(New York, NY – July 30, 2009) - Mount Sinai School of Medicine is pleased to announce that the Institute for Medical Education (IME) has been named the 14th Institute at the School. IME joins 13 established institutes that are at the heart of the School’s Strategic Plan and are dedicated to advancing translational research and education.

"Mount Sinai is entering an era of transformation and our original 13 translational research institutes are leading a revolution in scientific breakthroughs," said Dennis Charney, M.D., Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. "Our medical school is embarking on the most innovative curricular reform in our history and is pioneering national efforts to improve medical education and produce physicians and scientists who are better prepared to advance medicine and promote change as informed advocates."

Created in 2001, the IME was designed to develop the creativity and talent of its educators and provide faculty with a unique opportunity to advance their skills through interdisciplinary collaboration across departments and other institutions.

To construct an environment that fosters success, the IME designed and implemented programs that develop skills, reinforce scholarship, and recognize and reward educators who demonstrate dedication and excellence. In doing so, IME creates a community of educators who are committed to the practice of teaching and the promotion of education and who contribute their knowledge and experience to the community by serving as teachers and mentors.

"Incorporating the IME into the School’s institute structure further enhances Mount Sinai’s goals in advancing scientific discipline and scholarship and continues to elevate our standing as a national leader in education," said David Muller, M.D., the Dean for Medical Education at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "Investing in our faculty benefits our students, our institution, and our patients."

The IME is an inclusive organization and basic membership is open to all whose professional identity includes a significant role as a medical/health sciences educator at the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biological Sciences, and affiliate institutions.

There are now two advanced levels of membership for faculty who have demonstrated excellence and have made significant contributions to biomedical education. The IME Fellow is awarded to those who have demonstrated a significant commitment to teaching/education and have shown promising work in biomedical education. The Master Educator is the highest level that can be achieved by Mount Sinai faculty.

"Recognition at both of these levels brings with it the responsibility to actively contribute to the teaching community," said Lisa Coplit, M.D., Director of the Institute for Medical Education at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "The rigorous process for selecting Fellows and Master Educators will include peer review, which we expect will help support promotion on the educator track."

About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The Mount Sinai Hospital is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. Founded in 1852, Mount Sinai today is a 1,171-bed tertiary-care teaching facility that is internationally acclaimed for excellence in clinical care. Last year, nearly 50,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients, and there were nearly 450,000 outpatient visits to the Medical Center.

Mount Sinai School of Medicine is internationally recognized as a leader in groundbreaking clinical and basic science research, as well as having an innovative approach to medical education. With a faculty of more than 3,400 in 38 clinical and basic science departments and centers, Mount Sinai ranks among the top 20 medical schools in receipt of National Institute of Health (NIH) grants. For more information, please visit www.mountsinai.org.