Dr. Kevin Kavanaugh, a longtime associate professor of Medicine who has an extensive background in both medical student and resident education, has been named the medical school’s new assistant dean for Career Development.
In his new role, Dr. Kavanaugh will serve as a career advisor for medical students and provide guidance and direction for residency and career planning, among other duties. He began his new role on February 1, 2017.
“I’m looking forward to the individual, one-on-one meetings with students and helping them discern where their careers in medicine are going to take them,” Dr. Kavanaugh said. “It can be a stressful time for students. I hope I can at least be helpful and guide them through all of it.”
Dr. Kavanaugh brings a breadth of experience to bear on his new duties as an assistant dean. He is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed a three-year Internal Medicine residency followed by one year as chief resident in 1990 at the Michigan State University Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, the predecessor to WMed.
He joined the faculty at MSU/KCMS in 1993 and during his 24-year career here, he has served in several leadership roles, including a three-year stint as an assistant dean for the MSU College of Human Medicine. He also oversaw clerkships for third- and fourth-year medical students and provided career counseling to assist in navigating elective opportunities for students and the National Residency Match Program.
Dr. Kavanaugh said he will be working closely with third-year students at the medical school to help them with fourth-year electives and the Match, which will occur next March for the members of WMed’s inaugural Class of 2018. He also plans to educate more WMed faculty about fourth-year electives and the Match so that they too can be a resource for medical students.
Dr. Kavanaugh is a Kalamazoo native and a graduate of Hackett Catholic Prep. Prior to medical school, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Loyola University of Chicago.
In taking on this new role, Dr. Kavanaugh has transitioned from serving as a learning community scholar-advisor at the medical school, and is maintaining his clinical duties in the department of Medicine.