each condition and procedure that can serve as
substitutes for the experiential requirements. These requirements are communicated to all students on
Introduction to the Clerkships Day, by email, at discipline-specific clerkship/sub-internship orientations,
and are posted in eMED. Changes to the Einstein 203 must be approved by the Clinical Directors Subcommittee of the Medical Educational Council (MEC).
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Students use an electronic log within eMED to document patient encounters including: date, types of
patient, condition, or procedure performed. Students meet with a specified faculty member (e.g.,
supervising attending, site director, or clerkship director) at the mid-point of each required clinical
rotation to review the progress of their log and formulate plans for closing any gaps. Students must
document that they have met all the requisites of the specific clerkship/sub-internship to receive a passing
grade, and this requirement is monitored by each clerkship director. Implementation of the Einstein 203
has been very effective as a quality improvement system to ensure that our students are encountering the
specified patients, clinical conditions and procedures.
Central monitoring of required patient encounters is coordinated by the Office of Medical Education
(OME). Biannual reports based on cumulative data from the student logs are generated to assure
comparability of educational experiences across clinical sites within each required clerkship/subinternship. The assistant dean for medical education reviews comparability reports, and a copy is provided
to each clerkship director for review. The comparability data for the full academic year are integrated into
the Evaluation Sub-committee report provided to each clerkship/sub-internship director, who must
respond to this report and make a presentation to the Clinical Directors’ Sub-committee of the MEC in
which s/he addresses specific strategies for closing any comparability differences. Although this two-step
central monitoring system has allowed clerkship directors to identify strategies to resolve any
comparability differences in advance of the coming academic year, students continue to perceive
differences between clerkship sites. The Office of Educational Informatics and the OME are evaluating
electronic systems that will make this process more efficient and other ways to improve apparent
comparability.
B.
Structure of the Educational Program
The structure and outcomes of the curriculum are managed and evaluated by the Executive Committee of
the MEC and its sub-committees to ensure provision of a general professional education and preparation
for graduate medical education. The curriculum comprises 167 weeks of instruction. The first year
consists of integrated courses presenting cell structure and function, genetics, biochemistry, immunology,
gross and developmental anatomy, physiology and pharmacology. Introduction to Clinical Medicine,
Epidemiology, Population Health and Evidence-Based Medicine I, and Bioethics I complement the
traditional medical sciences. In addition, there are elective mini-courses in Medical Spanish, Health
Disparities, and Nutrition; a Medical Mandarin elective has been established for year 1. The second year
comprises normal and abnormal human biology in a system-based sequence, complemented by
Epidemiology, Population Health and Evidence- Based Medicine, Bioethics, and ICM (Clinical
Examination). The Medical Spanish elective continues into year two. All courses in years 1 and 2 are
Pass/Fail only.
In the third year, students rotate in eight required clerkships and participate in a monthly seminar entitled
Patients, Doctors and Communities (PDC). A two-week selective is available if students elect to postpone
into year 4 the required rotation in Geriatrics. Year 4 requirements include: Neurology (four weeks); an 8week sub-internship in Medicine, Pediatrics or Family Medicine (the second four weeks can substitute an
elective rotation in Surgery or Ob/Gyn); and ambulatory care (four weeks). These requirements are
supplemented by 20 weeks of elective time and eight weeks dedicated to the Scholarly Paper (SP). The
deans of students meet with all rising fourth-year students to plan elective choices in relation to curricular
requirements and career preferences. Students may take electives at Einstein and its affiliates, at other
medical schools in the US, or internationally. Funds are available to support opportunities in the
developing world. Fourth-year students report overwhelmingly positive opinions regarding the amount of
time available for electives, including research or other individual interests, and about the quality and
diversity of available electives. Increasing time for elective opportunities earlier in the curriculum is part
of an ongoing review of the curriculum.
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Students must pass all courses and clerkships, and USMLE Steps 1 and 2 CK and CS to graduate. Student
academic performance is monitored by the Office of Student Affairs and reviewed by the Committee on
Student Promotions and Professional Standards.
All first- and second-year courses have case-based group conferences. These develop and test medical
problem solving and include, for example: basic science exercises on mechanisms of disease; genetic
counseling problems; ethical decision making; and clinical decision making as part of management
planning. In Molecular and Cellular Foundations of Medicine, students learn to critically evaluate the
quality of evidence in primary literature. In Epidemiology, Population Health and Evidence-Based
Medicine, students are taught clinical research methods and the application of population-based evidence
to medical decision making for individuals. In Histology, students are asked to evaluate histopathological
data to assess disease mechanisms. In the organ system courses of year 2, small-group learning strategies
require students to examine evidence and employ problem-solving skills to arrive at judgments. In each
of these situations the students’ skills are assessed by quiz, exam or write-ups that constitute part of their
course grades.
All clerkships have specific objectives pertaining to the development and use of evidence, and of the
problem-solving skills needed to make medical judgments in a clinical setting. These skills are formally
assessed and scored on the new Evaluation of Clinical Performance and Professional Attributes form,
which includes sub-competencies pertaining to clinical judgment and patient management.
Societal needs and problems impacting on health care delivery are covered throughout the curriculum,
with particular emphasis in specific courses. Introduction to Clinical Medicine presents cases illustrating
the impact of chronic disease (e.g., HIV-AIDS), substance abuse, violence, and challenges in patient
communication. The Family Medicine clerkship has a required community project in which students
evaluate the severity of health problems in specific communities and the social determinants of the
problem, and design education programs for prevention. Students also work in the ECHO free clinic,
where they get firsthand experience with health care delivery difficulties related to social and economic
conditions. Domestic violence is discussed in a required seminar. Patients, Doctors and Communities is a
monthly seminar series in year 3 that explores such issues as access to affordable care, health insurance,
and quality of care.
Past GQ results have indicated that students would like increased training regarding health care
organization, financing and legal aspects of health care. A working group has completed an analysis of
these topics and has initiated a plan to expand curricular content in the following knowledge domains:
Public Health and Medicine; Health Disparities and Determinants of Health; Community, Occupational
and Environmental Health; Health Care and Quality Improvement; Patient Safety in Medicine; Interprofessional (IP) Team Health Care and Training; Medical Economics; Health Care Systems; Practice
Management; and Law and Medicine.
Einstein has work-hour policies that assure adequate numbers of unscheduled hours during which
students are able to pursue scholarly interests, identify their own learning needs, and develop independent
learning skills. Students in the first two years have unscheduled afternoon hours on most days. In the
spring of the first year and during the following summer, unscheduled time is available during which
students may pursue research, electives, or other interests. The clerkships restrict work hours and call
time; some (e.g., Family Medicine, Pediatrics) have shifted from lecture to active learning exercises (TBL
and PBL, respectively) for their didactics. Elective opportunities are available in both years 3 and 4;
students may pursue interests during an extra year, usually taken between years 3 and 4.
Einstein has identified its self-directed, engaged learning approaches using terminology and definitions
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from MedBiquitous. These include: mentorship, research, and reflection, and more structured approaches
such as team-based learning and problem-based learning. Learning activities that contribute to
development of lifelong learning skills are required of all students. Students must prepare a mentorguided Scholarly Paper based on research findings and the application of evidence. The SOAR program
accommodates 20 students for a more intensively mentored program of research with a capstone project.
The Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) examination, incorporating diagnostic, psychosocial, and
communication challenges, is videotaped for students to review, self-assess, share with peers, and receive
feedback from faculty.
Many courses employ engaged learning strategies including: audience response systems; “flipped
classroom” course design; team-based activities; problem-based and case-based facilitated discussions;
reflective writing exercises; and team and self-assessments. Both the Pediatrics and Medicine clerkships
require students to append to each case write-up a discussion of an article pertinent to a diagnostic or
therapeutic element of the case being presented, and identified by search of the literature. Clinical
rotations have a structured mid-cycle feedback process in which progress is reviewed and students must
self-assess their strengths, weaknesses and learning goals. In the new Education Center, Einstein is
creating facilities specifically designed to accommodate active learning. These new facilities will allow
further deployment of active learning modalities that support the development of self-assessment skills.
Four of the Einstein Educational Competencies and nine sub-competencies relate to self-directed life-long
learning. These have been mapped to specific courses and clerkships, as have the assessment methods
appropriate to evaluate competency achievement. For example, clerkships assess the Physician as Lifelong Learner competency by evaluating students’ ability to identify and address their own learning needs,
and their engagement in constructive feedback.
Einstein actively assures that students have comparable experiences even when they are trained at
different sites or by different facilitators within a course. Educational settings are compared with respect
to the competency-based curriculum that has been mapped to educational objectives and assessments.
Quality and consistency are assured by standardization, by communication of all objectives and coreclinical experiences to faculty, by uniform assessment of achievement within courses, by identification of
inconsistencies and their causes, and by remediation of deficits.
Small-group consistency within courses is managed by course directors who distribute curricular
competencies and course and lesson objectives and provide orientation to all involved faculty. Course
directors meet with facilitators before small group discussions to coordinate goals and objectives; they
make direct observations of small groups; and they receive student evaluations of each small group
session. Summative course exams include questions based on small-group learning. Course directors meet
with faculty to provide feedback regarding teaching and attainment of course objectives, and to develop
strategies to minimize inconsistencies.
Educational experiences are offered at a variety of clinical sites in the pre-clerkship years during the
Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) courses in years 1 and 2, and in all clerkships in years 3 and 4:
Introduction to Clinical Medicine: The ICM year 1 Clinical Experience and year 2 Clinical Evaluation
courses are administered by centrally based co-directors, who work with site leaders based at multiple
clinical sites to identify facilitators and preceptors and manage quality and consistency. Course syllabi are
distributed to all facilitators and preceptors. These define course objectives, expectations of student
performance and behavior, and explicit evaluation and grading criteria. Student performance is assessed
using standardized evaluation forms employing behavioral anchors for each learning objective. The codirectors review consistency across clinical sites based on student evaluations and performance on
summative knowledge and skills examinations.
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Clinical Clerkships: All clerkships have established clearly written objectives mapped to the new
Educational Competencies. These objectives are distributed to faculty in writing and posted on clerkship
web pages in the course management system. Clerkship site leaders meet with faculty to orient them
regarding objectives and other clerkship activities. Consistency has been further strengthened by the
development and dissemination of the set of required clinical experiences, the Einstein 203. Cumulative
data are examined every six months to determine the completion rate at all sites within each
clerkship/sub-internship, and these data are reviewed for gaps and inconsistencies by clerkship directors
and the OME. Consistency across different clinical sites also has been strengthened by the development in
2013 of a new assessment tool with specific behavioral anchors to be used by all clerkships.
Student evaluations of ICM, clerkships and preceptors are reviewed by the Evaluation Sub-committee for
strengths, weaknesses and inconsistencies. These data are shared with the clerkship or ICM directors who
then work with site leaders to address any inconsistencies. Clerkship directors report to the Clinical
Directors Sub-committee of the MEC on any actions planned to address inconsistencies. The grading
policy limits honors to 20-33% of students per clerkship in any given year. Student grade distribution data
across sites is compared, and directors and site leaders work together to address imbalances and to
normalize grading.
The educational program at Einstein provides recurrent events in which students are exposed to the
principles of research and are given opportunities to apply those principles. In both the pre-clerkship
curriculum and during the clinical years, students learn about research principles and translational
research. Examples include laboratory sessions with direct hands-on experience, and reading and didactic
sessions involving cases from the scientific and clinical literature. Assessment of student in these skills
can be tracked by sub-competencies such as, “Use knowledge of science and the scientific method to
characterize the quality of evidence, and to critically evaluate scientific and medical literature,” and,
“Translate and apply scientific and medical discoveries to improve the health of individuals and
populations.” Students also are exposed to translational research in required grand rounds. On case writeups required on Pediatrics and Medicine clerkships, students must append a discussion of literature
connecting basic science and clinical medicine. The extensive involvement of Einstein students in
research has been discussed and is confirmed by GQ responses.
The curriculum thoroughly covers the traditional basic and clinical sciences. Information on the adequacy
of coverage and identification of areas that require more content are derived from performance on Step
exams, GQ data, student contributions to the standing committees of the MEC, town hall meetings of
students with the OME, and input from the Medical Student Council. The GQ results demonstrate that in
large part, students concur that they have had adequate content and coverage. Specific topics that in the
past have been identified as weak, such as biostatistics and epidemiology, have been targeted for
increased coverage, and board scores in those areas have shown substantial improvement since the
introduction of the revised Epidemiology, Population Health and Evidence-Based Medicine course.
There are several other examples of increased coverage in response to identified areas of need. Bioethics
was expanded to include full-year courses in years 1 and 2, and some sessions are coordinated with other,
simultaneously running, pre-clerkship courses. Expanded coverage of psychiatric and neurobehavioral
issues was introduced into the year 2 Nervous System and Human Behavior course. More recently, a
Population Health and Practice of Medicine working group was created and has identified needed content
areas that will be incorporated into existing sessions in pre-clerkship courses and clerkships. Additional
faculty task forces are developing themes in dermatology, and in inter-professional education.
The skills and sensitivity needed to communicate with patients and their families, with other physicians,
and with health care teams composed of diverse care deliverers, are among the first things taught at
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Einstein. This begins with the ICM course, Introduction to the Patient, which commences in week 2 of the
first-year curriculum. Students practice with standardized patients and interact with patient volunteers in
the Clinical Skills Center, before conducting interviews with actual patients in both inpatient and
ambulatory settings. Students progress during years 1 and 2, from simple introductions to situations
where communication may be challenging such as interviews with individuals from diverse cultures,
those with chronic illness, psychiatric disorders, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, a history of violence, or
sexually related health issues, among others. ICM also addresses gender and gender bias through
interviews with patients with non-normative sexual histories. Patient safety, medical errors and improving
health care delivery are emphasized. During ICM clinical placements, students interact, under faculty
supervision, with actual patients and families. This training continues as a formal component of Patients
Doctors and Communities (PDC), and the Family Medicine clerkship in year 3, and is reinforced in all
clerkships. Venues for learning are varied, from classrooms, to skills center, physician offices, and
student-run clinics for the uninsured. As their skills mature, students successfully learn to become
effective communicators and advocates for their patients.
Einstein has implemented a holistic approach to admissions, ensuring the diversity of the student
population. This diversity provides the students with a first opportunity for learning to work and interact
with those who may be different. The rich diversity of patients in the Bronx and Greater New York
affords many rewarding and challenging clinical experiences. This is explored formally in lessons related
to understanding patient and family responses to illness, and on developing culturally sensitive
management plans. It is evaluated using direct observation, videotaped interactions, quizzes and
examinations. In their comments on the GQ, Einstein students repeatedly cite their exposure to our
diverse patient population as a principal strength of clinical education at Einstein.
There are several opportunities for Einstein students to function collaboratively on health care teams.
Collaboration is a key element of learning to function as a member of a dissection team in the anatomy
lab; this is further illustrated by the variety of disciplines of the lab instructors. Additionally, the Anatomy
practical exams have a team-based component that requires students to collaborate within a high-stakes
testing environment. The Microbiology/Infectious Disease and the Molecular and Cellular Foundations of
Medicine courses introduce medical students to the role and scope of practice of microbiologists and
geneticists, respectively. In Principles of Pharmacology, case discussion groups are facilitated by clinical
pharmacists. Students in the Family Medicine clerkship are taught skills to effectively communicate with
community workers and advocates, and their community project advisor assesses these skills; these
assessments contribute to the students’ clerkship grade. Across all clerkships and sub-internships,
students are expected to establish productive, respectful working relationships with all health team
members, and teamwork skills are discussed in the Patients, Doctors and Communities course.
To enhance the curriculum on inter-professional (IP) team skills, the MEC established the Population
Health and the Practice of Medicine (PHPM) Working Group in August 2013, which has crafted 18
learning objectives for a longitudinal thematic focus on IP skills, and has linked each of these to the
Einstein competencies. All clerkships are implementing new instructional sessions and student
assessments linked to these new IP learning objectives. The PHPM is also meeting with course directors
to enhance the IP curriculum in the pre-clinical years. One challenge will be the need for our school to
identify and establish formal educational partnerships with other independent health profession schools
(e.g., nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, etc.) in our geographic area in order to implement a shared
IP curriculum for our students.
There is an appropriate balance between inpatient and ambulatory teaching. Students in year 1 participate
in ambulatory clinical experiences as part of ICM. In year 3 all clerkships (with the exception of Internal
Medicine) have both an inpatient and ambulatory component. In year 4 there is a required four-week
ambulatory rotation in either Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, or Pediatrics. The Neurology clerkship
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has both an inpatient and outpatient component. Clinical affiliates provide a wide range of teaching sites
across the New York City metropolitan area for both ambulatory and inpatient training. Although the
majority of our students report their ambulatory training to be adequate, the consensus is that Einstein
should increase ambulatory experiences across all clerkships in keeping with the future goals for the
practice of medicine.
C.
Teaching and Assessment
Einstein students are supervised at all times during required clinical experiences to ensure both patient
and student safety. They do not perform clinical services without appropriate supervision. All course and
clerkship directors, clinical site directors and attending physicians are required to have faculty
appointments. All residents and other instructors without faculty appointments (e.g., physician assistants,
nurses, and midwives) are supervised by attending physicians with faculty appointments. Through the
Teaching Star program, residents and non-faculty instructors are provided with structured training for
their roles in teaching and assessment of students. They are required to attend an annual teaching skills
development session, which also emphasizes avoidance of student mistreatment, and they receive an
electronic copy of course or clerkship objectives. Resident and non-faculty instructor teaching is
evaluated by all students; individual instructors identified as challenged teachers are offered remediation.
Implementation of the Teaching Star program is coordinated by the course and clerkship directors, site
directors, faculty, and assistant deans at our clinical affiliates with oversight by Office of Medical
Education.
Assessment in basic science courses is almost exclusively by written examination, testing both knowledge
and the application of that knowledge to clinical scenarios. A number of case-based and problem-solving
exercises also are used for summative assessments. In addition, laboratory exercises and case studies
contribute to the final grade in basic science courses. Small-group activities allow for the assessment of
competencies as professionalism, communication and teamwork skills. The ICM course utilizes both
OSCEs and direct observation in the clinical setting to assess knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Clerkships use a variety of methods to gauge student attainment of clinical learning objectives. The
clerkship evaluation of student performance form aligns assessments with the new Educational
Competencies. During the clerkships, OSCEs are used for formative purposes, and individual clerkships
are being encouraged to develop summative performance-based exams. At the end of the third year, a
structured Clinical Skills Assessment is administered to all students using a multi-station OSCE. This
evaluates many program objectives in clinical domains. The development of a planned Skills Simulation
Center will facilitate an increased use of these assessments.
Preclinical courses use formative feedback tools such as low-stakes quizzes, class participation in the
audience response system (ARS), and online modules and study questions. The faculty preceptors for
ICM small-groups review video-taped interviews at mid-course, and provide each student with individual
formative feedback on communication and professionalism skills. In Anatomy, students receive formative
feedback on teamwork and professionalism from peers in their dissection groups. Narrative summative
assessments are provided to students in Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) and both Bioethics 1 and
2 in the preclinical years, and in all the clerkships and in Patients, Doctors and Communities (PDC) in the
clinical years.
Clerkship students receive formative feedback at mid-cycle in individual meetings with their site leaders.
Standard guidelines for the content of these meetings include: review of experiential logs and of clinical
performance; self-assessment by the student; identification of areas of strength and those needing
improvement; and setting learning goals for the remainder of the rotation. Clerkship directors must
document the mid-cycle meeting as part of each student’s final clerkship evaluation, and students are
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queried about this on their required evaluation of the clerkship. During the most recent 6-month period,
the percent of students reporting mid-cycle feedback ranged between 89%-99% across clerkships. All
clerkship evaluations include summative narratives.
Timeliness of grades has been a major focus since the last survey and is now in compliance with LCME
standards. Preclinical exam grades are released within two weeks, and course grades are available to
students within six weeks. ICM grades are released in 4-6 weeks after the conclusion of the course, and
all clerkship grades are released to students within six weeks of the conclusion of the rotation.
In the first- and second-year ICM courses, students are observed weekly and receive formative feedback
on the clinical skills they are learning. At the end of both years 1 and 2, ICM conducts final competency
exams evaluating students’ communication skills (year 1) and communication and physical exam skills
(year 2). In all clerkships, each student must be directly observed during at least one full patient encounter
and receive formative feedback on his/her clinical skills; data from the most recent GQ show that the
percent of Einstein students agreeing that their clinical performance was directly observed by faculty is
higher than the national means across all major clerkships. At the end of third year, the Clinical Skills
Assessment (CSA), a formative and summative multi-station OSCE, is administered. This is a direct
observation exercise used to evaluate each student’s acquisition of core clinical skills.
D.
Curriculum Management
The new senior associate dean for medical education was empowered by the dean to analyze the structure
for management of the curriculum. Subsequent restructuring that was implemented resulted in the
formation of the Medical Education Council (MEC). The dean has charged the MEC with responsibility
for centralized oversight and management of the curriculum. The Executive Committee of the MEC
ensures the coherence and coordination of the curriculum through its major sub-committees: the Course
Directors Sub-committee; the Clinical Directors Sub-committee; and the Evaluation Sub-committee. The
Faculty Advisory Board, comprising faculty involved in medical education, has served as a forum for
bidirectional flow of ideas between the MEC, faculty and students. Its membership also includes staff
responsible for the library, admissions, student activities, diversity, faculty development and graduate
medical education. Additional education task forces are charged with monitoring and oversight of areas
that play a key role in medical education of students (e.g., clinical skills, faculty development, and
research). Planning and management of the entire curriculum is closely integrated through the work of
these committees and task forces.
Management of the curriculum by the Executive Committee of the MEC includes regular and systematic
review, ensuring that content is coordinated and integrated across the four years and that appropriate
didactic methodology and methods of evaluation of student performance and program effectiveness are in
place. The Executive Committee also reviews the activities of all sub-committees and task forces,
approves policies relating to undergraduate medical education, reviews institutional objectives and
competencies, approves curricular changes, teaching program outcomes and addresses these results. It
also approves new course and clerkships directors, site directors and assistant deans at affiliated sites.
New clinical sites are assessed and evaluated by a team of Executive Committee members to ensure that
required curricular content and experiences can be met. The site is then proposed to the full MEC for
approval.
All courses and clerkships undergo review in two phases. Annually, the Evaluation Sub-committee
reviews each course and clerkship. The goal of this Phase 1 review is to provide an overview of strengths
and weaknesses of each course or clerkship and determine if relevant competencies have been addressed.
For clerkships, the review also assesses how well the clerkship has met the requirement for comparability
of student experiences across sites. Student completion of evaluations is a required component of both
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courses and clerkships. These valuations are reviewed by the Evaluation Sub-committee, sent to course
and clerkship directors for their analysis, and reviewed and discussed at the Course or Clinical Directors
Sub-committee.
During Phase 2, which has begun in the summer of 2014, an ad hoc committee will perform a
comprehensive review of each course and clerkship every 4-5 years using annual course/clerkship
evaluations and responses, data from the USMLE exams, the AAMC GQ, residency program directors
survey reports, student performance on standardized patient assessments, and any other relevant outcome
data. The resulting report will be reviewed by the Executive Committee of the MEC for analysis of
strengths, weaknesses, trends, comparison with national norms, and fulfillment of the educational
competency domains.
Segments of the curriculum also are reviewed annually. Students who have just completed USMLE Step
1 are surveyed to identify strengths and weaknesses in preparation for the examination. The results of this
exam are also analyzed and reviewed by the Course Directors Sub-committee and the MEC Executive
Committee. These committees also review the results of Clinical Skills Assessment in year 3, USMLE
Step 2, the AAMC GQ, and the Program Directors Survey. The senior associate dean for medical
education also reviews the entire curriculum annually after the results of the GQ are received.
On the 2011 GQ, Einstein students cited inadequate instruction in the areas of epidemiology, biostatistics
and public health. This led the Executive Committee of the MEC to propose integration of separately
taught units into a single, two-year course, thereby accomplishing both horizontal and vertical integration
of the course material. The course was renamed Epidemiology, Population Health, and Evidence-Based
Medicine (EPHEM). The Executive Committee reviewed the details of the course objectives, curriculum
components, teaching methodology, and evaluation methods, and approved the course. As previously
noted, this has resulted in substantial improvement in both student performance and satisfaction.
Another area recently identified by the Executive Committee through review of the curriculum was a gap
in addressing the domains related to core competencies in disease prevention and health promotion. As a
result, the Executive Committee charged the Clinical Prevention and Population Health Task Force to
review the curriculum as it related to these domains and to propose methods for reorganization and
integration across the four years of medical student training. This assessment was presented to the MEC
and was approved.
The Executive Committee also reviews all teaching program outcomes and other outcome measures and
develops plans to address curriculum needs, redundancy, integration, development and innovation.
Results of these standard outcome measures are reviewed regularly; they include but are not limited to the
AAMC GQ, Step 1, Step 2 CS and CK, clerkship subject examinations, internal course and clerkship
evaluations by the students, Program Directors Surveys of graduated students who are now interns and
the match results.
Monitoring of the curricular details of each course or clerkship is the responsibility of the Course or
Clinical Directors Sub-committees. The chairs of each of these sub-committees, as well as the chair of
the Evaluation Sub-committee, are members of the Executive Committee and therefore serve as liaisons
for specific curricular discussions. The minutes of all of the MEC committees are distributed to assure
that the discussion of all educational activities is available to all members of MEC committees. They are
also posted on eMED and therefore available to all members of the academic community. A recent review
of the curriculum by a broadly representative group of faculty took place at the 2013 Davidoff Education
Day, where the objectives of the entire undergraduate curriculum were mapped to the new Educational
Competencies to identify any significant gaps in the curriculum.
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The senior associate dean for medical education has the authority and resources necessary for the
oversight of the educational program leading to the MD degree. She reports directly to the dean and
works closely with the senior leadership within the dean’s office. Supporting the senior associate dean for
medical education is the Office of Medical Education (OME), with seven units supporting the educational
mission. An assistant dean for medical education works closely with the senior associate dean on the
overall educational program and selected educational projects. A full-time senior administrator is
responsible for preparing the budget, monitoring expenditures, and other duties.
The senior associate dean is responsible for and allocates the budget to the different departments that
report to the OME. The budget for the OME is partially determined based on prior years’ histories, with
adjustments and enhancements as new and revised curricular elements are developed. New educational
technologies and the costs of extra-curricular academic programs are factored into the operating budget.
Salary support is provided for course and clerkship directors based on the type and length of course or
clerkship; this becomes part of their departmentally determined salary.
The curricular schedule of first- and second-year provides the framework for monitoring the workload in
the pre-clerkship years. The schedule is prepared by the senior associate dean for medical education and
vetted by the directors of pre-clerkship courses. The current policy is one of zero net change in scheduled
course hours, as stated in the Student Work Hours Policy-Pre-clinical Years, recently adopted by the
Executive Committee of the MEC. The Office of Instructional Support Services tabulates the total time
scheduled for each first- and second-year course and compares this number with prior years. No increase
in net scheduled time is permitted. In the student survey prepared for the self-study, 85% of students
responding felt that the academic workload and demands on student time were appropriate, and 87.7%
felt that there was sufficient time to pursue opportunities to engage in extracurricular medical activities. In
the second year, 76.7% of students felt they had sufficient time to prepare for Step 1.
For the clinical years, the Clinical Directors Sub-committee of the MEC sets policy on student work
hours. These cover duty hours during clinical rotations and structured didactic hours. There are several
components to the clinical duty hours policy that ensure balance in students’ workload. Students across
sites within a clerkship must have comparable work hours, although total work hours and distribution of
work hours may vary among the clerkship disciplines. Sub-interns’ work hours mimic those of PGY-1
trainees; they may not exceed ACGME policy and New York State “405” regulations. The work hours
policy for the clinical years is posted in several locations on eMED, including on the sections for students,
faculty, and site leaders. The clerkship site leaders are responsible for disseminating these policies and the
actual work schedule (including on-call) to faculty, residents, and students at their respective sites.
Clerkship directors and site leaders are responsible for enforcing these policies.
Clinical workload issues are addressed at monthly clerkship directors meetings based on concerns that
may be raised with the Office of Student Affairs. Students have several options for reporting violations of
duty hour policies, either anonymously or in person. Students can report via an “anonymous drop box,”
online, which connects to the Office of Student Affairs. Anonymous evaluations submitted at the end of
courses and clerkships include opportunities for general comments or criticisms of the educational
experience, which can include reports of duty hour violations. The Medical Student Council is another
clearinghouse for student issues. Student members who sit on the Clinical Directors Sub-committee, the
Course Directors Sub-committee or the Executive Committee of the MEC can present violations of duty
hours discussed at Medical Student Council meetings. The senior associate dean for medical education
meets with the medical education representatives of the Student Council and holds regular town hall
meetings with classes at large. In addition, students may report work hours violations at any time directly
to their course or clerkship directors, or to the Office of Student Affairs. In the student survey, 89.2% of
respondents stated that clinical duty hours were satisfactory and that they had sufficient time to prepare
for USLME Step 2.
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Einstein uses multiple sources of information to assure comparability of student experiences across
clinical sites:
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Students must complete a standardized form using behavioral anchors to evaluate each clerkship/subinternship. Responses are anonymous and pooled, and reported biannually by site, providing clerkship
directors and education deans with detailed information on students’ satisfaction with their
experiences at all sites and their comparability.
Student log data across all clinical sites within each required clerkship/sub-internship are reported
every six months. A copy of the individual clerkship/sub-internship site comparability report is
provided to each clerkship director for review. The clerkship/sub-internship directors are responsible
for sharing this report with their clinical site directors.
The Evaluation of Clinical Performance and Professional Attributes form has been implemented for
third year in 2013-2014, and will be for fourth year in 2014-2015. This uses a narrow grading scale
and clear behavioral anchors for each assessment. It is intended to reduce variation in grading.
Implementation of this new report form has been reinforced by faculty development.
The Office of Student Affairs and Registrar provide annual grade distribution data by clerkship and
by site to all clerkship directors and education deans. These data are used to adjust grading policy and
to modify the weight of different aspects of the clerkship and exam scores, in order to produce a more
normalized distribution of grades in the following year.
The Evaluation Sub-committee of the MEC reviews all end-of-clerkship evaluations and site
comparability data for each clerkship/sub-internship annually. Site-specific information is integrated
into the Evaluation Sub-committee’s report to each clerkship/sub-internship director, who presents
the data and response to the Clinical Directors’ Sub-committee. In addition, site comparisons are one
component of the periodic Phase 2 clerkship review conducted by the Executive Committee.
The Committee on Student Promotion and Professional Standards (CSPPS), together with the Office of
Student Affairs, monitors the progress of all students, sets limits on the number of failed exams allowed
before dismissal, determines any remedial actions necessary for breach of professional standards, and
enforces standards for the granting of the diploma.
E. Evaluation of Program Effectiveness
Einstein uses a wide variety of outcome measures to ensure that the educational program is meeting its
goals. Starting with the roll-out of the Educational Competencies in 2013, performance data of both the
preclinical and clinical years curricula are being linked to the applicable competencies. All questions on
preclinical exams generated in-house are now linked to the appropriate competency, and the Office of
Educational Resources generates competency-specific data for each of the exams. Similarly during the
clerkship years, the items on the newly revised Evaluation of Clinical Performance and Professional
Attributes form are aligned with the Educational Competencies. Use of these measures allows the MEC
and the educational leadership to assess attainment of the competencies throughout all four years of
medical school.
The Executive Committee of the MEC and its sub-committees monitor aggregate student performance on
USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK and CS exams and discuss trends in the overall scores and performance on
individual subject areas. The performance by Einstein students is excellent, and the pass rate and mean
scores are consistently higher than national means.
Students participate in both formative and summative OSCEs throughout their four years of medical
school. After each exam, students meet with faculty members to review their performance and generate
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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plans for improvement. The 8-station Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) at the end of year 3 follows the
same format as the USMLE Step 2 CS and provides valuable information on history, physical exam and
communication skills, all of which are linked to the Einstein competencies. Results of the CSA are
analyzed by the Clinical Skills Assessment Task Force, and these summary data are presented in
aggregate form to Clinical Directors Sub-committee and the Executive Committee of the MEC, and serve
to identify areas where students’ clinical skills need to be strengthened. The appropriate clerkships use
this information to work on enhancing the teaching of these skills.
Results in the National Residency Matching Program are an indicator of Einstein’s educational program
effectiveness. The match rate consistently exceeds 98%, and Einstein students match at high quality
residency programs in a wide range of specialties throughout the nation. A substantial number of
graduating students each year match to the primary care fields of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Family
Medicine. Positive assessment of the performance of Einstein graduates by residency program directors
also supports this conclusion.
Information obtained from national and in-house surveys of student opinion, as well as the outcome data
described above, are all used to evaluate and improve Einstein’s medical education program. The inhouse course and clerkship evaluations provide key data for ongoing improvement. Since the completion
of these evaluations is a required component of the course or clerkship, there is 100% compliance. These
data are carefully reviewed and analyzed by the Evaluations Sub-committee of the MEC, and then shared
and discussed with the course or clerkship leadership, respective chairs, and the Course Directors Subcommittee or Clinical Directors Sub-committee of the MEC. Significant changes to the medical education
program were based on this rigorous evaluation process.
The response rate on the GQ includes data from 75%-90% of graduates in each of the last five years. The
data are analyzed and reviewed by all members of the MEC sub-committees, and a number of new
educational initiatives have resulted from these reviews. In addition, the data has been used to support
continuation of programs that often serve as the highlight of our students’ educational experience, such as
working in the student-run free clinic, participating in community-based projects in the Bronx, or working
in a global health program. Although the response rate from the residency Program Directors Survey has
not been as high (48-60%), the information gathered from these directors provides evidence that Einstein
students are consistently rated highly during their first year of residency training. The format of this
survey is being revised to be consistent with the new Educational Competencies. The Evaluation Subcommittee is considering adding a survey of all Einstein graduates after their PGY-1 year, as this would
provide additional information.
III.
MEDICAL STUDENTS
A.
Admissions
Einstein is a highly selective medical school that has been successful in recruiting and admitting a diverse
student body with excellent academic skills. The following figures validate that our recruitment efforts
have been successful. The size of the applicant pool for the class that entered in 2014 included 8,189
applicants for 183 places (a ratio of about 45:1). The College traditionally receives applications from 17%
of the national applicant pool. The average GPA of the class that entered in 2014 was 3.76 compared with
the national average of 3.68. The average MCAT score of the class that entered in 2014 was 33.03,
compared with the national average of 31.38. Both of these academic metrics have increased progressively
since the last LCME review.
Students are selected using a holistic approach based on both the College’s and the Committee on
Admissions’ mission statements. To ensure the use of criteria other than academic metrics in admissions,
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the College has instituted a competency-based admissions (CBA) process. The effectiveness of CBA will
be monitored by tracking the diversity characteristics of the student body, as well as by performance on
course and clerkship exams and USMLE Step examinations, results of the NRMP match, and the number
of students who engage in research and global health fellowships and community health projects, both
school-related and volunteer.
The selection of students is entirely a faculty responsibility. Applications are screened by 10 faculty
members who serve as co-chairs of the Committee on Admissions; they determine whether an interview
will be offered. The final acceptance decision is made by these co-chairs meeting as a committee. To
ensure that there is no conflict of interest, members of the committee (both those doing interviews and the
co-chairs) are reminded periodically to recuse themselves should they have any connection with an
applicant. The decisions of the Committee on Admissions are never overridden.
Einstein matriculates 183 students annually. This class-size has been in effect since 1998 and was arrived
at taking into account the resources available to the undergraduate education program. The class size has
been discussed from time to time by the deans and by the MEC, and has been determined to be
appropriate. As a matter of policy, the College does not accept transfer students except on rare occasion to
accommodate a committed couple. Einstein annually admits to advanced standing (entry into year 2) up to
two students who have completed dental school for a combined oral-maxillofacial surgery (OMFS)
program leading to the MD degree. These students are vetted by the leaders of the OMFS program, with
final acceptance determined by the co-chairs of the Committee on Admissions.
It is Einstein policy that there be no discrimination with regard to race, religion, creed, color, national
origin, sex, age, disability, veteran or disabled veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or
citizenship status. The goal of the Committee on Admissions is to select for admission a diverse and wellprepared group of students who show great promise of becoming respected and distinguished members of
the medical community in all areas including teaching, research, clinical practice and administration.
Admission criteria include appreciation of the diversity of ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds
of the population Einstein serves. The Committee seeks applicants who have acquired experience in
working with disadvantaged persons and who understand how psychosocial and cultural factors influence
the health of individuals and populations.
Einstein has gone beyond the traditional methods of diversity recruitment and has created and supported
“pipeline programs” to increase the number of matriculants traditionally underrepresented in medicine.
These programs have had a direct, positive effect on Einstein’s applicant pool and enrollment, and also
have played a part in the creation of a larger, nationwide applicant pool of students, historically
underrepresented in medicine, who may enroll elsewhere in a health professions program. Einstein also
participates in the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) post-baccalaureate program. This
program places potentially qualified medical school applicants who do not receive any acceptances into a
structured post-baccalaureate program at SUNY Buffalo. Students who successfully complete the postbaccalaureate year then enter the medical school that sponsored their participation in the program.
Through this program alone, 58 diversity students who might otherwise never have had the opportunity to
pursue a career in medicine have enrolled at Einstein.
In recent years, women have comprised approximately 48% of each entering class, and the class entering
in 2014 is 49% female (46% in 2013). The class ranges in age from 21-39: 18% are over the age of 25;
3 students are over the age of 30; 9% (16 students) self-identified as belonging to groups traditionally
under-represented in medicine; and 24 % were of Asian descent. Fully 15% of the class (28 students) were
born outside the U.S. in such countries as Bangladesh, China, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Italy, the Republic
of Korea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Thailand; 1.6% are international students. Seventyfour colleges are represented, 165 students indicated that they speak at least one of 32 different foreign
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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languages, and 86 students (47%) speak Spanish. In 2014, Einstein matriculated 45 students (25% of the
class) who were economically disadvantaged, as well as one hearing-impaired student who was not
accepted anywhere else. Einstein provides numerous support programs for minority and underrepresented
students through the Office of Diversity Enhancement, as well as through the LGBT Steering Committee,
and strives to foster an environment of mutual respect and support.
To ensure that all students can meet the obligation to render safe care to patients, and to provide
appropriate access for individuals with disabilities, technical standards (TS) were developed and
implemented seven years ago. Applicants are made aware of the TS on the admissions homepage. Upon
acceptance, all students receive a copy of the standards and must indicate whether they can meet them or
indicate what accommodation they might need to succeed in medical school. Appropriate documentation
of need must be provided prior to matriculation.
Educational facilities, resources and faculty members are fully sufficient and provide a rich educational
environment. As of July 31, 2014, the total student body included 781 MD students (38 of whom are in
the MD phase of the PhD program), 103 students in the combined MD/PhD program, 291 PhD students
(including those in the PhD phase of the MD/PhD program), and approximately 375 postdoctoral research
fellows in the Belfer Institute for Advanced Biomedical Studies.
Einstein has established a broadly based network of clinical facilities encompassing the Bronx
(Montefiore Medical Center (Moses, Einstein and Wakefield divisions), Jacobi Medical Center, BronxLebanon Hospital Center, and St. Barnabas Hospital), Brooklyn (Maimonides Medical Center), and
Queens/Nassau County (North Shore-LIJ Health System). These facilities provide a highly diverse set of
clinical sites and allow Einstein students to see patients from a wide range of economic, ethnic, cultural
and racial groups. These are supplemented by additional affiliates offering access to experiences in Family
Medicine, Geriatrics, and Psychiatry. Each of the major affiliates maintains extensive residency and
fellowship programs, placing Einstein at the center of one of the largest GME networks in the US.
Einstein’s physical facilities are ample, with 12 buildings on the medical school campus including the
student housing complex and the Falk Recreation Center. These buildings house the medical school's
lecture halls, seminar and conference rooms, research and teaching laboratories, classrooms, auditoriums,
and administrative offices for pre-clinical and clinical departments. Einstein has completed the first
component of a new Education Center, which will provide significantly increased and enhanced space for
student study, student relaxation and small group interaction, as well as classroom resources for engaged
learning. Each of the affiliates provides adequate space for clinical teaching, student relaxation and secure
personal storage.
B.
Student Services
Admission requirements, academic counseling efforts and remediation programs are effective, as
demonstrated by a low attrition rate and low rate of mandatory customized (decelerated) scheduling. The
attrition rate ranges from 0.5%-1% per year, and the rate of mandatory customization ranges from 0%-5%
per year. Early intervention is provided by the Office of Academic Support and Counseling. Students
failing five exams within the first year are required to decelerate, with no additional tuition charged.
Further confirmation of the effectiveness of these programs is our very high match rate.
The Office of Student Affairs has initiated an active program of career counseling and residency
preparation, the Career Advisory Program (CAP). Multiple enhancements to the CAP have been
implemented, including: an online faculty/alumni mentoring program; career advisement lunches at which
small groups of students, inclusive of the entire first and second year student body, meet with the deans
for student affairs: and additional specialty-specific events, including an event on alternative careers in
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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medicine. One-on-one fourth-year planning meetings, including use of a formal worksheet detailing
timing of electives and requirements have been introduced, and students return for an additional meeting
where the residency application process is discussed in great detail and personalized. Based on the results
of the student survey for the self-study, there is increased satisfaction with regard to participation in and
accessibility of career counseling services; the trend since 2010 has been one of overall improvement with
satisfaction in career counseling.
Evidence of the efficacy of career counseling services and residency preparation is the match rate of
98.5% in 2014, as well as students’ expressions of satisfaction with their matches. Residency program
directors report that our MSPEs are highly accurate in describing our students, and continue to actively
recruit Einstein students.
The deans for student affairs review student proposals for extramural electives. As a result of rigorous
oversight of health and safety at institutions both in the US and abroad, there have been no untoward
events. All students traveling abroad are provided with international SOS emergency referral and
evacuation services.
An effective system for collecting performance assessments on electives has been instituted; 98% of
evaluations are returned within four weeks of completing an elective. In review of the system, it was
noted that there is no formal system in place for student evaluation of US extramural electives. In
response, we plan to implement a searchable database of evaluation reports to assist with advising future
students regarding extramural electives. Students returning from an international elective have a formal
mechanism in place for providing their feedback in the global health database.
Einstein students graduate with debt well below the national average for private schools ($152,000 vs.
about $170,000 for 2013-14). This can be attributed to our intentionally low student budget, our practice
of limited annual tuition increases, and our policy of only charging for four years of tuition, even for
students with decelerated schedules. Financial aid resources have increased over the past several years,
although despite recent success in raising merit-based student aid, need-based funds are limited. The
tuition refund policy is clear and equitable.
In 2012-2013, approximately 1 in 6 students accessed the Office of Academic Support and Counseling.
Given this high demand for personal counseling services, the Einstein Peer Mentor Network and a
comprehensive wellness program were established. These programs have been highly successful: in the
student survey, 78% of students are satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of counseling for personal
problems.
Fully 100% of our students are appropriately immunized including annual influenza vaccination. All
students must have health insurance and have been assigned to individual primary care providers in the
Montefiore network. This service was expanded to include Ob/Gyn during the 2013-2014 academic year.
Despite these efforts, student satisfaction with health services continues to be below the national mean, as
evidenced in the 2014 GQ as well as in the current student survey. In response, a nurse practitioner has
been hired to provide on-campus student health services to address urgent, but low risk, student health
needs.
Student health insurance provides comprehensive medical coverage, including psychiatric coverage.
Disability insurance is also comprehensive and students are automatically enrolled. However, the student
survey showed that few students are aware of their comprehensive disability benefits. Information
regarding specific benefits of health insurance and disability insurance will be included in the yearly
enrollment package and this benefit information will be added on the student wellness website.
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
Einstein students are educated about bodily fluid exposure, needle stick policies and other infectious and
environmental hazards prior to any clinical assignments; in the recent student survey, 83% of students
report being adequately trained. As part of VSAS, visiting students’ home institutions must verify
completion of OSHA safety measures and infection control precautions, including FIT testing.
C.
The Learning Environment
Einstein’s Policy on Non-discrimination, Affirmative Action, and Unlawful Harassment is found in
Section XI of the Bylaws on Student Promotions and Professional Standards. Students are encouraged to
bring any perceived instances of discrimination to the attention of the Ombuds Panel whose charge is to
investigate each alleged incident.
Einstein students are expected to grow in seven competency areas that reflect the multifaceted role of the
physician as Healer, Scientist, Advocate, Educator, Colleague, Role Model, and Lifelong Learner.
Professionalism is an important element in these competencies. Students are introduced to
professionalism and the competencies at orientation, and they are reinforced throughout the courses and
clerkships. Evaluation of professionalism occurs in several courses and in all clerkships. In particular,
the clerkship evaluation includes rating scales for various aspects of professionalism, such as Professional
Attributes, Communication with Patients and Families, and Relationship with Clinical Staff/Teamwork
Skills.
Einstein students have acknowledged the success of the institution and its clinical affiliates in producing
an environment conducive to learning and growth, as reflected in the recent student survey results in
which the modal response was Strongly Agree on all 14 items pertaining to the Learning Environment. At
each clinical site, an assistant dean is responsible for ensuring that a positive learning environment is
maintained. The assistant deans sit on the Clinical Directors Sub-committee of the MEC, where there is
ongoing communication and bidirectional feedback regarding the students’ experiences.
Einstein formally solicits feedback about positive and negative aspects of the learning environment from:
evaluation forms filled out by students at the end of each course and clerkship; debriefing sessions in the
Patients, Doctors, and Communities (PDC) course; and from a student survey sent to all students at
intervals. Feedback is also received continuously in a less structured way through informal interactions
between students and faculty, staff, and administrators.
Yeshiva University has adopted a policy of zero tolerance with respect to harassment. Acceptable
behavior by both teachers and learners is defined in Einstein policies and practices, as well as in parallel
policies promulgated by affiliated institutions. In 2013, a new, highly structured method for reporting
mistreatment was introduced. This was described to students during class meetings, in emails, by posting
in public places, and on the educational websites. The policy statement defines mistreatment, with
examples. A formal reporting form has been developed; this can be forwarded to an Ombuds Panel
consisting of two senior faculty members and two senior students. Findings are confidential (i.e., student
names are not reported to the deans). If mistreatment has occurred, the appropriate supervisor at Einstein
or the affiliate institution’s assistant dean is informed for further investigation, remediation, or censure.
Additionally, students can report mistreatment directly to supervisors or the deans for students, although
the preferred method is via the Ombuds Panel process.
Students complete individual anonymous web-based evaluations of each of their basic and clinical
training experiences and of their faculty. Through this mechanism, the conduct of all teachers and
supervisors comes under the routine scrutiny of the Office of Medical Education. Any pattern that might
warrant concern is identified, and that concern is relayed to the deans for students. The conduct of faculty
employed by Einstein, mainly those engaged in teaching the basic science curriculum, is monitored
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directly. Supervision of residents and faculty is the primary responsibility and concern of the affiliate
institution to which a particular resident or faculty member reports, and each of these institutions has
instituted appropriate local policies and procedures.
The effectiveness of these ongoing and concerted efforts to prevent mistreatment and to elevate the
conduct exhibited in our students, residents, staff, and faculty is reflected in the statistics captured in the
student survey for the self-study. Overall, 87% of students report that they are satisfied with Einstein’s
policies and procedures regarding mistreatment, and the majority of reported mistreatment incidents are
limited to perceived public humiliation. Almost all students (97%) reported that the Einstein environment
fosters collegiality and respect.
Complete information on the standards for promotion, graduation, disciplinary action, etc., is contained in
the Bylaws on Student Promotions and Professional Standards, which is distributed to each incoming
student during orientation and subsequently widely disseminated via the Internet, by periodic e-mails to
the student body as a whole, and during annual class meetings. Additionally, the by-laws are given to
each student during individual meetings with the deans for students in the setting of exam failures,
potential professionalism breaches, etc. The bylaws are also widely distributed to the faculty. Decisions
by the CSPPS can be appealed through a well-defined due-process procedure, including a final appeal to
the dean. These decisions may be overruled by the dean only on the basis of procedure.
The systems in place for providing students with access to the records are fair and adequate.
Confidentiality of students’ records is consistent with Einstein’s obligation to privacy, as per FERPA, its
revisions, and other applicable regulation. Information is shared only with the proper written consent of
students, and the specific exceptions to this general rule are detailed in the By-Laws on Student
Promotions and Professional Standards.
Records during the MS-I and MS-II periods consist primarily of examination results and the documents
from which these are derived, the exam booklets and answer sheets. Students may see the compilation of
these grades (the Flow Chart) under the supervision of OSA staff, at any time. Further, examinations can
be reviewed by students under direct supervision by staff of the Office of Academic Support and
Counseling, one-to-one, if a student has failed an exam or narrowly passed.
All clinical clerkships and rotations produce records that can be reviewed by affected students.
Evaluations or grades can be discussed and/or challenged at the level of the local site leader, where
revisions of text or of grades are not uncommon. In some cases, students opt to take the next step; i.e.,
they challenge their clinical record at the level of the department. This latter process is formalized and
written. In most cases, neutral site leaders who have had no direct experience with the student are
consulted. Students may also discuss grade appeals with deans for students.
Einstein offers students ample comfortable study and recreational spaces and is continuing to increase
lounge and relaxation areas in response to student requests. Notably, Wi-Fi is available in all academic
areas of the campus. The library, renovated in 2010, has 250 seats, including individual carrels and open
tables with comfortable chairs. There are five study rooms that can seat six students each for group
studying. The library is open every day and has extended hours during exam periods and prior to the
USMLE Step examinations. The Beren Study Center is open 24/7. Additional study space includes 16
conference rooms and nine instructional laboratories in the Belfer Building. These rooms can easily
accommodate several students for purposes of independent or group study.
Students also have access to the new Education Center, with six small active learning studios, one large
learning studio, and one hallway study area, all of which are open to students 24/7. The six small active
learning studios can accommodate 25 students each. Two of these rooms are designated as quiet study
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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areas while the other four allow for group studying. The large active learning studio can accommodate
210 students. In addition, the hallway outside the small learning studios has study workstations and
carrels that students can use for independent study.
Students have many lounge and relaxation spaces available. Of particular note is the newly renovated
(2013) “Main Street” Coffee Shop and Lounge. The entire first-floor Forchheimer core, an area
previously divided into several small conference and utility rooms and a narrow, dark central corridor, has
been converted into an open, airy, well-lit commons. It serves as a gathering place and community area.
It includes a coffee shop and snack bar area that is open weekdays, serving breakfast, lunch, coffee/tea
and snacks. It also provides informal study space during evening hours The “Max and Sadie” Lounge is a
two-level student facility that also was renovated recently, based on input from students. The ground level
houses a student-managed café open weekday nights serving hot food and beverages. Music is available
through the sound system. This area is open 24/7 and has many couches, tables, 2 foosball tables, a
billiards table, a collection of board games, and a refrigerator, freezer, water cooler and two microwaves.
The mezzanine level, also open 24/7, has been enclosed to provide a private, quiet area for use by
students. The Lubin Dining Hall is another space open to the Einstein community for lunch every
weekday and available for activities, studies and relaxing 24/7. Additionally, there are eight comfortable
couch seats outside the library that students often use as lounge space during study breaks. Some students,
however, continue to identify dedicated lounge space as not fully satisfactory, and there are plans to
further expand these resources by enclosing an underutilized space adjacent to the “Max and Sadie” and
converting it into student relaxation area.
The Falk Recreation Center, located adjacent to the students’ housing complex, includes a 75-foot
swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna, racquetball and squash courts, weight training, cardio equipment, a
gymnasium and a suspended jogging track above the gymnasium. Additionally, a new lighted outdoor
tennis court, basketball court and running track were added in August 2013 above the parking garage. The
facility is open an average of 16 hours a day. While on campus, MSI and MSII students can store their
belongings in their assigned lockers in the Belfer Building. At each clinical teaching site, facilities for
storage of student property are provided by the supervising clinical department.
IV.
FACULTY
A. Number, Qualifications, and Functions
The faculty is a principal strength of Einstein and the current size and make-up of the faculty are more
than adequate for our teaching and research commitments. Faculty are organized into 11 basic science
departments, the Library, and 20 clinical departments; a significant number hold appointments in more
than one department fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and multifaceted working groups. As of
July 1, 2014, there were approximately 2,292 full-time, Einstein-appointed faculty members. This is a
substantial difference from the number identified in the 2006 LCME Self-Study Report; it demonstrates
the effects of an adjustment in the guidelines for clinical full-time faculty appointments adopted in 20102011, the loss of 430 full-time faculty based at Beth Israel Medical Center when that institution’s
affiliation moved to Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and the addition of faculty at newly affiliated
institutions: Maimonides Medical Center, St. Barnabas Hospital, and the Wakefield Division of
Montefiore Medical Center.
Einstein enjoys a long-standing reputation for excellence in research and currently ranks 25th with respect
to NIH support, placing us among the top 20% medical schools. Examples of recent faculty achievements
include: election of Dr. Robert Singer and Dr. William Jacobs to the National Academy of Sciences in
2013; the Science Award for the best paper for the year 2013 to Dr. Scott Emmons and colleagues; Dr.
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Steven Libutti named Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious journal, Cancer Gene Therapy (2014); and the
American Association for Cancer Research Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Susan Horwitz in 2014.
Einstein has been recognized as providing an environment that fosters medical education, collegiality and
research excellence. These attributes have been reinforced by Dean Allen M. Spiegel through expansion
of programs offered by the Office of Faculty Development, and by the implementation of mentoring
programs within departments. The new Price Center/Block Pavilion and the Rose F. Kennedy Intellectual
and Developmental Disabilities Research Center have served as catalysts for recruiting and retaining top
scientists in a wide range of disciplines.
All full-time faculty at Einstein must be engaged in some level of teaching; a formal teaching portfolio is
encouraged in all tracks and required for promotion in the Clinician Educator Track. As a result, there is
a sufficient number of qualified and committed lecturers, facilitators, and instructors for both pre-clinical
courses and clinical clerkships. The availability of motivated clinical faculty has allowed a reduction in
formal lectures in favor of small-group sessions. Monetary support for course leaders and clerkship
directors is generally proportional to effort (i.e., course duration, number of teaching hours). Salary
support provided from the dean’s budget for teaching ranges from 6% to 100% for course leaders and
from 10% to 60% (when shared between co-directors) for clerkship directors. Specific levels of support
are determined in conjunction with department chairs, based on analysis of an individual’s full set of
responsibilities. Departments provide protected time to clinical faculty sufficient for clerkship teaching
responsibilities.
Feedback to faculty on the content and quality of their teaching is both the responsibility of the course or
clerkship directors and a major function of the Office of Medical Education. Feedback is based on a
combination of observation by the course or clerkship director, as well as by direct input from the
students. Students are required to submit quantitative evaluations for each lecturer, small group facilitator
or clerkship instructor. These assess: encouragement of active learning, organization and preparation,
enthusiasm for teaching, and accessibility to students. Students also provide written comments on faculty
performance. This information is processed by the OME and is returned to the course and clerkship
directors. Faculty members are provided quantitative and narrative feedback outlining their strengths and
identifying areas for improvement.
The Einstein Office of Faculty Development (OFD) plays a substantial role in the training and support of
the teaching faculty. The OFD offers multiple faculty training sessions each month on topics such as
“Team-Based Learning,” “Small-Group Teaching,” and “Teaching Clinical Reasoning.” The College also
holds several large-scale annual education events: Davidoff Education Day (a review of innovations in
medical education and a poster session showcasing the work of our faculty); an annual Clerkship Retreat;
Career Day for Women in Science and Medicine; and the Summer Intensive Course for New Medical
Educators. These sessions explore topics such as career development, mentoring, medical teaching,
curriculum, and skills development.
The central focus of many Einstein faculty is research, with scholarly productivity as the key metric for
academic advancement. During the 2012-2013 academic year, the faculty published approximately 5,000
peer-reviewed articles and more than 700 books or chapters. Feedback regarding productivity and
guidance with respect to career development is provided by the department chairs during mandated
annual reviews. Support for faculty development in research is augmented by weekly research seminars,
relatively informal “chalk-talks,” departmental retreats, and well-attended “Works in Progress” sessions.
Most departments have established mentorship programs pairing an experienced researcher with younger
colleagues. This pairing can substantially aid in the dynamics of grant applications, as well as in data
analysis, study design and networking across laboratories. As is the case for teaching, the OFD supports
training sessions dealing with specific topic related to research, including study design, statistical analysis
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and the use of citation management programs. The Einstein Office of Grant Support provides an outline
of research opportunities that are targeted to the specific skills and interests of individual faculty (e.g., a
new NIH initiative for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis).
B.
Personnel Policies
Einstein policies related to appointments, renewal of appointments, promotions, tenure and dismissal of
faculty are explicit, public, published in the Rules and Regulations Providing for a System of
Appointments, Titles and Compensation Arrangements, and are posted on the Einstein website. In July of
2012, faculty tracks were revised to include four options: Investigator Track, Clinician Educator Track,
Research Professor Track and Associate Track. Promotion is based on strengths in several interrelated
“legs,” including: scholarly contributions; national and international recognition; teaching; clinical skills;
and citizenship. The Office of Faculty Development sponsors periodic seminars on topics related to
promotion (e.g., “Anatomy of a Teaching Portfolio: What You Need to Know to Get Started” - May 16,
2014; “From Assistant Professor to Associate Professor – Navigating the Promotions Process” - April 24,
2014).
Tenure at Einstein is not directly linked to academic promotion. It has been available to full-time faculty
in the Investigator Track who meet stringent criteria such as: the rank of full professor; major service
contributions to Einstein; sustained track-record of extra-mural, federal funding of individual and
programmatic grants; significant, high-impact publication; and international recognition. Among the
issues under discussion as part of the realignment among Yeshiva University, Montefiore Medical Center,
and Einstein, is how academic tenure will be managed. This is an issue that affects the research faculty
almost entirely; it is not anticipated to have any effect on the undergraduate medical program. Dismissal
of a faculty member is based on the recommendation of the department chair and the agreement of the
dean. In such cases, the faculty member is entitled to the due process procedures outlined in the Rules
and Regulations Providing for Systems of Appointment, Titles and Compensation Arrangements.
All members of the Einstein community, including faculty, students and staff, are expected to adhere to
the highest standards of research ethics and human subject protection. Einstein has a rigorous policy
defining scientific misconduct and separate well-staffed committees reviewing patient-based research
(Human Research Protection Program) and potential research-based conflicts of interest (Conflict of
Interest Committee). Faculty members are required to submit documents related to research support and
all facets of external income related to their work triggered by a change in circumstance or a new grant
application. For the past year, an average of 161 grant submissions per month have been routed through
conflict of interest review. A revised and strengthened, Comprehensive Policy on Conflict of Interest was
published on the website in 2013.
C. Governance
Faculty provide substantial, timely and effective input in all phases of the academic mission of the school.
There are 36 standing faculty committees that meet on a regular basis. These committees participate in
decisions covering the full spectrum of activities within the College of Medicine. In particular, policy,
operational standards, and the practical implementation of medical education are guided by nine distinct
faculty committees. A similarly broad set of faculty committees exists for such areas as: Quality of Life;
Appointments and Promotions; Tenure; and Graduate Education. The roles and functions of these
committees differ, but they share the common goal of involvement of the faculty in all phases of decisionmaking and of providing diverse and occasionally eclectic input into the decision process.
An example of the working of these committees is provided by considering the Course Directors Subcommittee of the MEC. This sub-committee is chaired by the assistant dean for biomedical science
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education (himself a course director), and comprises 42 directors and co-directors of medical school
courses. It meets monthly with the senior associate dean for medical education and with other deans and
directors responsible for educational administration. All aspects of teaching in the first and second years,
ranging from audio-visual improvements to course content and testing methods are reviewed and many
key areas are subject to formal votes, thereby providing impactful input to all aspects of medical
education.
The Einstein Senate consists of 180 faculty elected by their departments, as well as 32 student and 15
postdoc representatives, and is the heart of faculty input to decision-making. Virtually all issues that
significantly impact the school are presented, discussed, and voted on at the monthly Senate meetings
when appropriate. The Senate Council, comprising a subset of 45 senators, provides direct faculty input
to the dean on select critical areas in greater detail on a bimonthly basis. Finally, the chairs of each
academic department meet monthly with the dean as a group and individually and have significant input
to school-wide policies and practices.
Faculty are informed of school-wide policy changes and developments by the minutes of the Senate,
information presented at departmental meetings, postings on the website, direct e-mail and periodic letters
from the dean.
V.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
A.
Finances
There is an appropriate balance between student enrollment and the resources needed to support the
medical education program. The undergraduate medical education program is financially self-supporting;
there are sufficient numbers of basic science and clinical faculty to meet the classroom and clinical
teaching needs of the program; educational space and infrastructure are up-to-date and adequate to
accommodate the teaching and study needs of the student body.
Useable reserves and new gift income have provided adequate funds to compensate for deficits resulting
from uncovered costs of research. Grant funding declined as the result of the end of ARRA funding, and
the federal sequester, but has now stabilized. Despite a reduction in total grant dollars received in 2013,
(-3%), Einstein actually improved its ranking with respect to NIH funding, which had greater decline
nationally (-5%). Planned use of reserves has also supported new research construction, recruitment and
retention of successful investigators, and the upgrade of institutional infrastructure. The resulting decline
in reserve funds has been partially offset by new philanthropy (e.g., a substantial gift in excess of $160
million from a bequest of the late Muriel Block, and targeted giving for construction of the new
Educational Center). Einstein’s academic departments are not financially separate from the College per
se, and do not carry uniquely identifiable deficits.
Einstein, Yeshiva, and Montefiore Medical Center are actively collaborating to develop a realignment
plan that is intended to stabilize the College’s financial situation. Under this new structure, it is
anticipated that Yeshiva will remain the degree-granting institution, and that Montefiore will assume
responsibility for finance and operations of Einstein. The intention of this realignment is to establish
stable support for the administration and research elements of Einstein.
Pressure to generate revenue has not adversely affected faculty participation in either the preclinical or
clinical components of the undergraduate medical education program. Einstein has initiated a process of
review and evaluation of research-based faculty who may not be successful in generating sufficient
external funding to support their salary and research program. It is anticipated that there will be some
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attrition of less successful research faculty over the next several years. It is also anticipated that there will
be some reduction in the size of the PhD training program during this same period.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine has operated only three clinical programs comprising: SoundviewThroggs Neck Community Mental Health Center; the Division of Substance Abuse (DOSA) clinical
program; and the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC). It is not the parent institution
for a “faculty practice.” All clinical aspects of research and education are accomplished through
affiliation agreements, primarily with Montefiore Medical Center and Jacobi Medical Center.
Maimonides Medical Center, and several other hospitals and medical centers in New York City and its
environs provide additional resources for the clinical training of Einstein students. Einstein has initiated
the transfer of responsibility for the three above-named clinical programs to Montefiore. The Soundview
clinic has already been transferred; transfer of DOSA and CERC will be completed in FY’15. At the same
time, Einstein and Montefiore have consolidated all research activity, including grants-management,
human subject protection, conflict of interest, etc., under the aegis of Einstein.
Montefiore Medical Center, a “Pioneer Accountable Health Care Organization (ACO),” has been very
successful implementing this new model for health care delivery. Montefiore generated substantial
savings to the Medicare program and achieved the highest financial performance among the 32 Pioneer
ACOs, according to initial data reported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Innovation Center. In conjunction with the initial year of the ACO, Einstein developed the PACt program
(see pg. 7 above) in which first- and second-year students participate in the community-based care of
Montefiore patients with chronic disease. Montefiore also has been actively expanding both in the Bronx
(addition of the Wakefield Division) and in southern Westchester County. Einstein’s dean’s staff who are
responsible for education and student affairs have been actively involved in planning for the use of those
facilities by Einstein’s clinical education programs.
B.
General Facilities
Einstein provides ample space for undergraduate medical teaching, including two large lecture halls
(Riklis in the Belfer building and Robbins in the Forchheimer buildings), as well as three smaller lecture
halls in Forchheimer and an additional smaller lecture hall in the recently constructed Price Center/Block
Pavilion. An auditorium located in the Van Etten Building, adjacent to the clinical Skills Center, will be
renovated as part of the plan to increase active learning opportunities. There are 14 conference rooms,
nine instructional labs, and three anatomy dissection labs that comfortably accommodate the full class.
The 356 research labs at Einstein have a total of approximately 256,000 sq. ft. The soon-to-be completed
11,710 sq. ft. component of the Education Center, located in the Forchheimer Building, can seat as many
as 400 students, using flexible learning spaces that can be configured to accommodate a variety of smallgroup learning activities. Einstein currently makes most of these venues available as study space for
students after class hours, during nights and weekends, and during peak study times.
The 22,000 sq. ft. Ruth L. Gottesman Clinical Skills Center, created in 2009 as part of the ongoing
renovation of the Van Etten Building, is used extensively as a resource for the teaching and assessment.
The Center comprises 23 clinical examination rooms, two large classrooms (the Beren Conference Room
and the Albrecht Classroom), as well as a lounge for standardized and simulated patients who are
involved in the teaching and assessment processes. The Clinical Skills Center serves as the educational
home of the Introduction to Clinical Medicine Program (three separate courses) and the Patients, Doctors
and Communities course. The Center also is the site of the full-day third-year Clinical Skills Assessment
(CSA), as well as for OSCEs conducted by several clinical clerkships.
Existing educational spaces (including the already completed components of the Education Center) are
more than adequate to accommodate present needs; the new spaces have been specifically designed to
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accommodate anticipated increases in small group and active learning sessions. In the student survey for
the self-study, 88.4% of student responders expressed satisfaction with the quality of lecture halls and
classrooms at Einstein, and 80.4% of students agreed or strongly agreed that small-group study spaces are
sufficient and adequate. Faculty are similarly satisfied with these instructional spaces. As previously
noted, a new Anatomic and Surgical Skills Learning Center, a simulation center and a Theater-based
Learning Studio are planned for the Van Etten Building, as part of the Education Center plan.
Security on the Einstein campus is overseen by the chief of security, whose professional staff members
maintain a constant presence on campus. All buildings, including student housing, have fixed, roving (on
foot), and vehicle patrol officers. All exterior doors have alarm panels wired to the main security
operations center; perimeter alarm panels have been installed to monitor unauthorized entry and various
environmental conditions. Cameras have been installed to monitor interior and exterior spaces. Security
managers are on-call 24/7. All students, faculty, staff and contractors are required to carry valid, chip
containing, ID cards, which are “swiped” to enter buildings on campus. The Security Office maintains a
close working relationship with the Office of Student Affairs in order to provide prompt attention to any
situation involving a student. Results of the recent student survey show that 81.9% of responders were
aware of safety protocols at Einstein; 90.3% felt that campus security met their needs, and 98.1% agreed
or strongly agreed that they felt safe while on campus.
Students travel to and from their clinical placements using a shuttle service provided by the College, with
contracted licensed car service for students working late. Each clinical site has a uniformed, radioequipped security team operating 24/7, monitored surveillance cameras, and exterior lighting for
pedestrian and vehicular traffic. All sites have access control systems linked to an ID badge. Students
must wear their badges while on-site. According to the student survey, 88% of responders expressed
satisfaction with the quality of transportation to clinical sites.
Einstein’s Emergency Procedure Manual, available as a quick link on the College’s website, provides
detailed information on responding to a variety of emergencies, including hurricanes, floods, fire, snow
storms, a shooter on campus, etc. Annual drills are conducted by the Emergency Response Group (ERG),
together with such first responders as the Police and fire departments, EMS, HAZMAT, etc., and include
students, faculty and staff.
C.
Clinical Teaching Facilities
Einstein has developed and maintains a wide network of training sites at major clinical institutions
throughout the New York City area. These are fully sufficient to meet clinical teaching requirements for
our students. Einstein has affiliations with seven major hospitals, as well as with several smaller inpatient
sites used for placing students in the Psychiatry and Geriatrics clerkships. In anticipation of the loss of the
Beth Israel Medical Center affiliation in July 2014, Einstein strengthened its affiliations with Maimonides
Medical Center in Brooklyn, where students now rotate for four third-year clerkships in Medicine,
Ob/Gyn, Psychiatry and Surgery, and for the Medicine sub-internship, and with St. Barnabas Hospital in
the Bronx, where students are placed for the Medicine and Pediatrics clerkships. With the expansion of
Montefiore Medical Center (MMC), students now rotate at three Montefiore sites: the Moses Division,
the Einstein Division, and the Wakefield Division, our newest site. Students continue to rotate at our other
major affiliates: Jacobi Medical Center, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in the Bronx, Maimonides
Medical Center in Brooklyn, and the North Shore-LIJ Health System in Queens/Nassau. The Family
Medicine clerkship uses 19 ambulatory sites, and the fourth-year Ambulatory Medicine rotation now
places students at five sites, and at an international clinic in Uganda.
Taken together, these varied clinical teaching sites expose Einstein students to a wide variety of patients
from diverse economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. In the recent student survey, 95.7 % of third year
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student responders agreed or strongly agreed that they had a sufficient variety of clinical experiences;
95.8% of fourth-year responders had a similar view.
All clinical facilities are equipped with sufficient information resources (library, computers), conference
rooms, study areas, call rooms, lockers, and showers or changing areas in clerkship where overnight call
is required. All students at clinical training sites have remote access to the Einstein library through the
Internet. Students rotating at Montefiore sites also have access to Montefiore Clinical Resources through
the Montefiore intranet, available from any Montefiore computer. All Einstein students complete most of
their training at sites where residents participate in teaching medical students. The Teaching Star
program assures that residents and other non-faculty instructors have been trained and are fully familiar
with the requirements of Einstein students’ clinical rotations.
Einstein has excellent working relationships with the administrations and staff at all affiliated institutions
in which students rotate for clinical experiences. Affiliation agreements with all these institutions are
current, signed, and contain all elements required by the LCME. Einstein’s authority is defined in each of
these agreements. There is an Einstein-appointed assistant dean at each clinical affiliate who is charged
with assisting students in their academic and non-academic matters; physician educators are appointed to
the Einstein faculty.
D.
Information Resources and Library Services
Einstein’s D. Samuel Gottesman Library was renovated in 2010, with revamped heating and air
conditioning facilities, lighting, and new furnishings. The library has an extensive collection comprising
8,481 current journal subscriptions in all formats (21 in print only); 59,382 book titles in all formats
(41,338 in print only); and 664 databases. Users located on the Einstein campus have easy access to
materials onsite, by remote access. Faculty, students, and residents at affiliated sites have remote access
24/7 through a proxy server where they can easily log in. Assistance is provided by the library staff
during service hours, both on-site and remotely. The library is open for service during a total of 82.5
hours each week and provides extended hours during exam periods and prior to the USMLE Step
examinations; the Beren Study Center is open 24/7. Public access workstations are available in several
areas in the library. Study space in the library consists of carrels and table in the Reading Room and Quiet
Room, and each of five study rooms has audiovisual equipment installed; wireless access is provided in
all areas.
Library professionals are extensively involved in providing a program of instruction in the use of
discovery tools, mobile clinical resources, information retrieval, citation management, etc., tailored to the
needs of the faculty, students, and education programs at Einstein. Librarians also participate in a number
of courses and clerkships to assist students with EBM information retrieval and the proper citation of
source documents. They regularly assist students in the Student Opportunities for Academic Research
(SOAR) program and fourth-year students preparing their required Scholarly Paper (SP), and they alert
students to the availability of USMLE preparation resources, question banks, etc.
The training of faculty in the College’s learning management system is the responsibility of the Office of
Educational Informatics, under the leadership of the assistant dean for educational information resources.
Information Technology Services (ITS) provides excellent support for the College’s medical education
program. Among the many enhancements to IT resources for medical education since the 2006 LCME
review are:
 Construction of the AV infrastructure of the Ruth L. Gottesman Clinical Skills Center to facilitate
the recording and evaluation of simulated student-patient interactions. (2009).
 All incoming medical students must have a laptop computer (2010).
 Student email accounts moved to Google Apps for Education (2011).
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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September 2014
Upgraded primary Internet connection from 500Mb/s to 1Gb/s (2012).
Upgraded NYSERNET and Internet2 connection from 100MB/s to 1Gb/s (2012).
Implementation of Panopto lecture capture in the main lecture halls to record all first- and
second-year lectures. (2012)
Upgraded student housing network from aging 10/100 wired Ethernet to commercial-grade
Verizon FiOS Wi-Fi (2013).
A state-of-the-art, fiber fabric-based Data Center to provide high-speed, high-availability hosting
and collocation for administrative, educational, and research resources (2013).
Implementation of electronic testing using ExamSoft Ei (2013).
Completed the extension of Wi-Fi to most remaining classroom and study spaces, including large
lecture halls for first- and second-year classes (2007-2013).
Conversion of two floors of Library stack space to a 13,000 sq. ft. Education Center focused on
technology-facilitated active and group learning and independent study in an automated and
reconfigurable space (2014).
AV upgrade and standardization of the Belfer classrooms and the Robbins and Riklis lecture halls
(2013-2014).
STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES:
Since the our last LCME site visit in 2006, Einstein has been actively involved in the continued
development of a number of key areas, including: strengthening our clinical education program;
developing and implementing a competency-based curriculum; enhancing the diversity of our student
body; expanding our career guidance efforts; maintaining a supportive and collegial learning
environment; targeting our faculty development program to meet the needs of our faculty; expanding
global health opportunities for our students; and providing adequate and attractive study and relaxations
space for our students. Our successes and challenges in each of these areas are cited below:
Clinical Education:
The clinical training of Einstein students has been a consistent strength over many years, as evidenced
repeatedly in the results of the Graduation Questionnaire, our Residency Program Director Survey, and in
the high quality programs to which our students match year after year. Our students rotate through a wide
variety of hospitals and outpatient facilities and are exposed to diverse patient populations and a wide
variety of clinical conditions.
Since our 2006 LCME site visit, we have developed a comprehensive system for students to log their
patient encounters, and we recently launched our Teaching Stars program to train, evaluate, and
remediate our non-faculty instructors. Despite these controls on clinical experience, however, students
continue to perceive variability among clerkship sites, further challenging us to monitor the comparability
of student experiences across these sites.
The opening of the Clinical Skills Center in 2009 has facilitated the increased use of performance-based
clinical assessments in the ICM program, has strengthened the annual Clinical Skills Assessment, and has
fostered the use of OSCEs in many clerkships; as most of these are formative assessments, we are
working to convert many of them to summative assessments in the near future. Plans are underway for the
development of an Anatomy and Surgical Skills Center and a simulation center, both of which will add
rigor to our clinical training program.
Competency-Based Curriculum:
In 2013, a diverse group of Einstein faculty engaged in the creation of a set of Educational Competencies
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Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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to replace the existing set of objectives for our medical education program. As part of the implementation
process, the new competencies have been mapped to all courses and clerkships to identify gaps and
redundancies in the curriculum, and a new competency-based clinical performance evaluation was created
and is now in use in all third- and fourth-year rotations. Our current challenge is the development of a
system to track each individual student’s attainment of the competencies.
Diversity and Admissions:
At Einstein, students are selected using a holistic approach based on both the College’s and the
Committee on Admissions’ mission statements. To ensure the use of criteria other than academic metrics
in admissions, the College has instituted a competency-based admissions process, the effectiveness of
which we will monitor by tracking the diversity characteristics of the student body, as well as a variety of
outcome measures of student performance. In addition to creating “pipeline programs” to increase the
number of matriculants traditionally underrepresented in medicine, Einstein also participates in the
Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMS-NY) post-baccalaureate program.
Despite strenuous efforts in recruitment, both on-site and off-site, the number of diversity students at
Einstein has not grown. Although we have been successful in attracting a group of highly competitive
diversity applicants, we continue to lose a number of them to other medical schools. The Office of
Diversity Enhancement continues to collaborate with the Office of Admissions to focus on increasing the
number of applicants under-represented in medicine who apply, are accepted, and ultimately attend
Einstein.
Career Guidance and Management of Electives:
Since the 2006 LCME site visit, the Office of Student Affairs has substantially strengthened its Career
Advising Program (CAP), which now spans all four years and involves department chairs, faculty and
alumni. Students have access to small-group luncheons with the deans for students, career nights,
specialty interest groups, an online faculty-alumni mentoring program, programs aimed at alternative
medical careers, and flexible clerkship schedules allowing them to explore career pathways. Mandatory
individual meetings are scheduled with the deans to discuss career choice and to plan a fourth-year
elective program that will complement and enhance their planned careers. Despite these efforts,
respondents to the student survey continue to request more career guidance, especially in specialty and
“non-traditional” fields, as well as a formal mentoring program. Nevertheless, students appreciate the
individual meetings with the deans and would like them to occur in each of the four years.
Learning Environment:
Across all classes, our students (97% in the student survey) agree that Einstein cares about its students
and fosters a collegial and respectful environment for learning, “setting it apart from other institutions of
higher learning.” This demonstrates clear support for the extensive program of monitoring reporting and
follow-up of issues of mistreatment that has been implemented in the past two years. More than 86% of
student survey respondents agreed that our facilities are sufficient, and 98% said that they felt safe on
campus.
Faculty Development Program
With the increased emphasis on the importance of the teaching of medical students for retention of faculty
appointments, the offerings of the Office of Faculty Development have expanded to include a number of
workshops to train both new and veteran faculty in teaching in both large- and small-group settings,
assessing student performance both clinically and in the classroom, and integrating technology into
medical education. Einstein is currently interviewing candidates for a new assistant dean who will
enhance faculty expertise in “active learning” strategies. In addition, a robust course and clerkship
evaluation system provides data on the quality of teaching, the results of which are made available to
individual faculty as well as to course and clerkship directors and education deans, who may recommend
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specific programs to remediate any deficits in teaching skills.
Research and Community-Based Programs:
Einstein has particular strengths in promoting students’ access to research opportunities and to facilitating
their involvement in community-based activities. Two new offices were created to oversee these
activities. The Office of Medical Student Research houses the new Student Opportunities for Academic
Research (SOAR) program, a structured, mentor-guided program offering first-year students the
opportunity to select an area of concentration and complete a capstone project or paper over the four
years. The Office of Community-Based Service Learning now serves as a much-needed “home” for a
multitude of student-led groups aiding the Bronx community and offers sessions training students in the
skills needed for interacting with diverse populations, as well as information about the health disparities
they will encounter.
Global Health Fellowship Program:
The Global Health Fellowship Program provides a valuable opportunity for students to participate in a
global health experience in developing countries; it gives them new perspective on being a physician and
relating to their patients in all types of settings, as documented in the reflective writings they submit upon
their return. The program has expanded in recent years, with more projects and faculty available for
students to work with. In addition, Einstein will host a second global health conference at which global
health and medical education will be the main area of focus. We also are planning more events involving
global organizations and global health faculty in order to grow the program to match our students’ desire
to participate.
In the last few years, there has been an increased focus on the safety and security of our students; these
efforts include a more detailed application process, pre-travel lectures, emergency procedures that involve
the Einstein security team, and the use of satellite phones in certain sites. Training sessions are planned
for program leaders. We continue to work closely with International SOS and other risk management
organizations to keep the safety and security of our students a top priority.
Enhanced Student Study/Relaxation Spaces:
As part of our comprehensive Campus Master Plan developed in 2008, Einstein has completed major
renovations to the Library, updated all conference rooms and instructional labs, opened up the common
spaces on campus, expanded and enhanced study and relaxation spaces for students, and is committed to
the further development of the newly opened Education Center. Future projects include the expansion of
the Max and Sadie Lounge to house a new student union, a students-only space. While there remains
some student dissatisfaction with some of these spaces/resources, most students (>80%) have generally
favorable views of our efforts in improving them.
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APPENDIX: INSTITUTIONAL SELF-STUDY TASK FORCE
Chair:
Edward R. Burns, M.D., Executive Dean
Professor, Departments of Pathology and Medicine
Faculty Lead:
Michael J. Reichgott, M.D., PhD. Professor, Department of Medicine
and Chair of the Institutional Review Board and Conflict of Interest
Committee
Administrative Lead:
Penny Steiner-Grossman, Ed.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor,
Department of Family and Social Medicine
Administrative Support:
Vilma Kalten, Administrative Assistant
Self-Study Executive Committee:
Dr. E. Stephen Amis, Jr.
Professor and Chair, Department of Radiology
Dr. Myles Akabas
Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Dr. Joseph C. Arezzo
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Dr. Stephen G. Baum
Senior Associate Dean for Students and Professor,
Department of Medicine/Infectious Disease
Dr. Victoria H. Freedman
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in Biomedical Sciences and
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Dr. Marvin P. Fried
Professor and Chair, Department of Otorhinolaryngology –
Head & Neck Surgery
Dr. Martha S. Grayson
Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and Professor,
Department of Medicine
Dr. Penny Steiner-Grossman
Associate Professor, Department of Family and Social Medicine
Dr. Laurie G. Jacobs
Professor and Interim Chair, Department of Medicine
Dr. Joshua D. Nosanchuk
Assistant Dean for Students and Professor
Department of Medicine/Infectious Disease
Dr. Michael J. Reichgott
Professor, Department of Medicine/Chair of IRB/Conflict of Interest
Dr. Michael S. Risley
Professor, Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology
Dr. Vern L. Schramm
Professor, Department of Biochemistry
Dr. Victor L. Schuster
Professor and Senior Vice Dean, Department of Medicine/Nephrology
Dr. Pamela Stanley
Professor, Department of Cell Biology
Affiliation Representatives:
Dr. Rachel J. Katz
Dr. David Cohen
Dr. Rosemarie L. Conigliaro
Dr. Lawrence P. Davis
Dr. David H. Rubin
Dr. Jeffrey M. Levine
Institutional Self-Study Report
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Assistant Dean, Jacobi Medical Center
Assistant Dean, Department of Medicine/Maimonides Medical Center
Professor, Department of Medicine
Assistant Dean, Montefiore Medical Center
Professor, Department of Radiology
Assistant Dean, North Shore-LIJ Health System
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Assistant Dean, St. Barnabas Hospital
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry (Bronx-Lebanon Hospital
Center) and Assistant Dean, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center
38
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Board of Overseers:
Dr. Ruth L. Gottesman
September 2014
Chair Emerita, Board of Overseers
Faculty (Section Co-Chairs and Working Group Leads):
Section I: Institutional Setting
Dr. E. Stephen Amis, Jr.
Professor and Chair, Radiology
Dr. Vern L. Schramm
Professor and Chair, Biochemistry
Dr. Barbara K. Birshtein
Professor, Cell Biology
Dr. Yvette Calderon
Professor, Emergency Medicine
Dr. Victor L. Schuster
Professor and Senior Vice Dean, Medicine
Section II: Educational Program
Dr. Marvin P. Fried
Professor and Chair, Department of Otorhinolaryngology –
Head & Neck Surgery
Dr. Michael S. Risley
Professor, Anatomy and Structural Biology
Dr. Jeffrey R. Avner
Professor, Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine
Dr. Rachel J. Katz
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Dr. Felise B. Milan
Professor, Medicine
Dr. Howard M. Steinman
Professor, Biochemistry
Section III: Medical Students
Dr. Laurie G. Jacobs
Dr. Joshua D. Nosanchuk
Dr. Howard Geyer
Dr. Allison B. Ludwig
Dr. Louise Ruberman
Professor and Interim Chair, Medicine
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Professor, Medicine
Assistant Professor, Neurology
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Assistant Professor, Medicine
Associate Professor, Psychiatry
Section IV: Faculty
Dr. Joseph C. Arezzo
Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Section V: Educational Resources
Dr. Victor L. Schuster
Professor and Senior Vice-Dean, Department of Medicine
Dr. Pamela Stanley
Professor, Cell Biology
Ms. Racheline G. Habousha
Director, D. Samuel Gottesman Library
Dr. Terence P. Ma
Assistant Dean for Educational Information Resources
Dr. Lisa M. Rucker
Professor, Medicine
Mr. Jed M. Shivers
Associate Dean for Finance Administration
Alumna:
Dr. Miriam Hulkower
Institutional Self-Study Report
Department of Radiology/Neuroradiology
39
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
September 2014
Medical Students:
Daniel Shin, Chair
Faraz Alizade
Jesper Aurup
Arvind Badhey
John P. Creagh
Sinmisola Ewuni
Kimberly Gergelis
Jeffrey Glicksman
Mary Gomez
Travis Howlette
Angelo Landriscina
Andy Liu
Dana Rosenthal
Jaime Schneider
Dordaneh Sugano
Institutional Self-Study Report
Class of 2016 MSTP Program
Class of 2016
Class of 2016
Class of 2015
Class of 2015
Class of 2016
Class of 2017
Class of 2016
Class of 2015
Class of 2017
Class of 2015
Class of 2016
Class of 2015
Class of 2016 MSTP program
Class of 2017
40