A Message from the Executive Director

Richard M. Schwartzstein, MD Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and its earlier component institutions, Beth Israel Hospital and New England Deaconess Hospital, have long traditions of excellence in a variety of spheres. Besides providing outstanding patient care from its world-class physicians and renowned nursing service, BIDMC represents the best in academic medicine as an affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a leader in medical education and cutting-edge medical research.

The Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education and Research at Harvard Medical School and BIDMC, established in 1996 as an independent non-profit organization, is a result of the visionary thinking of Drs. Daniel Tosteson (then Dean of Harvard Medical School) and Mitchell T. Rabkin (then CEO of Beth Israel Hospital) and the philanthropic support of Mr. Carl J. Shapiro. The goals of the Institute are several:

  • Supporting the academic mission of Harvard Medical School and BIDMC in their efforts to train the next generation of physicians;
  • Furthering the progress of innovative medical research, not only basic medical research but also the translation of research at the laboratory bench to clinical applicability at the patient's bedside, i.e., "bench to bedside" research;
  • Developing innovative methodology, curricula, and programs for training the next generation of physicians and medical educators, with applicability that extends to other medical schools and academic medical centers throughout the country and around the world.

Since its founding, the Shapiro Institute has proved to be a wonderful collaborative effort of Harvard Medical School, BIDMC, and Mount Auburn Hospital, another outstanding Harvard teaching hospital that is part of the CareGroup healthcare system. This website is intended to acquaint you with the Shapiro Institute - its physical facilities for medical education (the Center for Education); its programs to support faculty; medical students and housestaff; its development of innovative educational programs (such as the Virtual Patient program for interactive, computer-based training of medical students); and its programs to develop and train tomorrow's leaders in medical education (the Rabkin Fellowships in Medical Education). We hope you will be as excited as we are about the work of the Institute and the future opportunities for continued leadership and innovation in medical education and research.

Richard M. Schwartzstein, MD
Executive Director, Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education and Research
Vice President for Education, BIDMC
Faculty Associate Dean for Medical Education, Harvard Medical School