Student Perspective

Renowened for its excellence in medical training and groundbreaking scientific research, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons attracts students from a broad spectrum of experiences and perspectives. Students are drawn by the unparalleled instruction from esteemed leaders, as well as by the wide array of extracurricular organizations and opportunities that enrich their education. Many students cite the college's welcoming and inclusive environment as a key factor in their decision to enroll. For others, the vibrant and dynamic backdrop of New York City played a pivotal role. Regardless their journey, the students here embody a rich tapestry of aspirations and unique paths, contributing to the exceptional community that defines Columbia.

The Neighborhood

Upon entering the Washington Heights neighborhood, one notices the diversity of residents in this community. The people seen in the neighborhood, working in the hospital, or in the local establishments reflects a significant part of the patient base of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center (NYP/CUIMC) and its affiliated institutions. Also, reflected in these faces are the many community involvement and learning opportunities available in the setting of Washington Heights. Many students choose Columbia VP&S for the opportunity to work with patients from communities where healthcare access and outcomes can be improved. There are many opportunities to participate in the community education and community building programs established by the organizations within the Washington Heights and Harlem communities. Organizations like Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) provides services for the economically disadvantaged populations, respectively. Organizations like NMIC have a variety of programs in which medical students are able to participate and in doing so, get to know and to help the communities they will be working with throughout their training here.

The Faculty

At the beginning of the first year, students find that the faculty makes every attempt to provide a supportive environment that allows time to adjust to medical school and the new challenges it presents. Faculty members welcome the first-year medical students into the medical community as peers and an emphasis is placed on training students to be exceptional physicians. One key support service is the Student Success Network (SSN) where second-year medical students hold high yield review sessions for first-years before exams in each of their courses. The teaching faculty is also very receptive to office visits, emails, and phone calls from students who have questions about particular lecture topics. The faculty often invites students to spend time shadowing them in the hospital or in their clinics. They truly view medical students as their younger counterparts and try to foster intellectual development and curiosity.

Clinical Training

Alongside the goal of producing exceptional physicians, the importance of the humanistic and patient-care aspects of medicine is heavily emphasized. These aspects are presented to students in the Clinical Practice course throughout all four years of medical school. In the fall of the first year, students also begin practicing how to take patient histories and develop the skills necessary to build a therapeutic relationship with their patients. Part of the first-year Clinical Practice course is a selective experience one afternoon per week in which students gain exposure to patient care in a clinical setting. Students are assigned to individual doctors in the hospitals, to neighborhood clinics, or to other community and health services organizations in the city. Columbia and its location present a particular advantage with respect to these patient experiences. Being in New York City offers a wide variety of settings to have these introductory clinical experiences. Being on the northern end of the west side of Manhattan also allows a cross-section of patients to be encountered. The medical school is in close proximity to the Upper West Side, the Bronx, and Harlem, and is in the middle of Washington Heights. Patients seen at NYP/CUIMC and its affiliated institutions vary in race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Support Network

There are many advising/mentoring/support resources made available to students immediately upon entering Columbia VP&S. For starters, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging opens their arms to students and assists first-year students through counseling, programming, and referrals. Each student is assigned a faculty advisor and is paired with a second-year student. The Alumni Affairs Office offers a home-away-from-home program in which a student is paired with a VP&S alumni with similar interests or background. In addition to these resources, first-year female medical students who join the Columbia chapter of the American Medical Women's Association can also be matched with a second-year female medical student. Students at Columbia VP&S find a community among the other students at the medical school, as well as the other Columbia health sciences graduate schools. Within the student community, one finds a source of support, motivation, and dynamic social interactions.

BALSO

The Black and Latino Students Organization (BALSO) is a diverse student community where all students are welcomed to join. The group organizes many events throughout the year, including speakers, theatre trips, potluck, formal dinners, and mixers with other graduate students throughout the city. Second-year BALSO students hold practice sessions for the first-year anatomy practical exams, and each class provides advice for the class that follows to help them progress through medical school seamlessly.

BALSO is also a chapter of Region IX of the SNMA (Student National Medical Association) and a chapter of the NBLHO (National Boricua Latino Health Organization). SNMA and NBLHO connects students at various medical schools and create opportunities for interactions including conferences, speaker presentations, parties, and leadership retreats.