New Dean of SOMA
Posted: August 26, 2010
Thomas McWilliams, D.O., FACOFP, ’76
SOMA’s founding associate dean takes over as interim dean for Dr. Wood, who will serve as the university’s new senior vice president – academic affairs.
What he brings to the position: A KCOM alumnus, Dr. McWilliams was an associate professor at KCOM for eight years, serving as regional dean for the Missouri Rural Region, section chief for Primary Care, department chair for Family Medicine, and numerous other roles. He has been the founding associate dean for two new osteopathic colleges. Having re-joined ATSU in 2006 as the second person hired at SOMA, Dr. McWilliams has been instrumental in the implementation of SOMA’s innovative curricular model. He has amassed a wide range of experience in and out of higher education, including four fellowships, extensive study overseas, and many years in different capacities as a physician in Alaska, including frontier medicine experiences in remote parts of Kodiak Island and the Aleutians. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and his D.O. degree from KCOM.
What’s new: 1976 must have been a very good year indeed. The deans of ATSU’s two medical schools, Dr. McWilliams and ATSU-KCOM Dean Philip Slocum, D.O., ‘76, both graduated the same year and were in fact study partners and shared rotations.
Goals for his first year: Says Dr. McWilliams: “I have a passion for meeting the healthcare needs of our nation’s underserved populations and feel that we are at the right place and time for osteopathic institutions to demonstrate leadership in this effort.”
1. Meet all accreditation requirements in order to graduate our first class and achieve full accreditation
2. Continue to grow faculty and staff in order to meet the unique curricular requirements and needs of our students
3. Expand clinical opportunities for students at each community campus
4. Continue Dr. Wood’s tradition of curricular innovation and continuous improvement
Long-term goals:
1. Lead the nation (or be in the top 5 percent) in the percent of our graduates that select needed specialties, especially primary care
2. Lead the nation in the percent of our graduates who provide care for underserved populations (Community Health Centers, rural health practices, etc.) for their initial practice years, and hopefully longer
3. Expand postgraduate training opportunities, including innovative models using the “Teaching Community Health Center”
4. Demonstrate the effectiveness of a model that can be adopted or modified at multiple institutions in order to better meet the healthcare needs of our nation
Most memorable ATSU moment: The opportunity to participate in the breadth of the “Kirksville Experience” as a KCOM student, serving faculty and administrative roles at the “mother school,” and participating in the growth of our university and osteopathic family