The Einstein Learning Environment Committee (ELEC) is a neutral, confidential, and informal resource to help M.D. students, Ph.D. students, and postdoctoral fellows address and resolve education, training, and workplace conflicts and grievances. The committee is comprised of the ombuds team and representatives of the offices of student affairs, medical education, office of diversity enhancement and office of the vice dean for education. We are committed to providing an impartial, open-minded, supportive, independent, and fair space to voice concerns that arise about your learning environment, as well as interactions with faculty, clinical, or laboratory staff. We provide anonymous reporting and support mechanisms, advice on your options, and guidance through the mistreatment reporting process. The ombuds team, the core of our committee, embodies the following guiding principles:   

  • Safe and confidential. Complaints are anonymous and without risk of retaliation, except if there is a concern for imminent danger to others in our community or in instances that involve sex-based discrimination or harassment. We do not require complainants to provide names or identifying information 

  • Impartial and open-mined. We do not make judgments or assign blame. 

  • Supportive. We are empathetic listeners and serve to promote overall student wellbeing. 

  • Independent. We operate independent of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine administration and Montefiore Health System administration, except for providing annual neutral reports on bias and mistreatment to the deans. 

  • Fair. We offer the same support for all grievances and help everyone who engages with the Einstein Learning Environment Committee to explore potential conflict remediation options. 

Frequently Asked Questions

We follow the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) definition of mistreatment as being either an intentional or unintentional instance of behavior that shows disrespect for the dignity of others and unreasonably interferes with the learning process. Examples of mistreatment include the following:

  • sexual harassment
  • discrimination or harassment based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation
  • humiliation
  • psychological or physical punishment
  • use of grading and other forms of assessment in a punitive manner

If you areuncertain whether a behavior constitutes mistreatment, we encourage you to seek guidance through a confidential discussion with our deans as follows:

If you have doubts about your experience, we prefer that you err on the side of reporting, since the Einstein Learning Environment Committee carefully considers all information during the reporting process to make this determination.

All M.D. students (including visiting students), M.D./Ph.D. students, Ph.D. students, and postdoctoral fellows at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

A member of the Einstein Learning Environment Committee will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss the incident. You are welcome to bring a companion to this meeting for support. If you choose to remain anonymous, you can check the status of your complaint on the EthicsPoint website. 

If the report is determined to be discrimination or harassment against a protected class or sexual harassment, it is sent to the vice president of human resources, per Einstein’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy (Non-Title IX) and Title IX Sex-Based Misconduct and Discrimination and Harassment Policy. Confidentiality is maintained to the extent allowable by law and Einstein policies.

Protected classes are those personal traits or characteristics, statuses, and/or beliefs that are defined by applicable law and policy, as protected from discrimination or harassment including including race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex/gender, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

A designated committee member gathers more information by speaking with students, course or clerkship directors, laboratory members, and other sources, as appropriate. Generally, the committee does not directly approach the named individual. After the review process is completed, the committee meets with the supervisor of the named individual with an appropriate action plan, that may include coaching, remediation, or disciplinary measures.  

If the case involves a grievance about a chairperson or someone in a leadership role, the committee presents the recommended action plan to the vice dean for education. If a student is the named individual in a mistreatment case, the committee collaborates with representatives from the office of student affairs or the office of graduate education, who then address the grievance with the named individual.  

The timing of the review process is entirely up to you. To ensure that the process is comfortable and without fear of repercussion, the information gathering procedure can be modified in accordance with your preferences. After the Einstein Learning Environment Committee completes their review, the named individual is presented with an appropriate action plan within two weeks.