Dr. Tracey Criss has been named assistant dean for clinical sciences for the clinical years at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. She replaces Dr. Aubrey Knight, who has assumed the role of the school’s associate dean for student affairs.

In her new position, Criss, a psychiatrist, leads the day-to-day operations, planning, and administration of the clinical curriculum for medical students in their third and fourth years of training. In particular, Criss works with clerkship directors to oversee the curriculum of the student rotations. Before graduating, students must complete clerkships in a number of fields, including internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and radiology. They also take elective rotations in a range of medical and surgical subspecialties.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Criss to the school’s leadership team,” said Dr. Cynda Johnson, dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. “She has a wealth of experience working with medical students during their clinical years, and the role she will play with our students is a critical one. Through her oversight of clerkships, she will ensure that students are prepared to assume residency upon graduation.”

Criss will continue to serve as a faculty member in Carilion Clinic’s Department of Psychiatry, where she has cared for patients for 18 years. She is also a member of several of Carilion Clinic’s committees, including the Credentialing Committee, the Quality Council Committee, the Medical Staff Peer Review Oversight Committee, and the Medical Assistance Committee. In addition, Criss serves as an attending faculty in the psychiatry residency program.

“Throughout my career, I’ve enjoyed working with medical students, especially during such a formative time in their education as they develop clinical skills and decide which specialty to pursue,” Criss said. “I’m excited about working with the talented students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.”

Criss earned her bachelor’s degree at Southern College, now Southern Adventist University, and her medical degree at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. She completed her psychiatry residency at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine/Akron General Medical Center and completed a mini-fellowship in electroconvulsive therapy at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Written by Amanda Mullins
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