About Us
Message from the Chairman
Andrew I. Schafer, M.D.
Chairman
Department of Medicine
Welcome to the Department of Medicine of Weill Cornell Medical College and the New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center. We are responding to the unprecedented challenges of academic medicine at the beginning of the 21st century with an uncompromising commitment to leadership and innovation in our interdependent missions of patient care, education and research. This commitment is built on the foundation of a long and rich tradition of preeminence in American medicine.
Based in one of the world’s greatest hospitals, founded in 1771 by the royal charter of King George III, the faculty of this Department of Medicine has made numerous landmark contributions to medicine over the past century. Our Department was the home of the country’s first allergy and immunology unit, the first ward for metabolism research, the first double-blind controlled experiments to study the efficacy of drugs, and the first woman Professor of Medicine in the United States. Among their many enduring achievements, the faculty of our Department of Medicine described ST elevation in acute myocardial infarction, initiated the use of heparin and warfarin for therapeutic anticoagulation, developed the first effective treatment for tuberculosis, pioneered coronary care units, discovered the role of the rennin-angiotensin system in the regulation of blood pressure, introduced the use of ACE inhibitors, and first cultured vascular endothelial cells. Our Department’s residency and fellowship programs have trained and continue to train a virtual pantheon of future leaders of American medicine.
Today, 240 Full-Time, 265 Voluntary, and 775 Network/Affiliate Faculty members, 129 Residents and over 100 Postdoctoral Fellows continue this proud legacy of discovery, unsurpassed excellence in patient care, and commitment to the career development of women and men who will impact the future of American medicine. I hope you will find this website useful and informative. Please visit us again.
Andrew I. Schafer, M.D.
Chair, Department of Medicine
The E. Hugh Luckey Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Physician-in-Chief
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center
