New Interim Director of YCCI David Coleman, MD, Research Professor of Medicine, Emeritus Professor, Yale School of Medicine, is a recipient of the 2023 Larry Zaroff Man of Good Conscious Award from the American Medical Women’s Association. The Association presents this award annually to a man who has been a champion and supporter of women in medicine.
“This award is from women, about women,” said Dr. Coleman, who has acted as a mentor, he says, to many women faculty over the course of his career. “It is special to me because it recognizes the importance of sponsorship and mentorship of women faculty. Sponsorship is a really important part of being an effective mentor. To be a mentor and not sponsor people is a missed opportunity.” Dr. Coleman was nominated for the award by a group women faculty at Boston University, the University of Chicago, the University of Florida, and Yale, all former mentees who have gone on to achieve leadership positions in medicine.
Dr. Coleman returns to Yale following a 16-year tenure as chair of the Department of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and chief of the medical service at Boston Medical Center. Prior to that he served as chief of medical service at VA Connecticut for 10 years and interim chair of the Department of Medicine at YSM for nearly four years. In February 2003, he assumed the position of Interim Chair of the Department of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and Chief of the Beeson Medical Service at Yale-New Haven Medical Center. During that time, he co-led the school-wide strategic planning process to develop clinical and population-based research that led to the establishment of the Yale Center for Clinical Investigation and was the basis for the successful application for a Clinical Translational Science Award. He joins John Krystal, MD, as YCCI Co-Director, following Brian Smith, MD, who will continue as Co-PI of the CTSA, Deputy Dean of Clinical and Translational Research, and Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine.
Dr. Coleman is eager to continue supporting women and other underrepresented groups in medicine in his new role. “I want to prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in YCCI,” he says, noting that he will be convening a new DEI committee at YCCI to develop new initiatives. “I want to make sure it is an inclusive, supportive, respectful, and generous workplace. In addition to the moral imperative, YCCI can only become an exceptional center if diverse perspectives and lived experiences are encouraged and supported. Going forward, I hope YCCI will be a place that really embraces those values.”
Retired cardiac surgeon Larry Zaroff, the award’s namesake, was a cardiac surgeon and an avid supporter of women in medicine at all stages of their career. “Late in his career, Dr. Zaroff got at PhD in Ethics and taught at my alma mater, Stanford, where he was a beloved teacher for many years,” Dr. Coleman notes. He is receiving this award at the 108th AMWA Annual Meeting in Philadelphia on March 25, along with the Director of the Division of General Internal Medicine and Chair of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the Emory University School.