Her Story
About Monica
Monica L. Lypson, MD, MHPE, is a distinguished physician, medical educator, and academic leader who serves as Vice Dean for Education at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. With more than three decades of experience in healthcare and academic medicine, she has dedicated her career to advancing medical education, physician training, and leadership development. In her current role, she oversees the education of future physicians and other health professionals, guiding curriculum development, faculty engagement, and educational excellence at one of the nation's leading medical schools.
Prior to joining Columbia University in 2021, Dr. Lypson held several influential leadership positions that shaped medical education on both institutional and national levels. She served as Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs and Division Director of General Internal Medicine at The GW Medical Faculty Associates and George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. Earlier in her career, she spent two decades with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where she held key leadership roles, including Director of Medical and Dental Education and Associate Chief of Staff for Education at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. She also served in multiple academic leadership positions at the University of Michigan Medical School, including Assistant Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Interim Associate Dean for Diversity and Career Development, and Faculty Director for the Standardized Patient Program and Communication Skills.
As a board-certified general internist and clinician educator, Dr. Lypson has built an internationally recognized reputation in medical education scholarship. She has authored more than 65 peer-reviewed publications focusing on resident assessment, communication skills, cultural competency, faculty development, and innovations in health professions education. Her research also explores academic leadership, diversity in medicine, and the assessment of clinical performance among medical students and residents. A past president of the Society of General Internal Medicine and an active leader in numerous national organizations, Dr. Lypson remains deeply committed to strengthening primary care, mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals, and fostering excellence, equity, and innovation throughout academic medicine.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Monica
01What do you attribute your success to?
I stand on the shoulders of giants, my family and mentors who paved the way. Because I've had people behind me, I could stick to something. I could fail and get back up and try again. Persistence and stick-to-itiveness is the most shining part of my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
No is a complete sentence. Just because somebody tells you no doesn't mean that it's not. It just might not be the right thing right then and there. Follow what your gut thinks. My intuition and my gut is right.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You can't have it all, you might not have it all at one time all at the same time. But you can figure out how to have a career, how to have the kind of family or lifestyle that you want. Be dedicated to your patients and craft. It's not about balance, it's more about this idea that there's a time and place for everything. If you can dream it and think it, then it is possible.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Struggling with what key skills to teach health professions versus what they can get using AI. Making sure medicine is reflective and responsive to science. Being evidence-based in everything we do.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Making sure that everyone has equal opportunity to be the best that they can be. Giving patients the resources they need, learners to succeed, and family as well.
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