Carol Bradford, the new dean of the College of Medicine, reflects on her first official week being a Buckeye and her visions for the college’s future. Credit: Asia Atuah | Lantern Reporter
As leaves change color and the wind cools down, Dr. Carol Bradford is quickly adjusting to some changes of her own and warming up to the Buckeye spirit.
Bradford was appointed the new dean of the College of Medicine at Ohio State and vice president for health sciences at the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State Oct. 1, coming from the University of Michigan.
Bradford, reflecting on her first week as the medical college’s 15th dean, said she felt a warm welcome from enthusiastic students, faculty and staff as she toured various facilities within the college — including all the inpatient hospitals — and met with small groups of students and deans from the other colleges.
“They’re keeping me pretty busy, which is great,” Bradford said. “It’s a bit of, as I say, drinking from the firehose, but it’s a great firehose.”
Bradford previously served as the executive vice dean of academic affairs at the University of Michigan and the chief academic officer for Michigan Medicine, where she oversaw education, faculty affairs, and development and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, according to the medical center’s website. She is a physician-scientist, specializing in head and neck cancer surgery and reconstruction, and has authored nearly 300 journal articles.
Daniel Clinchot, vice dean for education for the college, said Bradford made an immediate impression and is very personable.
“Just in her first seven days, she’s met with more education staff and faculty and students than any other dean that I’ve known,” Clinchot said. “Her ability to connect, even with our frontline staff that work directly with students, and our faculty, it’s amazing. She portrays being genuinely interested.”
Peter Mohler, chief scientific officer for the medical center and vice dean for research at the College of Medicine, said it’s great to have a new leader whose goals align with the college’s mission surrounding clinical care, research and education.
“It’s rare to find a leader that excels in all three mission areas, but it’s even more rare to find someone who’s as selfless with their time to want to make everyone else around them better,” Mohler said.
Bradford said the transformation of Ohio State’s facilities — with new cutting-edge research and education buildings as well as the deep community engagement from the people on campus — brought her to the university. She said she particularly appreciates the university’s location in Ohio’s capital city and the close proximity of Ohio State’s seven health colleges on campus.
Bradford said a focus for her will be diversifying the medical school’s students and staff, bringing in people of various identities to address and correct any microaggressions within curricula, and provide equitable healthcare.
“Fundamentally, we really feel that the face of medicine should reflect the communities that are served,” Bradford said.
Bradford said she was compelled to join the college due to its recent efforts to address racism and issues with diversity. Over the summer, for example, all of Ohio State’s health colleges incorporated an anti-racism plan into their curricula. The plan aims to equip students and staff with the knowledge and resources to actively recognize racial disparities in health care and address them in their own practice.
Clinchot said the shift in the clinical environment during the pandemic has become integral to the medical school’s teaching and has underlined the lack of resources and opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Mohler said seeing how marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 has informed how researchers at the college need to move forward.
According to the Ohio Department of Health website, Black Ohioans make up 14 percent of the population but 16.8 percent of COVID-19 cases, 26.4 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations and 17.1 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the state. In comparison, white Ohioans make up 83 percent of the population but make up only 59 percent of cases, 61 percent of hospitalizations and 77.9 percent of deaths.
Bradford said servant-style leadership — investing in people through mentorship, coaching and leadership development — motivates her to continue her efforts at Ohio State. She said the outpouring of support while leaving her position at the University of Michigan helped with the difficult transition and motivates her to have a positive impact on Ohio State’s College of Medicine and its people.
“It’s not easy. There are hard days. There are sleepless nights. But on balance, somebody has to lead, and with a servant leadership frame, I’m happy and honored to be given the opportunity to do so,” Bradford said.
