Fitzgerald elected as Regent of American College of Physicians

Faith Fitzgerald, professor of medicine and Assistant Dean of Humanities and Bioethics at UC Davis Health System, has been elected as a Regent of the American College of Physicians.

Fitzgerald will begin serving a three-year term as Regent on Saturday, April 8. The American College of Physicians (ACP) is the nation's largest medical specialty society. Its mission is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine.

As Assistant Dean of Humanities and Bioethics, Fitzgerald has helped build a medical humanities program. She also provides oversight for the bioethics program. A primary goal has been to incorporate both the humanities and bioethics into the curriculum throughout medical school and as part of life-long learning.

Fitzgerald graduated from the UCSF School of Medicine in 1969 and completed her residency and chief residency there. She was appointed the Internal Medicine program director in 1985 and became assistant dean in 1999. She has written on protean disease states, medical education, physical diagnosis and bioethics.

The American College of Physician membership is about 119,000, including medical students. Members are physicians in general internal medicine and related subspecialties, including cardiology, gastroenterology, nephrology, endocrinology, hematology, rheumatology, neurology, pulmonary disease, oncology, infectious diseases, allergy and immunology, and geriatrics.

The Board of Regents manages the business and affairs of ACP. It is the main policy-making body of the College. The Board is composed of elected Officers, who serve ex-officio on the Board, and Regents, who have been elected by the combined membership of the Board of Regents and the Board of Governors.