VCU announces new dean of medicine
Peter F. Buckley will replace Jerry Strauss as the Dean of the School of Medicine, effective January 17.
According to University Relations, Strauss will also take the seat as Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs.
Marsha Rappley, the Vice President for Health Sciences, sent members of the VCU community an email last Monday with details of Buckley’s biography, which includes a stint at Augusta University in Georgia, where Buckley currently serves as dean of the Medical College of Georgia as well as its Vice President for Medical Affairs and Integration.
Buckley is also a professor at the Medical College of Georgia where he teaches psychiatry, pharmacology and radiology.
Buckley said he is impressed with the accomplishments of the VCU Medical College and it’s students, and is excited to join the university as a dean.
“The medical school just recently had an extremely successful re-accreditation,” Buckley said. “That provides the opportunity to continue and enhance the degree of innovation in the medical student training program as well as build on things like interprofessional learning.”
Buckley said that the re-accreditation gives the univeristy “breathing space” so it can work on more innovative projects.
He said during his time as dean he would like to expand on areas that are already strengths at the VCU School of Medicine. Particularly in accessible clinical health care and interprofessional learning, where students can get hands on experience in various health care jobs. He said it is very important for students to get hands on training as well as participate in research.
Buckley said that he is extremely excited to be joining VCU and mentioned his enthusiasm for working with the staff at the Medical College such as Rappley, referring to her as a “renowned leader in academic medicine”.
“The reason that I am excited and feel fortunate to join VCU is that it is an extremely impressive momentum,” Buckley said. “President Rao has done an amazing job in putting together a stellar team of leadership.”
Buckley received his medical degree from the University College Dublin School of Medicine in Ireland, where he also completed a psychiatric residency training followed by a fellowship in schizophrenia research. He also earned a master’s by thesis from University College Dublin.
At the Medical College of Georgia, Buckley served as chair of the Department of Psychiatry before becoming dean.
He also has been the interim CEO of the academic medical center and physicians practice plan, professor and vice chair of the psychiatry department at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, medical director of Wester Reserve Psychiatric Hospital, medical director for Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare System and co-director of the statewide community service product line at the Ohio Department of Mental Health.
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STAFF WRITER
Mary Lee Clark
Mary Lee is a senior studying journalism. She currently interns for RVAmag and GayRVA.com, in addition to writing for the CT. She previously worked as a makeup artist at Darkwood Manor, did lighting design at Trackside Theater (where she is now on the Board of Directors) and photographed for the Page News and Courier.
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