Dr. Deborah German
German honored at YW ceremony
Dr. Deborah C. German, senior associate dean for Medical Education, was honored at the YW’s 10th annual recognition ceremony for its Academy for Women of Achievement on Oct. 2 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
The Academy honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their fields, thereby serving as role models for other young women and girls.
“I am honored and humbled by this award,” said German. “I have been helped by many men and women along the way and hope that I can do the same for those who follow me. My work involves the education of young doctors, and there are many talented people involved in this process.
“This is a team effort. I hope that we can provide opportunities for true leadership to each and every one of our young doctors. If we are successful, then they in turn will do the same for those who follow them.”
German received her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, where she graduated summa cum laude. She trained in internal medicine at the University of Rochester and completed a fellowship at Duke University, where she studied rheumatic and genetic diseases. As the senior associate dean for Medical Education, German is the first woman to hold this position and is responsible for all medical education programs for students, interns, residents, and fellows at Vanderbilt.
She was previously the associate dean for students at the medical school. In 1990, German co-founded and served as president for Tennessee Women in Medicine, a group of more than 200 women physicians and scientists working in health-related fields. She has also recently served as vice president of the Tennessee Medical Association.
At Vanderbilt, German has served on more than 50 committees and has recently worked to create nine dual degree programs for Vanderbilt medical students with interdisciplinary interests, more than any other medical school in the country. In addition to her responsibilities at the medical school, German also works in private practice as a rheumatologist.