Chair, Department of Medicine

On behalf of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Froedtert Health, and all institutional partners, CareerPhysician, a leader in academic executive search, is pleased to announce the national search for outstanding candidates for the next Chair of the Department of Medicine. Department of Medicine faculty are seeking a transformational leader, committed to diversity, with a clear vision for the future of a modern academic health system and a proven track record of success in MCW’s missions of Research, Education, Patient Care, and Community Engagement. With an unmatched commitment to programmatic resources, this position is in the top one percent of leadership roles available in academic medicine.  

Candidates must hold MD, DO or MD/PhD, Board Certification in Internal Medicine and/or their practice subspecialty and be eligible for permanent, unrestricted licensure in the state of Wisconsin. Applicants should possess achievements as a physician scientist with a history of peer-reviewed extramural grant funding that would qualify them for appointment at the Professor level at MCW and enable them to meaningfully grow the NIH and external funding portfolios of the Department of Medicine. Candidates should also possess relationship development skills in highly matrixed organizations, high EQ and financial acumen and an established commitment to faculty mentorship and development.

Key Opportunity Highlights:

• Large Department of Medicine (DOM) comprised of ten clinical divisions and one academic division with 400 employed faculty members, 200 residents and fellows, and 220 advanced practice providers (APPs).
• Strong leadership structure comprised of 11 Division Chiefs, each of whom is recognized nationally as a thought leader in their field, and 8 Vice-Chairs – Research, Education, Veterans Affairs, Faculty Development, Ambulatory Clinical Operations, Inpatient Clinical Affairs, Clinical Quality and Finance.
• MCW is Wisconsin’s largest private research institution. In the last 10 years, faculty received more than $1.6 billion in external support for research, teaching, training, and related purposes. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 3,100 research studies and 825 clinical trials.
• DOM faculty received over $35 million in NIH funding, ranking in the top quartile for NIH research funding in American medical school departments of medicine and top 40 in Blue Ridge Institute Medical Research rankings.
• DOM faculty provide leadership for numerous interdepartmental translational research and training programs. This includes the Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI), Cancer Center, Cardiovascular Research Center, Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine , Center for Immunology, in addition to departmentally housed research efforts. The Center for Disease Prevention Research (CDPR) and the Center for Advancing Population Science (CAPS) are administratively housed in the Department of Medicine and are led by senior faculty members in the department.  The TOPS Obesity Center, in partnership with the Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine, is exploring the causes and treatment of obesity.  The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplantation (CIBMTR), housed in the Division of Hematology & Oncology, is the single largest NIH-funded unit at MCW and is internationally known as a leader of outcomes research as well as a coordinating center for multi-center clinical trials. 
• At leading-edge of academic education as a member of the Kern National Network (KNN). The KNN is a collaboration of seven medical schools committed to joining forces and building on each other’s strengths to drive innovation and advance nationwide transformation in educating learners across the continuum, from pre-medical school through to physician practice.
• Faculty leaders are a highly diverse group with 55% women and 30% identifying as racial or ethnic minority.  In 2021, MCW was recognized as the Forbes Best-in-State Employers Award and the INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s 2021 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity.
• DOM is directly responsible for over a hundred residents, in addition to those rotating on services from other departments. Medicine participates in several combined training programs including large medicine-pediatrics residency, medicine--geriatrics, medicine-psychiatry, and physician-scientist training program partially funded by NIH R38 training grant.
• DOM offers 15 fellowships as well as two non-ACGME accredited fellowships, transplant nephrology and advanced endoscopy.
• MCW is implementing a new curriculum, titled MCWfusion and due to welcome its first class in 2023. Department of Medicine faculty are integrally involved in the planning for and implementation of the new curriculum.
• Outstanding clinical and scientific programs:
  • Largest bone marrow/stem cell/cell therapy program in Midwest.
  • Strong NIH-funded health disparities research program with focus on cancer and diabetes.
  • Market share leader in region for cancer care and clinical trials.
  • Comprehensive adult and pediatric cardiovascular programs with associated clinical/translational research.
  • Largest hospitalist programs in academic medicine.
• Robust VA affiliation serving 60,000 veterans and comprised of over 120 participating faculty and 55 APP’s spread across 12 medicine sections.  Clement J. Zablocki Medical Center is the only level 1a (most complex) VA facility in the state of Wisconsin and is located within Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12.
• VA strong commitment to education and research missions includes funding of 50% of the total Internal Medicine residency positions, funding of 35% of the total Medicine Subspecialty fellowship positions, multiple active VA-funded investigator-initiated trials and VA CSP local site PIs. 
• 10 years of sustained growth across all missions with comprehensive support from Froedtert Health, a Vizient top decile performer and Healthgrades top 100 best hospitals which ranks Froedtert Hospital in the top 2% nationally. 

Medical College of Wisconsin

The Medical College of Wisconsin  is the state’s only private medical school and health sciences graduate school. Since 1893, MCW has been a leader in patient care, research, education, and community engagement. The core of everything we do at the Medical College of Wisconsin is academic medicine, which brings together scientists, clinicians, students, and community members to solve challenges in health and society. MCW is a diverse group of thought leaders collaborating to build a healthier world. Every study we conduct, every patient we see, leads to new learning and a continuous cycle of life-changing knowledge.

Froedtert Health

The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin (F&MCW) regional health network is a partnership between Froedtert Health and MCW supporting a shared mission of patient care, innovation, medical research, and education. The health network operates eastern Wisconsin's only academic medical center and adult Level I Trauma Center at Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee, an internationally recognized training, and research center engaged in thousands of clinical trials and studies. The F&MCW health network, which includes 11 hospital locations, more than 2,000 physicians and more than 45 health centers and clinics, draws patients from throughout the Midwest and the nation. In our most recent fiscal year, outpatient visits were nearly 1.5 million, inpatient admissions to our hospitals were 55,085 and visits to our network physicians exceed 1.1 million.

About Milwaukee

Located on the west side of beautiful Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, Milwaukee County is the population and cultural hub of a metro region of 1.5 million.  Living in Milwaukee offers residents an urban/suburban mix feel, relatively affordable housing, a major airport, regular AMTRAK train service, unique restaurants and bars, and a rich cultural scene including theater, symphony, opera, ballet, popular music, a famous art museum, well-regarded higher education - not to mention a gorgeous setting on Lake Michigan with many beautiful parks.

To Apply

Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Nominations and applications, including current curriculum vitae and a cover letter stating qualifications and reasons for interest in the role, may be submitted to Wesley Millican, MBA, CEO and Physician Talent Officer, CareerPhysician, LLC, C/O Kerry Henry at Kerry@careerphysician.com. All interactions will remain confidential, and no inquiries will be made without the consent of the applicant.

MCW’s Commitment to Mental Health and Wellbeing

MCW recognizes the hard work and multiple responsibilities of our faculty and staff and is committed to improving wellness and wellbeing. Resources includes Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), Monthly Wellness Newsletter, and Wellness Champions Program enhancing wellness within teams and departments.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The Medical College of Wisconsin is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace that includes individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences.  We believe that embracing human differences is critical to realize our vision of a healthier world, and we recognize that a healthy and thriving community starts from within.  We strive to integrate our human and social differences into MCW’s functioning, strategies and culture to create a diverse and equitable workplace.  If you believe embracing individuality and working together makes us stronger, then MCW is the place for you.  People of color, women, LGBTQIA+, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

MCW as an Equal Opportunity Employer and Commitment to Non-Discrimination

The Medical College of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We are committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic, or military status.