Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., will retire as dean of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine at the end of May to follow his passion for international medicine. During a sabbatical, he will explore opportunities for the Miller School and UHealth – the University of Miami Health System in other countries and advise Steven M. Altschuler, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs and CEO of UHealth, on international medical education.

Laurence B. Gardner, M.D., executive dean for education and policy, will serve as interim Dean. A committee will be appointed soon to begin an international search for a new dean.

In his 10 years at the helm, Goldschmidt has transformed the Miller School. He created UHealth and established several extraordinary centers and institutes, including the Hussman Institute for Human Genomics and the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute. Thanks to his leadership, the Miller School has one of only 60 NIH-designated Clinical and Translational Science Institutes and one of only 20 NIH Centers for AIDS Research.

Goldschmidt cultivated remarkable philanthropic support to help make these and other initiatives possible. He also recruited several internationally recognized leaders in research, education and clinical care, and the Miller School’s national ranking in NIH funding rose notably during his tenure.

UM President Julio Frenk had this to say about the Dean’s impact: “We are so grateful for Pascal’s ambitious vision and for his untiring work to raise the Miller School of Medicine to remarkable new heights in research, education, patient care and community service. His leadership has had a significant impact on our University and our community.”

UM’s medical enterprise stands out in many ways: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute was recently named the nation’s No. 1 eye hospital for the 12th year in a row. The rapidly advancing Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center was named a Cancer Center of Excellence by the state of Florida — the only such center in South Florida. Recent discoveries have moved the Diabetes Research Institute closer than ever to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. The Miller School has climbed 12 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” ranking, reaching No. 44. The groundbreaking M.D./M.P.H. program now attracts more than 25 percent of the Miller School’s medical students.

Stuart A. Miller said, “As Chairman of the Board of the University of Miami, I would like to express deep appreciation to Pascal for his service and dedication over the past decade. Working with him has been an honor and a joy. He has led the Miller School of Medicine to a position of national prominence, and his achievements have been reflected in the school’s steady rise in the rankings, in its continued strong NIH research funding and in the rising quality of its applicants. In that same time period, he has made remarkable contributions as the founding CEO of UHealth to improving the health of countless South Floridians.

“On a personal note, my entire family and I are thrilled to have had the opportunity to partner with Pascal and contribute to his extraordinary vision, which will continue to transform lives throughout our community, the region and the world.”

Goldschmidt was Dean during one of the Miller School’s finest hours — the immediate, comprehensive response to the devastating January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Hundreds of Miller School personnel volunteered to staff and support the 250-bed field hospital the school created near the airport in Port au Prince, providing care to thousands of patients. Goldschmidt was there with them, and the care for Haiti’s most vulnerable is ongoing.

In a message to all faculty and staff, Altschuler and UM Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc said, “Caring for our community and our region is one of our most critical missions. Pascal has been an exceptional leader of all of our missions, and the Miller School, UHealth, the University of Miami and South Florida are immeasurably stronger thanks to his dedication and vision.”