In Memoriam (Michael Ravitch)
Michael M. Ravitch, PhD, associate professor and former director of the Office of Medical Education at the Feinberg School of Medicine, died February 27 in his Evanston, Illinois, home; he was 61. A native of Baltimore, Dr. Ravitch began undergraduate studies at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, wanting to be a physician but soon realized that education was his calling. After earning an MA degree from Columbia University and a PhD degree from Stanford University, both in educational psychology, Dr. Ravitch went into medical education. He served on the faculty at the University of Rochester and Michigan State University before joining Northwestern in 1984.
As director of medical education, he helped shift the medical curriculum from one based on passive learning in lectures to one where students solve simulated problems in small groups. Known for his engaging personality and great sense of humor, Dr. Ravitch also served as a role model for junior faculty members and was active in a national organization of medical education research directors, in which he served as president.
Survivors include wife Myrnice; daughters Lara and Katie; and two sisters, Nancy Schwentker and Binnie Ravitch. A memorial service is scheduled for May 15 at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Avenue, Evanston.