Newswise — April 14, 2015—(BRONX, NY)—Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., president and chief executive officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) will deliver the keynote address at the 2015 commencement ceremony for Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Einstein’s 57th graduation will take place at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall on Thursday, May 28 at 3 p.m.
"Dr. Kirch’s distinguished background as a physician-scientist and academic leader, along with his widely lauded leadership of the AAMC, make him a stellar role model for our medical and graduate students," said Allen M. Spiegel, M.D., the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein. "We are honored to have him join us this year."
Dr. Kirch’s commencement speech, titled “Gifts Given and Promises Made,” will address the state of health care in America and a doctor’s ethical commitment to create a healthier and more just society.
Dr. Kirch has led the AAMC since 2006. Before becoming president of the non-profit, he was selected chair-elect of the association, and co-chaired the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. He also has served as chair of the AAMC Council of Deans Administrative Board, and as chair of the American Medical Association Section on Medical Schools.
Prior to the AAMC, Dr. Kirch served 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. Before joining Penn State, he held a number of leadership positions at the Medical College of Georgia from 1994 to 2000, including serving as dean of the medical school, senior vice president for clinical activities, and dean of the school of graduate studies.
As a psychiatrist and neuroscientist, Dr. Kirch conducted research on the biological basis of and clinical treatments for severe neuropsychiatric disorders. He conducted research at the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he also served as scientific director. He received the Outstanding Service Medal of the United States Public Health Service for his NIMH contributions.
Dr. Kirch is a member of several professional societies, including the American Psychiatric Association, American College of Psychiatrists, and American Medical Association. He was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in 2007, and currently serves as a member-at-large of the National Board of Medical Examiners.
A native of Denver, Dr. Kirch received both his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Colorado, which in 2002 presented him with its Silver and Gold Alumni Award. He has had an active career as a clinician and researcher, and has held medical faculty positions at Penn State, the Medical College of Georgia, and George Washington University. A prolific writer and public speaker, he has published more than 100 articles and book chapters, and made presentations to numerous medical, educational, scientific, and advocacy organizations.
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About Albert Einstein College of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2014-2015 academic year, Einstein is home to 742 M.D. students, 212 Ph.D. students, 102 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 292 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 2,000 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2014, Einstein received $158 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical Center—Einstein’s founding hospital, and three other hospital systems in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.
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