Templeton recognized as female leader in medicine by students

Apr 7, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) has recently selected Kim Templeton, MD, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and chair of the Faculty Council at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and chief of orthopaedic surgery at the Kansas City Veteran's Administration Medical Center, as a leader among women in medicine.

“Kim Templeton has been an outstanding mentor for our medical students and has exhibited a great commitment to quality education and leadership,” said Barbara Atkinson, MD, executive vice chancellor of KU Medical Center. “I'm extremely proud of her,” she added.

This award was the first of its kind given out by the organization, and Templeton said she was humbled to be one of the 10 recipients, who also included Joycelyn Elders, MD, former Surgeon General of the United States. Medical and pre-medical students nominated female mentors to receive awards, and AMSA chose the winners based on leadership, commitment and passion.

“I'm excited about the increasing number of women going into the medical field, especially in academic medicine,” Templeton said. “There is going to be an increase in the number of role models and mentors for our all of our medical students, especially women.”

Each award recipient was showcased at the AMSA annual convention in Houston in the “Raising Our Voices: Women Leaders in Medicine” exhibit. Templeton submitted her comments and photos for the display, which will now travel around to the cities that have an AMSA chapter.

In a letter to Templeton announcing her award, Michael Ehlert, MD, national president of AMSA, said the exhibit will acknowledge the ongoing leadership gap in the medical field.

“Through the traveling exhibit, we hope to bring further recognition to women leaders in medicine, as well as to spark medical students' participation in mentoring and outreach programs for underserved women and girls,” he said.

Templeton's leadership focus has been on teaching and public health. She has started numerous nationwide and worldwide projects, in collaboration with the United States Bone and Joint Decade. These public education projects focus on bone and joint health and osteoporosis, including programs that emphasize culturally competent care for minority groups.