Winter Williams, M.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Medicine and co-director of the UAB Internal Medicine Clerkship, has been named assistant dean for Clinical Education at UAB Heersink School of Medicine. In this role, Williams will help establish and implement initiatives for high quality, collaborative, and coordinated clinical training for UAB medical students.
Williams will work closely with the associate dean for Undergraduate Medical Education to create a successful environment and educational experience for students. He has extensive leadership experience in clinical education, having led the internal medicine clerkship, acting internships, and the Preparation for Residency capstone course. Through these roles, he has been committed to preparing students for the rigors of the clinical training. He will bring that expertise and commitment for student success to this new endeavor as assistant dean.
“I am thrilled by this opportunity to work with students and educators across our institution to share best practices and drive meaningful change,” Williams said. “I hope to build on our tradition of clinical excellence with robust clinical exposure and teaching that adapts to the needs of individual learners.”
In 2023, he helped implement a new approach to clinical skills education for Heersink students. The Clinical Reasoning and Integrated Skills Program (CRISP) was launched in response to the evolving demands of medical education. Under the leadership and guidance of Williams and co-director, Monica Agarwal, M.D., the program developed a longitudinal, module-based approach to clinical skills education that continues to adapt to meet the needs of Heersink students.
As assistant dean, Williams will continue to work with CRISP leadership to further establish cutting-edge clinical skills, such as Point-of care ultrasound (POCUS), and integrated clinical reasoning throughout the medical education curriculum. He will also serve in the intersection of departmental and regional campus deans, clerkship directors, faculty, and students across all four campuses.
“Dr. Williams has been a crucial element to the success of our clinical education program,” said Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education. “His work helping to pioneer the launch of the new CRISP curriculum, OPAs, and the MS3 OSCEs are just some of the ways he has demonstrated what an invaluable asset he is to our school. I know he will bring that same commitment and innovation to his new role as assistant dean. His passion for student development and success is evident in everything he does. I am excited to see him take this opportunity to help shape the future of our clinical instruction across all four years of medical education.”
The announcement of Williams accepting this role is the culmination of an exhaustive search with many qualified candidates. The process included input from a variety of stakeholders, including Heersink School of Medicine students, faculty, administrators, and leaders across all four campuses.
Williams earned his M.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 2009 and completed his residency training and chief resident year at the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2013. He then joined faculty as an assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine. Since 2014, he has served as program director of the VA Chief Resident in Quality and Safety Program at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and as co-director for the Internal Medicine Clerkship since 2015.