AAMC CEO plans to step down

After leading the Association of American Medical Colleges for several years, Dr. David J. Skorton has announced his intention to retire next year.

Skorton plans to step down on June 30, 2027. He’s been leading the AAMC since July 2019.

He took the post just months before the COVID-19 pandemic upended the world. He has also been an advocate for medical schools and teaching hospitals through sweeping changes in government policy.

Skorton said in a post on LinkedIn that his time as CEO “has been one of the great privileges of my career.” That’s not a small statement, considering he formerly led the Smithsonian Institution and served as president of Cornell University and the University of Iowa.

Reflecting on his tenure leading the AAMC, Skorton said, “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work alongside so many talented and committed people and for all that we have accomplished together in service to the academic community and those we serve. I have great confidence in the organization’s future and the extraordinary people and partnerships who will carry forward our mission to improve the health of people everywhere.”

Pushing for a diverse workforce

Skorton has pushed the federal government to invest more in graduate medical education to train more doctors.

He has spoken repeatedly about the nation’s mounting physician shortage. An AAMC report projects that the nation’s physician shortage could reach up to 86,000 by 2036.

“We are looking at substantial shortages of doctors that will not meet our future health care demands,” Skorton said.

Skorton has also spoken about the need to ensure a more diverse physician workforce. The AAMC objected to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision that found colleges, universities and medical schools could not use race as a factor in college admissions. Skorton said the ruling shows a lack of understanding of the value of racial diversity in admissions to help address health equity.

Skorton also expressed disappointment when enrollment of Black and Hispanic students in medical schools decline after the high court’s ruling.

“The AAMC and its member medical schools are committed to continuing our efforts to increase the supply of physicians and to increase the range of backgrounds and experiences in the applicant and matriculant pools that are critical to the future physician workforce,” Skorton said in 2025. “Evidence shows that a more varied workforce can improve access to health care and the health of our communities.”

‘Advancing academic medicine’

Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, praised Skorton for his leadership and said that he has been a strong partner on key issues.

“David Skorton’s leadership at the AAMC has been marked by a deep commitment to advancing academic medicine, strengthening the physician workforce, training the next generation of caregivers and improving the health of patients and communities across the country,” Pollack said in a statement.

Michael Waldrum, MD, chair of the AAMC’s board of directors, said Skorton has made the association stronger.

“David’s leadership through some of the most defining moments in our nation’s history has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Waldrum said in a statement.

“Identifying a visionary leader to guide the association and the academic medicine community into the future will be our next challenge,” he said.

The organization has tapped Spencer Stuart, an executive search consulting firm, to help the AAMC find its next leader.