President of Association of American Medical Colleges Visits UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, president and chief executive officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges, will visit The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences and meet with faculty, administrators and staff today and Friday, May 8.

Kirch will discuss his ideas on how medical schools can prepare students to meet health-care needs in the future.

Kirch became president of the association in July 2006 after six years as senior vice president for health affairs, dean of the college of medicine and CEO of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at The Pennsylvania State University, where he and his leadership team are credited with revitalizing the institution and guiding it through a period of educational innovation and major growth in clinical activity and research funding.

Before joining Penn State, Kirch held a number of leadership positions at the Medical College of Georgia from 1994 to 2000, including dean of the medical school, senior vice president for clinical activities and dean of the school of graduate studies.

As a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, Kirch conducted research on the biological basis of, and clinical treatments for, severe neuropsychiatric disorders. Following the completion of his residency training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, he joined the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., where he was named acting scientific director in 1993. His was presented with the Outstanding Service Medal of the United States Public Health Service.

The Association of American Medical Colleges represents all 130 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the association  also represents 125,000 faculty members, 70,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians.

The College of Community Health Sciences  operates a comprehensive, state-of-the-art medical clinic, University Medical Center, where College faculty members conduct their medical practices and where 70 third and fourth year medical students and 36 Family Practice Residents receive clinical experience and training. The College’s research component supports faculty and student research efforts, including clinical trials.