Department of Family Medicine (DFM) Chair Valerie Gilchrist, MD, didn’t exactly receive the warmest welcome to Wisconsin.

Instead, Gilchrist, who began her DFM appointment in January, arrived to a record-setting winter full of snow, ice, and single-digit temperatures.

“It returned me to my roots,” laughed Gilchrist, who, having grown up in Ontario, Canada, is no stranger to northern climates. But just as Wisconsin embraces spring, Gilchrist has embraced her new position as chair and her new life in Madison.

A Professional and Personal Transition

Dr. Gilchrist joins the DFM after having served as chair of the Department of Family Medicine at both Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

Since her arrival, she has been enthusiastically getting to know the department, listening to and learning from everyone she meets. “The people here are great—smart and focused,” she said, “and the department has such a wonderful, rich history.”

She is also impressed by the DFM’s diversity. “Our practices around the state offer such a great breadth of skills.”

On the personal front, Dr. Gilchrist has been exploring neighborhoods in Madison in preparation for her husband and youngest son’s arrival in May. She finds Madison a very comfortable city: “I’m discovering fun sandwich shops, grocery stores, where to get the car serviced—all the things you need to find in a new community.”

Vision and Future Directions

When asked how she sees her role as chair, Dr. Gilchrist compared it to that of a conductor leading an orchestra. “Everyone is a fine musician in their own right,” she said. “My job is to act iike a catalyst—to create a setting in which everyone in the department can do what they do best.”

She has also met with many clinical chairs within the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), finding them to be “very informative, very open to collaboration, and very positive about where the institution is headed in the future.”

Indeed, Dr. Gilchrist believes that the SMPH’s evolution into a school of medicine and public health offers outstanding opportunities for the DFM. “The areas for us to explore are consistent with the SMPH transformation,” she said. “What does this transformation mean for the everyday practice of medicine and our education of medical students and residents: how can we create a more efficient, effective model for primary health care?”

She feels the DFM has the opportunity of a lifetime. “I really believe this department can be a national pacesetter in the transformation of family medicine. We are in the right place at the right time.”

More Facts About Dr. Gilchrist

Education:

• MD, University of Toronto
• Residency, University of Toronto and the Youngstown Hospital Association
• Family Medicine Fellow, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
• Graduate, Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program

Awards:

• Brody School of Medicine Dean’s Leadership Award
• North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians’ Presidential Service Award: “Model Primary Care Medical School and Residency”
• Named a “memorable educator” on Ohio Magazine’s “2004 Excellence in Education” list
• “Honoris Causa” Doctoral Degree, Council of Faculty of Medicine, Senate of the University Pécs, Hungary

Affiliations:

• National Board of Medical Examiners
• Society for Teachers of Family Medicine
• North American Primary Care Research Group
• Association of Departments of Family Medicine

Other Activities:

• Served on the editorial boards of five publications, including Yearbook of Family Practice, Qualitative Health Research and Medscape
• Reviewer for numerous medical journals, AHRQ, AAFP Foundation.

See also: Gilchrist Named Chair of Family Medicine