ICRE News

January 14, 2021

ICRE Alum Dr. Abby Spencer Named Vice Chair of Education and Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine

The Department of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis recently named Abby L. Spencer, MD, MS, FACP, to the position of Vice Chair of Education and Professor of Medicine. Dr. Spencer will also be the new Director of the Academy of Educators at Washington University School of Medicine. As Vice Chair of Education, Dr. Spencer will lead initiatives to optimize all medical student education, residency, and fellowship training programs across the Department.

Dr. Spencer graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Behavioral Neuroscience from Tulane University, and received her MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. After completing her Primary Care Internal Medicine residency at NewYork-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center, she returned to the University of Pittsburgh where she completed a fellowship in General Internal Medicine with a concentration in Women’s Health and earned an M.S. in Medical Education from the Institute for Clinical Research Education in 2007. Dr. Spencer then served as Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program, and Vice Chair for Education for the Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Spencer is a nationally recognized leader in medical education and faculty development who has held leadership positions in many national organizations, including as a member of the Society of General Internal Medicine’s education, mentoring, and annual planning committees and as founding faculty for SGIM's TEACH Certificate program. She was a founding member of the Quality and Safety Educators Academy steering committee, and was elected to the national APDIM Council where she is currently serving a 3-year term. Dr. Spencer is an enthusiastic educator who has dedicated her career to innovating, developing curriculum, building teams, and developing others in medical education. Her passion and skill for teaching have been recognized by her many appearances on the popular ACP-sponsored podcast “The Curbsiders,” the Leadership Edge podcast entitled “Leading by Teaching,” and the Medicine Mentors Podcast. She was inducted as a fellow to the Case Western Reserve University Academy of Scholar Educators in March 2019.

Congratulations Dr. Spencer!