Jeffrey T. Laitman, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he has taught for over 40 years. His research and teaching focus on Anatomy and Otolaryngology. During his time at Mount Sinai, he has been President of the American Association of Anatomists and President of The Mount Sinai Alumni Association.
Dr. Laitman grew up in Brooklyn. His father passed away when he was young andhe needed to work to support his mother. He attended Brooklyn College for undergrad so he could work at his brother’s drugstore every day. For graduate school he attended Yale University. It was at Yale that he pursued anatomy and human evolution. After graduating from Yale he became a faculty member at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1977, now the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Teaching at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
To Dr. Laitman the best part of the school is the students. He has yet to find a place like Mount Sinai- one filled with students, trainees and educators that are both brilliant as well as strong of spirit and heart. One of the first questions he asks his students is what “doctor” means. The students usually answer: someone who heals, someone who studies, or someone who is smart. Dr. Laitman points out that the word doctor comes from the Latin meaning “to teach” and that education has always been the central part of medicine. It is this mission that Mount Sinai carries on to this day.
Dr. Laitman’s favorite part of teaching is the knowledge that he is giving students the ability and confidence to do sacred work. He sees it as an enormous privilege to be a part of a student’s journey.
Advice to a Current Student
Dr. Laitman encourages students not to be afraid to explore. Sir William Osler was a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and in the early part of the 20th century he was lecturing at Yale when someone asked him what the key to his success had been. Sir William stated “I have no special insights, I have no magic bullet, but I have always tried to follow one thing: do that which is at hand superbly.” Dr. Laitman’s gives this advice to all of his students, “Whatever you are doing, do it superbly; give it your fullest.”
Giving to Student Scholarships
Dr. Laitman says student scholarships are essential because students are unable to completely throw themselves into their studies if they are constantly worried about debt. As somebody who was able to go to graduate school because of fellowships, Dr. Laitman knows firsthand the difference made by the generosity of others.