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K. Paige Johnson, MD Named Interim Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education at UTGSM
K. Paige Johnson, MD, has been named the Interim Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTGSM) effective January 1, 2023. Dr. Johnson succeeds William P. Metheny, PhD, who joined the UTGSM in 2007 and will be retiring effective December 31, 2022, after a 37-year career in medical education. Dr. Metheny led both graduate and undergraduate medical education for our campus, thus Dr. Johnson enters a newly created position that emphasizes the importance of medical students within our education mission.
"Dr. Metheny and I share a passion for passing on the pedagogy of medical education. When residents instruct medical students, they solidify their knowledge. The road to medical education excellence is difficult without evaluation and self-reflection. This process is critical to producing capable academic physicians and meeting the needs of our medical students," stated Dr. Johnson. "During his tenure Dr. Metheny recognized the need for an evaluative process. He instituted the current "residents as educators" evaluations that all medical students on our campus complete and many of our departments are using to compliment the formative feedback residents receive. I plan to continue to build on this program and raise the bar to increase the number of students who seek to rotate on our campus."
Dr. Johnson completed her undergraduate degree in Biology from West Virginia University and received her medical degree from the West Virginia University School of Medicine. "I first visited the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine as a resident candidate in 1998, the year UT won the National Championship in football. The town of Knoxville was alive with UT pride and during my interview it became evident it was not just football that made this institution stand out," said Dr. Johnson. "When I matched there, I had no idea that I would fall in love with the medical center, make Tennessee my home, and bleed orange from then on." Upon completion of her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UTGSM, she began working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2017, under the guidance of Larry Kilgore, MD, Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UTGSM, Dr. Johnson completed Clerkship Director School to become the department's Clerkship Director. In 2019, she graduated from the esteemed Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Academic Scholars and Leaders program and has received two APGO Excellence in Teaching Awards.
"Having served as Director of Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) for our campus since 2019, Dr. Johnson has the ideal skillset and experience to take on this new role," said Dean Craft. "She has also developed relationships with the key stakeholders for UME, including clerkship directors and UTHSC leadership, which will allow for a seamless transition with Dr. Metheny. Having worked with Dr. Johnson for many years in the OR and labor deck, I also look forward to her contribution on the Dean’s Council."
"I am humbled and look forward to taking on the challenge of following in Dr. Metheny's footsteps. He has been an amazing mentor; always calm, kind, and the ultimate professional. I have learned a lot from him and am extremely grateful to have been able to serve during his tenure," said Dr. Johnson.
"My goals for this role are to collaborate with Dean Craft and our academic leaders to further Undergraduate Medical Education on our campus," stated Dr. Johnson. "Our medical students' expectations and learning styles are evolving and we are charged with keeping pace."
K. Paige Johnson, MD
Posted: December 14, 2022