UAMS oncologist Dr. Omar Atiq, the president-elect of the American College of Physicians
UAMS oncologist Dr. Omar Atiq has been chosen as the next head of the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization in the nation.
He’ll officially be named president-elect at the conclusion of the organization’s annual business meeting in Chicago on April 30. Atiq will take over as president of the group in 2023.
Atiq, who specializes in head and neck cancers and skin-related malignancies, has been a member of the ACP for more than 30 years. He has previously been the chair of its Board of Governors and the chair of its health and public policy committee. Atiq has also served on the executive committee of its Board of Regents and as governor of the group’s Arkansas chapter.
Dr. Susan Smyth, UAMS executive vice chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine, said Atiq will provide “exceptional leadership” to the group of 161,000.
“Omar embodies the ideals of our profession, and all of us at UAMS are honored to have him as a colleague,” Smyth said in a news release.
Atiq is a past president, speaker of the house and chairman of the board of the Arkansas Medical Society. Dr. Edward Yeh, M.D., chair of the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine, called Atiq a “trail blazer who will inspire the next generation of physicians to excel in our missions.”
Atiq received his medical degree from the Khyber Medical College, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. He completed his residency and chief residency in internal medicine at the Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital and Foster G. McGaw Hospital of Loyola University in Chicago. He completed his fellowship training in medical oncology and hematology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
ACP’s mission is to improve the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine. It aims to be recognized as the global leader in promoting quality patient care, advocacy, education and career fulfillment in internal medicine and its subspecialties.
Sign up for Daily E-news
