Ruth Gotian (Ed.)
Ruth Gotian is the inaugural Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of the newly launched Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine. She is also the Chief Learning Officer in Anesthesiology and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology. Dr. Gotian received her doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Teachers College Columbia University. Her B.S. and M.S.are in Business Management from the University at Stony Brook in New York. She also obtained certificates in Executive Leadership and Managing for Execution from Cornell University.
Yoon Kang (Ed.)
Yoon Kang, M.D. graduated from the University of Pennsylvania summa cum laude with a degree in economics and a concentration in finance from the Wharton School. She earned her M.D. from Washington University School of Medicine and completed both her internal medicine residency and Chief Residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. She subsequently became Director of Standardized Patient Programs at Washington University School of Medicine.
Dr. Kang was recruited to Weill Cornell in 2003 where she led development and construction of the Margaret and Ian Smith Clinical Skills Center, WCM’s custom-built facility for simulation sessions. She served as its founding Director in 2006, launching the college’s simulation education program and was then named the Richard P. Cohen, MD, Associate Professor of Medical Education in 2009. When Weill Cornell implemented its new curriculum in 2014, Dr. Kang was named in 2015 to the newly created position of Assistant Dean, Clinical Curriculum. Her administrative profile then broadened to include successive appointments as Associate Dean for Program Development and Operations (Medical Education), and Associate Dean for Program Development, Operations, and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). In January 2019, Dr. Kang took the role as Acting Senior Associate Dean, Education and formally appointed Senior Associate Dean, Education in December 2019.
Dr. Kang is active in medical education at a national level, having participated in development programs (Harvard-Macy, AAMC), as a member of the 13-schoools Consortium and in committee leadership positions at the National Board of Medical Examiners. She has received numerous teaching awards from the student body and was previously selected as the White Coat Ceremony keynote speaker. She was also selected as a fellow in the 2019-2020 Class of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program, a program dedicated to preparing senior women faculty at schools of medicine, dentistry and public health to effect sustained positive change as institutional leaders.
Joseph Safdieh (Ed.)
Joseph E. Safdieh is currently the Lewis and Rachel Rudin Foundation Education Scholar, Assistant Dean – Clinical Curriculum, Vice Chairman for Education, and Associate Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine. He received his bachelor degree in neuroscience, summa cum laude, from the College of Arts and Science of New York University. He received his medical degree (MD) from the New York University School of Medicine, where he received the Alpha Omega Alpha Award for graduating first in his class. He completed his neurology residency training at the Weill Cornell Campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he also served as Chief Resident in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Safdieh is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honors societies. Dr. Safdieh is the director of the medical student Neurology Clerkship for the Weill Cornell Medical College, and has been in this role since 2007. He previously served as medical director of the Neurology Clinic at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and also served as Director of Outpatient Training for the Neurology Residency Program as Assistant Dean. He is responsible for overseeing the clinical curriculum at Weill Cornell. He is well-respected as an innovative medical educator, and has developed numerous curricula for the teaching of neurology to both medical students and other physicians. He has been recognized for his excellence in medical student education locally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Safdieh currently serves on the Education Committee of the American Academy of Neurology, as well as the Publications Committee and the Undergraduate Education Subcommittee. He recently completed a 2-year term as chair of the Consortium of Neurology Clerkship Directors of the AAN. He is currently editor-in-chief of
Neurology Today, the official news source of the American Academy of Neurology.