UAMS has named Dr. John Spollen the next regional associate dean for the College of Medicine in northwest Arkansas.
The move takes effect Jan. 1.
Spollen, professor and vice chair for education in the UAMS Department of Psychiatry, will succeed Dr. Linda Worley, professor of psychiatry. Worley, who has held the role since 2018, is taking a new role as chief wellness officer for the college.
Spollen currently practices at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, where he has held several clinical and administrative roles including director of the Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service and the Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and Ketamine Program for treatment-resistant depression. He was interim chair of the Department of Psychiatry from June 2021 to February 2022.
Spollen’s teaching accolades include the COM Educational Innovation Award, two Educational Research Awards, the Master Teacher Award, student-selected Red Sash awards annually since 2008 and the Gold Sash Award.
Dr. Susan Smyth, UAMS executive vice chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine, said Spollen is a “world-class physician” who brings strong leadership to the role.
Spollen received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his residency in psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina.
“It has been my dream since residency to have a career in medical student education,” he said in a news release. “I was in charge of developing the initial curriculum for the campus in 2008, and it has been amazing to see the growth of the program over the years. I look forward to working with the entire team at UAMS to continue to improve the education of our students, the future physicians of Arkansas.”
The UAMS College of Medicine has 62 students in northwest Arkansas and recently added an accelerated three-year medical program in the region.
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