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Isaac O. Opole, MB.Ch.B, Ph.D FACP

Isaac Opole portrait
Professor, General & Hospital Medicine

Associate Vice Chancellor, Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs

Professional Background

Dr. Opole received his medical degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and obtained a Ph.D degree in the biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine. He completed his residency at the Kansas University Medical Center, and joined the faculty in 2005. He was promoted to Professor in 2019. He has served as the Clerkship Director for Internal Medicine, running a challenging and acclaimed program that won the Student Voice Awards for excellence for eleven consecutive years. He was also recognized for excellence in resident teaching, winning the outstanding Resident Teaching Award and the Max Allen Clinical Scholar award.
In 2007, he was named an Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and became the Director of the Wahl (now Cates) Academic Society, one of eight Learning Communities fostering professionalism, mentorship and a sense of community between students and faculty. Dr. Opole has Chaired the Faculty Council and Educational oversight committees at the University of Kansas Medical Center and led the design of a new Active learning, Competency-based, Excellence-driven (ACE) curriculum which was successfully launched in the fall of 2017. Dr. Opole is a member of the Academy of Medical Educators and was awarded the Ruth Bohan Teaching Professorship, the highest educational award in recognition for excellence in teaching. He is now the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
His extramural activities includes the American College of Physicians, where he has served as Governor for the Kansas Chapter from 2015-2020. He was elected to the Board of Regents in the spring of 2020 and continues to serve on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights committee.
As a medical educator Dr. Opole has focused on the personal and professional development of medical students themed on the concept of “the student as a physician”. He has mentored a panel of faculty and students in a learning community designed to model and foster mindful practice, active learning and clinical skills acquisition, while promoting quality and professionalism in medical education.

Education and Training
  • BSc, University of Nairobi
Licensure, Accreditations & Certifications
  • American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Fellow, American College of Physicians

Research

Overview

Dr. Opole is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of General and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine. His Ph.D research used brain imaging and statistical methods using to evaluate brain connectivity changes in schizophrenia. Currently, his clinical practice is in Hospital Medicine, and his research focus has been in medical informatics, medical education and quality outcomes in hospital care and peri-operative medicine. He is particularly interested in cardiovascular risk reduction and amelioration of mortality and morbidity in the preoperative period in elderly patients.