ABIM names new president and CEO

Furman S. McDonald, MD, MPH: ©ABIM

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has appointed Furman S. McDonald, MD, MPH, as its new president and CEO effective Sept. 1, 2024. McDonald will lead both ABIM and the affiliated ABIM Foundation following a six-month national search.

McDonald brings more than 25 years of clinical experience as a practicing internist. He previously served as associate chair of medicine and residency program director at the Mayo Clinic. Since joining ABIM in 2014 as senior vice president for academic and medical affairs, he has continued caring for patients and teaching residents at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

"Furman is uniquely qualified to understand what physicians and patients need from ABIM's board certification programs," said Rajeev Jain, MD, chair of ABIM's board of directors, in a statement. "His vision is to connect meaningful certification to delivering high-quality patient care."

As a medical educator and researcher, McDonald has authored over 110 peer-reviewed publications. He earned degrees from the University of North Carolina, Mayo Medical School, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. After residency at Mayo Clinic, he joined the faculty there as one of its first hospitalists.

"I look forward to enhancing how ABIM supports physicians staying current with medical advances and improving care outcomes through research and evidence-based certification methods," stated McDonald. He aims to integrate his rural upbringing's perspective with standardized assessments that create educational opportunities.

McDonald succeeds the previous CEO and will work alongside ABIM's board of directors comprised of leaders across internal medicine. He has been ABIM certified since 2000 and is involved with numerous professional medical organizations.