Different by Design

In what ways has medical education changed since Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine welcomed its first class? 

The most dramatic change involves ever-expanding medical knowledge — the sheer volume of it. In the course of a trainee’s life, only a small fraction of what they learned in the beginning will still be true in the end. So we have to teach people how to learn a lot over long careers. 

How is CCLCM rising to this challenge? 

We’ve adapted the curriculum to incorporate new dimensions, like the rapid turnover of medical information or the integration of artificial intelligence and digital competency. 

At the same time, our fundamental mission hasn’t changed. Most medical schools focus on training competitive individuals. Gladiators, right? That certainly was true when I was in medical school. 

From the beginning, CCLCM has been different by design. We select high-achieving students who are naturally collaborative and want to learn and teach each other in a team environment. 

No grades. No exams. Instead, we have reflective practice, portfolio-based assessment and TAFIs, which stands for “targeted areas for improvement,” which the students identify and commit to work on. A growth mindset. We’re training doctors to be savvy investigators, too, so CCLCM features a fifth year of medical school — which is usually four years in most places — devoted to research. And we offer a full scholarship to every student. A few other medical schools have gone full-scholarship for all students, but CCLCM was the first. 

Do some of these unique facets extend into other areas within the Education Institute, such as graduate medical education and international medical education? 

Absolutely. Our Education Institute is quite distinctive in its full integration of the entire continuum of learners, from K-12 and beyond. This allows us to share best practices across disciplines and geographies. Most academic medical centers have separate entities for undergraduate medical education and graduate medical education, which can create silos. At Cleveland Clinic, however, we oversee all of these areas under one umbrella, enabling a consistent and innovative approach. 

Let’s talk about philanthropy. You and your family made significant contributions to establish an endowed chair in the Education Institute and awards for virtue-based leadership  in education. Why was this important to you? 

My family had three goals. 

First, we wanted to honor my parents’ legacy. My father owned a small luggage store in the Bronx, and our parents put my brother and me through college and medical school debt-free. Naming the chair and awards after my parents, Alfred and Norma Stoller, was a way to honor that dedication and to recognize that those values were instilled in us. 

Second, I’ve had a great career, largely facilitated by Cleveland Clinic, and I wanted to give back. 

Third, we wanted to model philanthropic behavior for my colleagues and my family. Giving back is part of our responsibility, especially when we’ve been privileged with opportunities. 

What should donors understand about the importance of supporting education, which remains essential to Cleveland Clinic’s mission, alongside care and research? 

Education is incredibly labor-, time- and resource-intensive.  Our full-scholarship medical school requires a significant financial commitment, and philanthropy plays a crucial role in sustaining it. Additionally, as America faces a physician shortage, increasing the pipeline of well-trained doctors is vital. Graduate medical education, partially funded by Medicare, hasn’t kept pace with the need for more doctors, so academic medical centers have to bear substantial cost to train physicians. 

Philanthropy helps to bridge the gaps. It supports the infrastructure necessary for training the next generation of caregivers. ◼