David J. Skorton
David J. Skorton, MD, is president and CEO of the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges), a not-for-profit association that represents medical schools, academic health systems and teaching hospitals, and academic societies.
Dr. Skorton began his leadership of the AAMC in July 2019 after a distinguished career in government, higher education, and medicine and started with a comprehensive strategic planning process that established a new mission and vision for the AAMC. The strategic plan guides the AAMC in leading and serving medical schools and academic health systems around the mission areas of education, clinical care, research, and community collaboration. He engages with academic health system leadership and staff, medical students, residents, post-doctoral researchers, and interested community members through social media and the AAMC Communities virtual network. His main focus is on improving the health of people everywhere, including access to care for all.
Prior to assuming the helm of the AAMC, Dr. Skorton served as the 13th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, where he oversaw 19 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, and numerous research centers and education programs. Before that, he served as president of two universities: Cornell University (2006 to 2015) and the University of Iowa (2003 to 2006), where he also served on the faculty for 26 years and co-founded and co-directed the University of Iowa Adolescent and Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic. A pioneer of cardiac imaging and computer processing techniques, he was a contributor and editor-in-chief of a major text on cardiac imaging.
A distinguished professor at Georgetown University, Dr. Skorton is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Philosophical Society. He is also a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Skorton is also a jazz musician and composer who believes that many of society鈥檚 thorniest problems can only be solved by combining the sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities.
Dr. Skorton earned his BA from Northwestern University and his MD from Northwestern University School of Medicine. He completed his medical residency and fellowship in cardiology and was chief medical resident at the University of California, Los Angeles.