By Elvira Hoff
Photographs by Chandler Crowell/Crowell Photography
Caption: Noe Woods (on violin) and Kumar Amin (on guitar) perform at the School of Medicine’s inaugural “Points of Pride” celebration Nov. 12.
More than 70 faculty members, staff and students from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine gathered on Nov. 12, 2025, to celebrate educational achievements of the 2024-25 academic year—a year in which 78% of the graduating MD class matched to the top 25% of residency programs nationally. (See below for more highlights.)
| Metric | Pitt Med | Nat'l Avg. |
|---|---|---|
| Confidence to start residency program | 98% | 95% |
| Fostered/nurtured development as a physician | 98% | 94% |
| Overall satisfaction with medical education program | 94% | 92% |
| United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 Pass Rate | 93% | 91% |
| Faculty mentoring | 92% | 82% |
| Mental health services | 92% | 78% |
|
Student Health Services |
90% | 81% |
| Academic counseling | 86% | 79% |
The event, called “Points of Pride,” was held in the auditorium of Alan Magee Scaife Hall. “This is an opportunity to share our pride in our institution and our beautiful school,” said Abbas Hyderi, vice dean for education and professor of family medicine, School of Medicine, who led the organization of the event and served as the emcee in his role as Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Faculty Accreditation Lead.
“It’s been an extraordinary year,” added Paul Wallach, executive vice dean for academic affairs, School of Medicine, and vice chancellor for health sciences education. He and Hyderi recently celebrated their first anniversaries with Pitt School of Medicine. “I feel so fortunate to work with Abbas and all of you whose work in support of our educational mission not only benefits our students but the communities we serve.”
|
96% of PGY-1 residents (alumni in first year of residency) are meeting or exceeding performance expectations. - AAMC Resident Readiness Survey 2024 |
Onward
Hyderi recognized the six self-study committees working toward the school’s LCME reaccreditation in March 2027, a process already begun in earnest and aptly themed “Onward.”
“We’re taking a community approach, integrating the input of faculty, staff, students, department chairs, UPMC partners, and others in an exhaustive self-examination and improvement process,” said Hyderi. “But we’re also using LCME reaccreditation as a generative, community-building process to embed continuous quality improvement as a daily focus.”
Strong Performances
“When it comes down to it, we want our students to be fully satisfied at the end of their medical school experience and prepared for their residencies,” said Jason Rosenstock, associate dean for medical education and professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine. He pointed to a 94% overall satisfaction rate (versus a 92% national average) on the 2025 Medical School Graduation Questionnaire, which the Association of American Medical Colleges administers annually to all MD-granting schools accredited by LCME.
Alda Maria Gonzaga, associate dean for student affairs and professor of medicine, School of Medicine, highlighted high scores across student affairs, crediting her team’s coaching program, learning specialists, and medical and mental health services, which are among the best in the nation, along with a highly proactive approach to career advising.
Noe Woods, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences and assistant dean for sustainability, School of Medicine, noted the significant increase in the school’s score on the annual Planetary Health Alliance’s Report Card since the sustainability office was founded in 2023.
Hooman H. Rashidi, Lombardi and Shinozuka Experimental Pathology Research Professor and associate dean of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, School of Medicine, was lauded for his team’s development of a robust AI-learning curriculum, emerging as one of the leading programs internationally.