The Dr. Thomas Q. Morris Symposia on Medical Education
Thomas Q. Morris, MD, has spent nearly 50 years at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, beginning with his enrollment at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) as a first-year medical student in 1954. Since then, he has held nearly every important position at the medical center. A Westchester native, Dr. Morris graduated from the University of Notre Dame before starting medical school. He received his medical degree in 1958 and completed his residency at the Columbia Division of Bellevue Hospital. After a tour of duty in the U.S. Air Force, he returned to Columbia for a fellowship, joining the VP&S faculty in 1964. Throughout the years, he served as acting chair of the Department of Medicine, associate dean of academic affairs, vice dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and interim dean of clinical and educational affairs. More recently he was vice president of health sciences, vice dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine, and alumni professor of clinical medicine. He was also president and chief executive officer of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital from 1985 to 1990.
Dr. Morris treated patients, taught medical students, and collaborated with physicians and scientists. Throughout his diverse activities, one commitment remained constant: his dedication to medical education. His influence on medical education reached beyond the campus boundaries, through his service to the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, in Cooperstown, New York, the American University of Beirut, and numerous nonprofit foundations. He was also a visiting physician at Bellevue Hospital and Harlem Hospital and a visiting professor in Iran.
An endowment was established to support an annual symposium in Dr. Morris's name to explore the future of medical education. The symposium features participants who have promoted quality medical education in significant ways.
Upcoming Dr. Thomas Q. Morris Symposium on Medical Education
Past Dr. Thomas Q. Morris Symposia Lectures
2022: "Beyond Magic Bullets: white race as social determinant of the opioid crisis”
Helena Hansen, MD, PhD
2021: "How did we get here? The past—and future—of COVID and Black Lives Matter”
Eddie Glaude, Jr., PhD
2020: “Health Care in 2021: ingredients for change” - indefinitely postponed
David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
2019: "Addressing Racial and Social Injustice: A Path to Health Equity”
Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD
2018: “Radical Redesign of Health Care: Changing the Balance of Power”
Donald M. Berwick, MD
2017: "Confessions of a Converted Lecturer"
Eric Mazur, PhD
2016: "Implementation Science: How to Educate a New Generation to Achieve Population Health"
Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA
2015: "Nurturing Innovation through Education in the Academic Medical Center"
Elizabeth G. Armstrong, PhD
2014: "Medical Education Reimagined"
Charles Prober, MD
2012: “Interprofessional Education: Moving from a Good Feeling to a Vital Strategy for Success”
Leslie W. Hall, MD, FACP
2010: “Whistling Vivaldi: And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us”
Claude M. Steele, PhD
2009: “Variations on a Theme of Excellence in Teaching”
Daniel D. Pratt, PhD
2008: “Self-Assessment, Self-Direction, Self-Regulation and Other Myths: Deconstructing the Fallacy of the Adult Learner”
Glenn Regehr, PhD
2006: “Clinical Education for the 21st Century – Insights from the Carnegie Foundation National Study”
Molly Cooke, MD, FACP
2005: “The Route to Patient Safety through Simulation in Medical Education”
David M, Gaba, MD
2004: “The Academy Movement: Restructuring of Medical Schools to Advance the Mission of Education”
Haile T. Debas, MD
Daniel Lo Wenstein, MD
2003: “What is the Future of Medical Education?”
Daniel D. Federman, MD
Ronald A. Arky, MD
Jeremiah A. Barondess, MD
June E. Osborn, MD
Michael E. Whitcomb, MD
Photos from past Dr. Thomas Q. Morris Symposia Lectures
CUIMC Faculty, staff and students with current CUIMC email accounts: you can access the photo album via Microsoft Office 365 OneDrive.
For Non-CUIMC affiliates: please email your request to cumc_event_office@cumc.columbia.edu