GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES OF

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

GENERAL FACULTY COUNCIL

Minutes of the Meeting held December 10, 2001

Uris Faculty Room (A-126)

Present: Dr. Randi Silver, Dr. Marlin Mattson, Dr. William A. Muller, Dr. Stephen T. Chasen, Dr. Joseph T. Cooke, Dr. Harvey Goldberg, Dr. Bernice Grafstein, Dr. Louis Maggio, Dr. Takashi Mikawa, Dr. Teresa Milner, Dr. Kenneth Rifkind, Dr. Hugh D. Robertson, Dr. Ruth Rosenblatt, Dr. Richard Schwarz, Dr. David A. Shapiro, Dr. Suresh Tate and Dr. Michael Ushay. 

Also Present: Mr. Shantanu Agrawal, Dr. Mark Albano, Dr. Bruce L. Ballard, Ms. Joanne Blauer, Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, Dr. Michael D.F. Deck, Dr. Oliver Fein, Dr. David P. Hajjar, Ms. Ellen Krasik, Dr. Alvin Mushlin, Mr. Cyrus Nozad, Ms. Carolyn Reid, Dr. Gregory Siskind, Dr. Lisa Staiano-Coico and Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson.

3:30pm:     Following the arrival of the non-voting members, Dr. Silver convened the meeting.

I.     ACTION ITEMS

1.               APPROVAL OF MINUTES.  The Council approved the minutes of its meeting held November 12, 2001.

2.     APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS.  The Council approved the recommendations of the Committee of Review as listed in its memorandum dated November 26, 2001.

3.     EXTENSIONS OF TIME IN RANK.  The Council approved two requests for extensions of time in rank.

II.     REPORT ITEMS

1.               CHAIRMAN’S REPORT.   Dr. Silver introduced to the Council Mr. Shantanu Agrawal and Mr. Cyrus Nozad, the newly elected Student Representatives from the Medical Student Executive Council (MSEC). 

Dr. Silver reported on the recent lectures of the GFC sponsored course on Obesity and Lipid Disorders and encouraged the Council members to attend the upcoming lectures given by Ileana Varga, M.D., and Dean Gotto.  It was suggested and agreed that pamphlets and posters advertising the course should be distributed again in early January.

     Dr. Silver announced that ballots would be distributed for the vacant Basic Sciences Member-at-Large position on the Council.  Dr. Neil Harrison, Professor of Pharmacology, and Dr. Ching Hwa-Sung, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy, are the nominees.  Ballots will be distributed to the basic science faculty.  It was decided in the private session of the Council that the newly-elected representative would finish the vacated term ending July 1, 2002 and then serve a full three-year term ending July 1, 2005. 

2.     DEAN’S REPORT.  In the absence of Dean Gotto, Dr. David P. Hajjar, Dean of the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, delivered the Dean’s Report.

Dr. Hajjar reported that negotiations continue with one candidate for the Chairmanship of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.  The candidate has met with President Rawlings; Arnold Levine, President of Rockefeller University; and Harold Varmus, President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Dr. Gotto is also in negotiations with candidates for the Chairmanship of the Department of Pediatrics.  Dr. Gotto has reviewed four internal candidates for the Chairmanship of the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and is in negotiations.  

     Dr. Hajjar reported on the issue of research space at the Medical College.  The Dean will ask the Research Planning Committee to conduct a review of the research space held by each department, as well as a review of each department’s current research portfolio.  Through this review the Committee will determine how space may be more efficiently used and/or redistributed to alleviate current space limitations. 

     Dr. Hajjar reported that there has been substantial interest in the positions at Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar (WCMC-Q) and a number of faculty from within Cornell University have already been identified for positions.  Dr. Hajjar reported that Dr. Daniel R. Alonso, Dean of WCMC-Q, has continued to implement security measures to ensure the safety of faculty and students at WCMC-Q.  Dr. Alonso will provide an update of the plans for WCMC-Q to the Council at its meeting in January. 

3.     ACADEMIC AFFAIRS.  Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson, Senior Associate Dean (Education), updated the Council on current Office of Academic Affairs activities. 

Academic Affairs has commenced preparation for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Site Visit to the Medical College in March 2003.  The LCME will focus its evaluation of the Medical College on curriculum management, educational facilities and space, educational programs, clinical skills assessment, financial matters, and the effect of the Network Affiliation on the Medical College.  Ms. Helen Wilkinson has been hired as a consultant for the LCME visit.  Ms. Wilkinson served in this capacity at the Medical College for the last LCME site visit in 1996.  In addition, an administrator will be hired to help coordinate the departmental self-study committees and other aspects of the visit preparation. 

     In compliance with the Association of American Medical College’s (AAMC) new Medical School Objectives Project (MSOP), the Faculty Curriculum Evaluation Committee, a sub-committee of the Medical Education Committee (MEC), will create a statement outlining the objectives of the Medical College’s education program, specifying the expected competency level of WMC students upon graduation. 

     Furthermore, the Medical College curriculum will undergo extensive internal review.  Dr. Deborah Danoff, who was invited to report on the new curriculum in 1996, will return to WMC to assess the implementation of the curriculum.  Additionally, the Clinical Curriculum Committee will conduct a systematic review of all clinical courses, and the Core Basic Science Committee will review all basic science courses.

     In addition, several WMC policies will be reviewed extensively, including the Student Handbook, the Leave of Absence Policy, the Deceleration Policy, and the Medical Education Governance Structure.  Dr. Bruce Ballard, Associate Dean (Student Affairs), will lead a task force to develop a Policy on Student Mistreatment.  The relative value scale for teaching, which helps to determine the allocation of funds for teaching to the basic science departments based on the quantity and effort required of the faculty in their respective departments, will also be re-examined.  

     Dr. Storey-Johnson reported on current developments in the Medical College curriculum.  The course “Fundamentals in Genetic Medicine” is under the new leadership of Ronald G. Crystal, M.D., Director of the Institute of Genetic Medicine and Bruce Webster Professor of Internal Medicine; and Jessica Davis, M.D., Co-Director of the Human Genetics Division in the Department of Pediatrics.  The advanced basic science requirement, which is currently fulfilled by a course towards the end of the fourth year, may in the future be integrated into both the third and fourth years.  There will also be an effort to further integrate the education of communication skills and geriatrics into the existing curriculum.  The Medical College will pursue financial resources to include a course on bio-terrorism as well.  Following a national trend, the Office of Academic Affairs will also consider the possibility of implementing a Clinical Scientist Training Program into the WMC curriculum. 

     The Office of Academic Affairs is planning several events, including the Curriculum Retreat V in February/March of 2002, joint meetings of the Committees on Promotion and Graduation, a reception to recognize the diligent efforts of the Office Preceptors in Academic Affairs, and a teacher awards event. 

     Dr. Storey-Johnson reported on several issues discussed at the last meeting of the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC).  The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) will begin to employ standardized patient assessments as part of the NBME’s United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) at testing centers around the country by 2004 or 2005.  WMC will need to develop a clinical skills assessment program to prepare students for this new section of the examination.  The National Resident Match Program (NRMP) reported that it would not continue to report the top three residency programs chosen by students each year.  The NRMP concluded that this report conflicted with its efforts to encourage medical students to consider many options when choosing a residency program.  The AAMC is suggesting a new standardized Dean’s Letter format that includes more specific information about a student’s performance in medical school.  Other topics discussed at the meeting included improving the medical school clinical years, tracking the career paths of students after graduation and programs to assess the quality of teaching.

     Dr. Storey-Johnson responded to a question regarding mentoring of students at the Medical College.  Dr. Storey-Johnson and the MSEC have discussed a faculty mentoring program for students; however, response from faculty members has not been sufficient for the implementation of this program.  Dr. Storey-Johnson noted that other strategies were under consideration, including soliciting mentors from the voluntary faculty and focusing on faculty who may have more time available to accept the added commitment.  Dr. Storey-Johnson expressed an interest in returning to the Council in the near future to discuss this issue at greater length.

4.   ADJOURNMENT.  The meeting was adjourned at 4:30pm.