Spring 2026 Columbia University Irving Medical Center Site Visits
This spring the Center for Career Education collaborated with the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) to bring Columbia undergraduates to the medical campus for a look at the daily work of CUIMC surgical staff. Columbia alum and Associate Chief of the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery at CUIMC, Dr. Michael Argenziano, helped organize the program. He and other medical staff welcomed the students as hosts across the three visits which took place between mid-March and mid-April. A total of 39 students from Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies participated.
Surgeon Presentations
The site visits began with presentations by some of the medical center’s top doctors, who offered both a historical overview of their fields as well as a look at contemporary developments.
Dr. Jason Hawksworth, a specialist in Hepatic and Transplant Surgery, spoke to the burgeoning use of robotic technology in the operating room. He stressed that this state of the art biotech is only available at a handful of hospitals around the world; its use in the New York-Presbyterian hospital system, of which CUIMC is a member, sets these institutions apart.
Dr. Jonathan Susman, a specialist in Interventional Radiology, described how the field of Radiology is adopting ever more precise methods of operation, which require minimal invasiveness. Both surgeons stressed that the adoption of these new technologies and methods reinforce the medical center’s mission of constantly improving the patient experience, turning what were once highly invasive surgeries that required prolonged hospital stays into near outpatient procedures.
Inside the Operating Room
After the presentations, the students were divided into teams and set on a rotational course, donning scrubs in preparation to step inside the doors of the OR and witness surgeries themselves. The students observed operations involving Thoracic and Robotic Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Interventional Radiology. The medical staff performing and assisting the operations welcomed the undergraduates and engaged them in discussions ranging from the details of the procedures to the students’ interests in the medical field. Many students commented on the remarkable confidence of the doctors while performing complex procedures, as well as the relaxed atmosphere within the OR.
Future Opportunities
Dr. Argenziano expressed a desire to continue this program in the future and spoke passionately about the work of the medical center. He highlighted CUIMC’s deep ties to Columbia’s undergraduate community, which include his own family as well as the large contingent of medical staff at CUIMC that are alumni of the three undergraduate schools.
Stay tuned for announcements about potential future visits to CUIMC, and read here to learn more about CCE’s semesterly Site Visit Program.
Thank you to all of the medical staff who participated in the site visit:
Chris Winfree, M.D.
Jason Hawksworth, M.D.
Jonathan Susman, M.D.
Thomas Cosoloa, PA-C
Eric Beninghof, PA-C
Michael G. Argenziano, M.D.
Adham Elmously, M.D.
Audrey Pendleton, M.D.