Phillip M. Boiselle, MD, Named to the Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators

The Department of Radiology is pleased to announce that Phillip M. Boiselle, MD, professor of radiology, vice chair of education, and chief wellness officer for the Department of Radiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, has been accepted into the Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators.

The Virginia Apgar Academy recognizes faculty members at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) who have demonstrated sustained excellence and leadership in medical education. Boiselle’s election reflects more than two decades of transformative institutional impact across undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education.

Since joining Columbia Radiology in 2025, Boiselle has brought immediate vision and momentum to the department’s educational mission. As vice chair of education, he has overseen the selection and integration of a new educational leadership team across all programs. He has also helped guide the evolution of the department’s medical student education offerings, supporting new initiatives that expand opportunities for students to explore clinical and research interests in radiology.

“Dr. Boiselle has made a profound and immediate contribution to our educational mission, and I am deeply appreciative of the leadership he has brought to our department,” said Ajay Gupta, MD, MS, James Picker Professor of Radiology and chair of the Department of Radiology. “His leadership has reinforced a shared sense of purpose within the department and has strengthened the foundation of our educational programs.”

Prior to joining Columbia, Boiselle served in several senior positions including associate dean for academic and clinical affairs at Harvard Medical School, dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, and dean of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Across these roles, he strengthened faculty development programs, advanced curricular innovation, and championed initiatives to improve learning environments and institutional culture.

Among his notable educational innovations is his leadership in integrating visual thinking strategies (VTS) into medical curricula—an evidence-based approach that uses facilitated discussions of visual art to cultivate careful observation, empathy, communication skills, and comfort with ambiguity in clinical reasoning. He has also played prominent leadership roles in national professional societies, contributed extensively to educational scholarship, and delivered more than 150 continuing medical education lectures at regional, national, and international levels.

Another defining hallmark of Boiselle’s career has been his deep and sustained commitment to mentorship. Early in his academic career, he founded a formal radiology residency mentoring program and developed a structured academic career development initiative for trainees. Over the years, he has personally mentored scores of residents and fellows, guiding numerous first-author scholarly projects and helping shape the careers of many who have gone on to national and international leadership roles. His mentoring excellence has been recognized with multiple departmental awards.

In addition to his roles in the Department of Radiology, Boiselle serves as senior advisor to the vice dean for education at the VP&S. As a member of the Virginia Apgar Academy, he looks forward to contributing to cross-departmental collaboration among vice chairs of education and advancing educational leadership development initiatives across the medical center.