Debra Holly Ford is an American colorectal surgeon and academic administrator serving as the senior associate dean for academic affairs of

Howard University College of Medicine The Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM) is an academic division of Howard University that grants the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Ph.D., M.S., and the M.PH. HUCM is located at the Howard University Health Sciences Center in Washington, D.C ...

. She is an associate professor of surgery and an expert in surgical education and

medical simulation Medical simulation, or more broadly, healthcare simulation, is a branch of simulation related to education and training in medical fields of various industries. Simulations can be held in the classroom, in situational environments, or in spaces b ...

Life

Ford is from

Pine Bluff, Arkansas Pine Bluff is the eleventh-largest city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff Combin ...

. She earned a B.S. in zoology (1982) and M.D. (1986) from

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

. She was the top-ranking medical student in her class. She completed a surgery residency at

Howard University Hospital Howard University Hospital, previously known as Freedmen's Hospital, is a major hospital located in Washington, D.C., built on the site of the previous Griffith Stadium. The hospital has served the African-American community in the area for over ...

in 1991. She completed a colon and rectal surgery at the

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) is a public academic health science center in Houston, Texas, United States. It was created in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents. It is located in the T ...

. In September 1994, Ford joined the faculty at

. She researches surgical education, simulation in health care, and the colon, rectum, and anus. She is an associate professor of surgery and senior associate dean for academic affairs. Ford is the founding medical and surgical director of its health sciences simulation and clinical skills center. She was the program director of the Howard University general surgery residency for thirteen years until 2012. Ford heads the colon and rectal surgery section. She is a fellow of the

American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), formerly the American Proctologic Society, is a professional society for surgeons specializing in colorectal surgery. It is one of the oldest surgical societies, having been established in ...

. In 2022, Ford was inducted as a member of the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators of the

American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913.American College of Surgeons Online "What is the American College of Surgeons?"/ref> See also *American College of Physicians The American College o ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Debra Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) People from Pine Bluff, Arkansas Physicians from Arkansas American colorectal surgeons 21st-century American women physicians 21st-century African-American physicians Howard University College of Medicine alumni Howard University faculty African-American women physicians American women surgeons 21st-century surgeons Physician-scientists 21st-century African-American women African-American women academic administrators