Jennifer L. Gwilym, DO, FACOFP dist., FAAFP, CS, Interim Senior Dean/Chief Academic Officer at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)
In this blog series we will explore topics to support the growth, success, and engagement of osteopathic family physicians, students, residents and educators. This month, we're thrilled to feature:
Jennifer L. Gwilym, DO, FACOFP dist., FAAFP, CS
Interim Senior Dean/Chief Academic Officer
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM)
Can you share the career path that led you to your current academic role as Dean and/or Chair of Family Medicine, etc.?
My career path has been shaped by a commitment to osteopathic medical education, primary care, and academic leadership.
I began my academic career at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM) as a part-time Clinical Skills faculty member while practicing Family Medicine. Over the past 14 years, I have had the opportunity to serve in progressively larger leadership roles, including faculty leadership, department leadership, and administrative positions focused on student success, admissions, and academic affairs.
Along the way, I served as Chair of the Department of Primary Care, Clinical Assistant Dean, Senior Associate Dean for Admissions, and participated extensively in national osteopathic medical education leadership. Nationally, I served for nine years as a Commissioner for the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) and currently serve on the American Osteopathic Association's Bureau on Federal Health Policy as well as the Board of Governors of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP).
These experiences provided opportunities to work on accreditation, curriculum development, admissions strategy, faculty affairs, governance, and health policy. In January 2026, I was appointed Interim Senior Dean and Chief Academic Officer of OU-HCOM, where I oversee academic programs across three campuses, lead strategic initiatives in curriculum assessment and educational quality, and support the college's mission of training future physicians to serve Ohio and beyond.
Throughout my career, my guiding principle has remained the same: advancing excellence in medical education while preparing compassionate, highly skilled physicians to meet the healthcare needs of their communities.
What does a typical day look like for you in academic medicine?
A typical day in academic medicine is incredibly diverse, which is one of the things I enjoy most about the profession.
As Interim Senior Dean and Chief Academic Officer, my days are a blend of leadership, strategy, and relationship-building. I spend time meeting with faculty, staff, students, and health system partners; addressing issues related to curriculum, accreditation, admissions, student success, and faculty development; and working with college leadership to advance the strategic priorities of the institution. No two days are exactly alike, and there is always a balance between managing immediate operational needs and planning for the future.
I also remain closely connected to Family Medicine and osteopathic medical education through teaching, mentoring students and faculty, and serving in national leadership roles. Some days may involve reviewing academic programs, analyzing student outcomes, or discussing curriculum innovation, while others may focus on legislative advocacy, accreditation, fundraising, or building partnerships across the state.
What I find most rewarding is that every day ultimately centers on one goal: helping develop the next generation of physicians and improving healthcare for the communities we serve. The work is challenging and fast-paced but knowing that our efforts impact thousands of students and future patients makes it incredibly meaningful.
Do you still maintain clinical practice?
If so, how do you balance it with your academic responsibilities? If not, what led to your decision to stop seeing patients?
Yes, I continue to maintain a clinical role, spending approximately four hours each week precepting Family Medicine residents at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
Remaining involved in patient care and resident education is important to me because it helps me stay connected to the realities of clinical practice and the challenges facing both physicians and patients. It also allows me to continue doing what initially drew me to academic medicine: teaching and mentoring the next generation of family physicians.
Balancing clinical and administrative responsibilities requires intentional time management and prioritization. While the majority of my time is devoted to leadership responsibilities as Interim Senior Dean and Chief Academic Officer, I protect dedicated time for resident teaching and clinical engagement. I view my clinical work not as separate from my academic responsibilities, but as complementary to them. The experiences I gain in the clinical setting help inform decisions about curriculum, physician workforce development, and graduate medical education, while my academic leadership role provides a broader perspective on how we prepare future physicians to meet the needs of their communities.
For me, maintaining even a small clinical presence helps ensure that my leadership decisions remain grounded in the realities of patient care and medical practice.
What are some challenges you face balancing academic responsibilities with patient care?
One of the greatest challenges in balancing academic responsibilities with patient care is time. Both roles are incredibly important and rewarding, but each requires significant attention, preparation, and commitment. Academic leadership responsibilities often involve meetings, strategic planning, accreditation, curriculum oversight, and supporting students and faculty, while patient care and resident education require being fully present and engaged in the clinical environment.
For me, maintaining a clinical role by precepting Family Medicine residents at a Federally Qualified Health Center helps me stay connected to patient care and the realities of clinical practice. However, it also requires careful scheduling and prioritization to ensure that neither responsibility is compromised.
Another challenge is that both academic medicine and clinical care are constantly evolving. Staying current with educational best practices, accreditation standards, healthcare regulations, and advances in medicine requires continuous learning and adaptability.
Despite these challenges, I believe the benefits outweigh the difficulties. My clinical experiences help inform my decisions as an academic leader, while my work in medical education allows me to contribute to the development of future physicians. The two roles complement one another and ultimately strengthen my ability to serve students, residents, patients, and the broader healthcare community.
What do you think are the biggest rewards of working in academic medicine?
The greatest reward of working in academic medicine is the opportunity to have a lasting impact through the people you teach and mentor. While caring for individual patients is incredibly meaningful, academic medicine allows you to influence generations of physicians who will go on to care for thousands of patients throughout their careers.
I also find tremendous satisfaction in helping students and residents achieve their goals. Watching learners develop from aspiring physicians into confident, compassionate clinicians and seeing them match into residency programs, graduate, and ultimately serve their communities is one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.
Another rewarding aspect is the ability to contribute to the advancement of healthcare through education, scholarship, innovation, and leadership. Academic medicine provides a unique opportunity to shape curricula, improve training programs, influence health policy, and address workforce needs in ways that extend far beyond a single clinic or hospital.
Finally, I value the variety and lifelong learning that academic medicine offers. Every day presents new challenges and opportunities to collaborate with talented colleagues, learn from students, and help shape the future of the profession. It is a career that combines service, leadership, education, and clinical medicine in a way that I find both intellectually stimulating and deeply fulfilling.
How has working in an academic environment influenced your professional growth?
Working in an academic environment has profoundly influenced my professional growth by continually challenging me to learn, adapt, and expand my perspective beyond direct patient care.
One of the greatest benefits of academic medicine is that you are surrounded by talented students, residents, faculty, researchers, and healthcare leaders who constantly bring new ideas and perspectives. Teaching others requires you to stay current with advances in medicine, while leadership roles require you to think strategically about education, healthcare delivery, and the future needs of the profession.
Academic medicine has also provided opportunities for growth in areas that I may not have otherwise pursued, including accreditation, curriculum development, admissions, faculty affairs, health policy, and organizational leadership. These experiences have allowed me to develop skills in communication, collaboration, change management, and strategic planning that are valuable both within and beyond medicine.
Perhaps most importantly, working in an academic environment has reinforced the importance of lifelong learning. The landscape of healthcare and medical education is constantly evolving, and academic medicine has taught me to embrace change, seek continuous improvement, and remain focused on serving students, patients, and communities in the most effective way possible. The result has been a career that has been both professionally rewarding and personally transformative.
What advice would you give to medical students considering a career in academic medicine?
My advice to medical students considering a career in academic medicine is to remain curious, seek out mentors, and say "yes" to opportunities that allow you to teach, lead, and serve others.
Many students assume that academic medicine is only for researchers or individuals who want to spend all of their time in a classroom, but academic medicine encompasses much more. It offers opportunities to care for patients, teach learners, conduct research, develop curricula, lead organizations, influence health policy, and shape the future of healthcare. There are many different pathways, and your career can evolve over time.
I would encourage students to become involved early by teaching peers, participating in scholarly projects, serving in leadership roles, and seeking mentors who are actively engaged in academic medicine. These experiences will help you better understand the field and identify the aspects that are most meaningful to you.
Most importantly, remember that academic medicine is fundamentally about service to students, patients, institutions, and communities. If you enjoy lifelong learning, mentoring others, and making an impact beyond your individual patient encounters, academic medicine can be an incredibly fulfilling career. The physicians who influenced and inspired me throughout my training helped shape my career, and one of the greatest privileges of academic medicine is having the opportunity to do the same for future generations of physicians.
Learn more about Dr. Jennifer Gwilym here.
