Academic Departments Overview

The CUNY School of Medicine is unique among the nation’s medical schools in tailoring its curriculum to prepare students to become community-oriented primary care physicians who serve in areas with significant healthcare needs. This mission is achieved through the School’s intensive three-year sequence of courses in Community Health and Social Medicine (CHASM), which includes field placements in community medicine through partnerships with community-based health centers and health-related programs located in areas of New York City with significant healthcare and experiencing provider shortages.

We’re one of the first baccalaureate degree-granting physician assistant programs in the country, and one of the most affordable ones as well–and our annual success rate on the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination exceeds the national average. Our program is designed to prepare highly qualified and compassionate healthcare professionals to work alongside physicians in a variety of medical settings. We take pride in our commitment to increasing diversity and representation in the field of medicine, and we prioritize academic excellence, community service, and interprofessional collaboration.

The Department of Medical Education oversees and enhances the school’s medical education program. The department’s vision is to provide high-quality education to students and create a collaborative environment that supports the growth of our faculty as scholars and effective educators.

The Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences participates in the teaching of the normal structure and function of the human body and nervous system and the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie medical physiology, human behavior, and tissue pathology. Knowledge of basic medical and neurological sciences provides the foundation needed to understand the mechanisms by which drugs exert their clinical actions.