“We are delighted with the relationship we have developed with Miami Children’s Hospital over the past year,” said FIU College of Medicine Dean Dr. John Rock. “Our students will benefit from the expanded learning opportunities offered by one of the leading pediatric facilities in the world.”
Miami Children’s Hospital is a world leader in pediatric healthcare, with a medical staff of more than 650 physicians in more than 40 pediatric specialties and subspecialties. It is home to Florida’s only free-standing pediatric trauma center and the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States. Each year, MCH provides training for 69 pediatric residents and 17 subspecialty fellows.
Seated left to rightModesto A. Maidique, FIU President and Thomas M. Rozek, Miami Children's Hospital President and CEO
Standing left to right
Moises Simpser, MD, Miami Children's Hospital Board Member and Chief of Pulmonology; Christian C. Patrick, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Medical & Academic Affairs at Miami Children's; John Rock, MD, FIU College of Medicine Dean; Israel Alfonso, MD, Miami Children's Hospital Board Member and Pediatric Neurologist.
The affiliation agreement between MCH and FIU adds an undergraduate dimension to the already existing educational program.
“Miami Children’s Hospital is a regional leader in fostering pediatric medical education. We are proud to affiliate with FIU to further advance educational opportunities to serve the needs of the children of this community,” said Thomas M. Rozek, President and CEO.
Christian C. Patrick, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Medical & Academic Affairs at Miami Children's adds, “The relationship with Florida International University College of Medicine provides Miami Children’s Hospital a link with a medical school that will expand the educational and research scope and advance MCH as a top tiered children’s hospital.”
Miami Children’s Hospital joins a growing family of clinical partners selected by the FIU College of Medicine to help deliver innovative medical education. In the last few weeks the College of Medicine announced an operating agreement with Jackson Health Systems, which provides for FIU medical students and faculty to work at Jackson North Medical Center, and an affiliation agreement with Mount Sinai Medical Center.
The College of Medicine was approved in 2006 by the Florida Board of Governors and the Florida Legislature. The first class of medical students is expected to be admitted in the fall of 2009, pending provisional accreditation by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education.
Dr. J. Patrick O’Leary, executive associate dean for clinical affairs at the FIU College of Medicine, explained that the agreement with Miami Children’s Hospital is part of an overall strategy to create a rich learning environment for medical students.
“We are building a network of partners that will give our students wide exposure to a variety of patients,” said Dr. O’Leary. “Our goal is to educate well-rounded, culturally-aware doctors and at the same time interact with the local community in ways that have a significant impact.”
Among the innovative elements of the FIU College of Medicine is a program called Medicine and Society, which will send medical students along with their counterparts in social work, nursing and public health, into the community from the onset of their academic programs.
The FIU College of Medicine is expected to have a billion-dollar economic impact on Miami-Dade County, bringing thousands of jobs to the area and eventually contributing millions to the state coffers every year.