By simply walking down the street, hopping on a subway, or jumping into a cab, students at the Mailman School can enjoy one of the most culturally rich, diverse classrooms in the world—New York City. As the home to world renowned museums and historic theaters, eclectic restaurants and bustling cafés, multicultural music and dance performances—and every type of experience and entertainment in between—students have the opportunity to participate in and absorb the City’s vibrant energy. As an added benefit, a Columbia student ID provides free or discounted admission to many of the City’s cultural events.

A City of Endless Possibilities
In addition to offering students an unparalleled cultural experience, the diversity of communities throughout New York City provides unlimited opportunities to gain hands-on experience across the spectrum of public health research and practice. While pursuing their studies, students are able to work in the field through partnerships the School has formed with community organizations, leading nonprofits, city and state agencies, and numerous health centers, to meet the health needs of communities throughout the City.

One such partnership is The Manhattan Tobacco Cessation Network, funded by the New York State Department of Health, which works to reduce tobacco use through evidence-based smoking cessation treatment programs. A related study with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene led by Donna Shelley, MD, MPH ’99, assistant professor of clinical Sociomedical Sciences and former director of the City’s Tobacco Control Program, targets tobacco use among Chinese Americans living in Flushing, Queens—a population in which smoking rates among men are 50 percent higher than the general population of the City.

Through the Mailman School’s Columbia Center for Homelessness Prevention Studies, a collaboration with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the New York State Psychiatric Institute, the New York City Department of Homeless Services, and several schools throughout the University, students interested in addressing the plight of homeless individuals have the opportunity to conduct research aimed at preventing chronic homelessness among people with severe mental illness.

The School’s Center for Community Health and Education partners with New York-Presbyterian Hospital to provide a comprehensive array of health services to young men through the Young Men’s Clinic. Geared toward males ages 14 to 35, the Clinic provides low-cost services that range from physical exams for sports, school, or work to short-term mental health counseling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and HIV counseling and testing.

“The Young Men’s Clinic (YMC) views the health of young men holistically. Through this approach, YMC has become a nationally recognized model of service delivery for adolescent and young adult males, as well as one of the largest training sites for students of public health and medical students from Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.”

—David Bell, MD
   Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Population and Family
   Health and Medical Director of YMC.

Selected List of City Partners
American Cancer Society; American Museum of Natural History; Children’s Aid Society; Fresh Youth Initiatives; Gay Men’s Health; Crisis Global Business; Council Human Rights Watch; International Rescue Committee; March of Dimes; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; New York Academy of Medicine;New York City Department of Environmental Protection; New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; Planned Parenthood of New York City; The Population Council; Pricewaterhouse Coopers; UNAIDS; West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc.