Grand Rounds Speaker | Dr. I. Michael Leitman

Apr 4, 2025

The SUNY Downstate Department of Surgery was privileged to host Dr. I. Michael Leitman MD, FACS, Graduate Medical Education Dean, Designated Institutional Official, Dean of Mount Sinai Affiliation with NYCHH, Professor of Surgery, and Professor of the Leni and Peter W. May Department of Medical Education at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  

Dr. Leitman is a distinguished general and critical care surgeon and surgical educator. He developed novel minimally invasive techniques for intra-abdominal procedures and led pioneering research studies in the fields of breast, colon, gastrointestinal, biliary, and bariatric surgery. Dr. Leitman attended medical school at Boston University and completed residency at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell. He completed a fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at North Shore University Hospital-Weill Cornell.  

Dr. Leitman’s Grand Rounds presentation was entitled “American Health Care in the Second Quarter of the Millennium | Are we Heading for a Cliff?” Dr. Leitman characterized historical shifts in the health care industry including consolidation and commodification and emphasized the critical role of surgeons and physician leaders to guide the future of American health care. The SUNY Downstate Department of Surgery extends its sincere gratitude to Dr. Leitman for his thought-provoking and inspiring Grand Rounds Presentation.  

Dr. Leitman has served in key surgical leadership roles including Director of Surgical Endoscopy, Program Director and Chief of Surgical Critical Care, Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery, and Chief of General Surgery. He has also held pivotal roles in surgical and medical education including Professor of Medical Education, Physican-in-charge of Surgical Education, Professor of Clinical Surgery, and Dean for Graduate Medical Education. He serves as an editor for 20 surgical journals and has written over 200 publications. His impactful research and leadership highlight his longstanding contributions to surgery and education.