Providing opportunities for a diverse physician workforce with Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice
I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice at the NMF 75th Anniversary Gala, where she was the recipient of the NMF National Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. Listen to how Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, a former recipient of an NMF scholarship as a medical student and now the sixth president of Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) and the first woman to lead the free-standing medical institution is reimagining healthcare.
A renowned infertility specialist and researcher, she most recently served as dean and executive vice president of MSM, where she has served since 2011. Prior to joining MSM, Montgomery Rice held faculty positions and leadership roles at various health centers, including academic health centers. Most notably, she was the founding director of the Center for Women’s Health Research at Meharry Medical College, one of the nation’s first research centers devoted to studying diseases that disproportionately impact women of color.
She is reimagining healthcare with her dedication to the creation and advancement of health equity. Montgomery Rice lends her vast experience and talents to programs that enhance pipeline opportunities for academically diverse learners, diversify the physician and scientific workforce, and foster equity in healthcare access and health outcomes.
A Georgia native, Montgomery Rice holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a medical degree from Harvard Medical School, an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Rush University. All reflect her lifetime commitment to education, service, and the advancement of health equity. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University School of Medicine and her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Hutzel Hospital.
NationalMedicalFellowships, Inc. believes a just and equitable world requires diverse healthcare leaders who not only bring diverse representation to the medical field but also lead the fight to eliminate health disparities.
