Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that Richard Benzinger, MD, PhD, has accepted the invitation to serve as Interim Vice Chair for Education for the Department of Anesthesiology, effective May 15, 2023. Dr. Benzinger will be taking over from Douglas Thompson, MD, who is transitioning out of this role. We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Thompson for his past service as Vice Chair for Education, and welcome Dr. Benzinger as he assumes this important leadership position.
Dr. Benzinger is a highly accomplished clinician, researcher, and educator. He grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, and received his BS in Biology from the California Institute of Technology in 1993, followed by a PhD in neurobiology and an MD from the University of Chicago. Since joining our department as a resident in 2001, Dr. Benzinger has made invaluable contributions to our team, including serving as Chief Resident, the William Owens Research Fellow in Anesthesiology, and the residency program director from 2011 to 2018. Under his leadership, our residency program grew and flourished.
In addition to his clinical work in transplant and vascular anesthesia, including his contributions to the liver transplant team and the Center for Preoperative Assessment and Planning (CPAP), Dr. Benzinger is an accomplished academic and educational leader. He currently serves as an Applied Examiner and Basic Exam Editor for the American Board of Anesthesiology and is an active member of several key committees within our department and the School of Medicine, including the Morbidity and Mortality Committee, the Admissions Committee, and the Graduate Medical Education Committee. His involvement in these committees underscores his commitment to improving patient care, enhancing medical education, and advancing the field of anesthesiology.
We are fortunate to have Dr. Benzinger serving as our Interim Vice Chair for Education. His extensive leadership and expertise in both clinical and educational settings make him the ideal choice for this role. I am confident that Dr. Benzinger will continue to elevate the educational environment of our department, and will help to train the next generation of anesthesiology leaders.
Please join me in congratulating and thanking Dr. Benzinger for accepting this critically important interim role and thanking Dr. Thompson for his past service as Vice Chair for Education.
Best wishes,
Michael
Michael S. Avidan, MBBCh, FCASA
Dr. Seymour and Rose T. Brown Professor of Anesthesiology
Head of the Department of Anesthesiology
Anesthesiologist-in-Chief, Barnes-Jewish Hospital