The mission of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University is to prepare graduates to be leaders and role models who define excellence in patient care, medical research, education and health care policy. Their experiences at Columbia will enable them to shape the future and set the standards of medicine in the United States and in the world. Their guided exposure and training will prepare them to exhibit the highest principles of humanism and professionalism in their responsibilities to their patients, to their community and to society.

As a visual analog of the P&S mission, this image represents P&S' goal for you as a student.

• Be aware of and committed to patients' best interests within the immediate health care system and as part of the broader context of health care
• Build patients stories through skillful performance of history, physical and medical procedures appropriate to the clinical setting with competence and sensitivity
• Communicate clearly and work respectfully with others
• Demonstrate self-awareness and maintain personal wellness
• Generate hypotheses, exhibit curiosity and develop a pattern of lifelong learning
• Know the established and evolving biomedical, clinical and social-behavioral sciences; access, evaluate and critically apply this knowledge to medical practice
• Participate in the process through which new knowledge is generated, and assess the importance of novel ideas
• Support and motivate member of teams (formal and informal) to work effectively
• Teach effectively by conveying knowledge to patients, families and peers and empowering its use
• Understand patients deeply, as evidenced by listening, bearing witness and building and maintaining authentic relationship and healing affiliations

These statements represent the school-wide learning objectives for the Columbia P&S  curriculum. You will be expected to demonstrate mastery of each prior to graduation.