Nancy E. Gary (March 4, 1937 – May 31, 2006) was president and chief executive officer of the

Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates According to the US Department of Education, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates is "the authorized credential evaluation and guidance agency for non-U.S. physicians and graduates of non-U.S. medical schools who seek to practice ...

, executive vice president of the

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad in the medical corps as ...

and dean of its F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine. She was also clinical professor of medicine at

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She was considered a change agent in medical education and "a 'powerhouse' in academic medicine."

Early life and education

Gary grew up on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

in New York, where she graduated from Manhasset High School. She was fond of telling friends that she barely made it out of high school. She worked summers teaching archery at Rolling Hills, a nearby day camp. Her early interest in sports drew her to

Springfield College Springfield College is a private college in Springfield, Massachusetts. It confers undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is known as the birthplace of basketball because the sport was invented there in 1891 by Canadian-American instructor J ...

in Springfield, MA, since she planned to be a gym teacher. With the first required biology course, she found her calling and switched to

pre-med Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med) is an educational track that undergraduate students in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med course ...

. She graduated

cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1958 and, 35 years later, received her ''Distinguished Alumna Award''. She received her medical degree from Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania (now

Drexel University College of Medicine Drexel University College of Medicine is the medical school of Drexel University, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The medical school represents the consolidation of two medical schools: the first U.S. medical school ...

), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1962, from which she received their Alumnae Achievement Award in 1990.

Career

Gary began her medical career as an assistant medical resident,

Meadowbrook Hospital Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) is a public teaching hospital affiliated with the Health Sciences Center of Stony Brook University and with Northwell Health. The 19-story, 631-bed Level I Trauma Center is located at 2201 Hempstead Turnpik ...

(Nassau County Medical Center) East Meadow, Long Island, New York. She was resident physician at

Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York d/b/a as Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (Saint Vincent's, or SVCMC) was a healthcare system, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, locally referred to a ...

in New York City. She was chief of nephrology and professor of medicine at

Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...

Medical School (now Robert Wood Johnson Medical School)

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) was a state-run health sciences institution of New Jersey, United States. It was founded as the Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry in 1954, and by the 1980s was both a major ...

. Gary was appointed the dean of

Albany Medical College Albany Medical College (AMC) is a private medical school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1839 by Alden March and James H. Armsby and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation. The college is part of the Albany Medical Center, which ...

in New York in 1988. Senior medical advisor to the administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration ( Medicare),

Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...

. Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow of the

US House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

’ Subcommittee on Health and Environment.

Medical licensing

While at the

from 1995 to 2001, Gary enhanced the licensing process by adding a fourth examination which requires students to interview mock patients. This exam proved so successful that it was later added to the licensing requirements for US medical graduates.

Legacy

Well known for her expertise in medical education, research, and practice, she was considered a mentor and role model for many women. "Part of the remarkable legacy that Nancy left was founded by pioneering and gutsy women with vision."

Awards and honors

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in medicine and nephrology, she was a Master in the American College of Physicians; a member of

Alpha Omega Alpha Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society () is an honor society in the field of medicine. Alpha Omega Alpha currently has active Chapters in 132 LCME- accredited medical schools in the United States and Lebanon. It annually elects over 4,000 new ...

; the National Board of Medicine Examiners; Editorial Board of Academic Medicine; the United States Medical Licensing Examination Composite Committee; "history maker" awardee from SELAMSociety for Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, "SELAM News International" January, 2002
/ref> and the

World Federation for Medical Education World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is a non-governmental organisation concerned with education and training of medical doctors worldwide. WFME’s main objective is to "enhance the quality of medical education worldwide, with promotion of ...

(WFME) Taskforce on Defining International Standards in Basic Medical Education. She received the Joseph F. Boyle, MD, Award for Distinguished Public Service in 1992.

School of Medicine and Health Sciences awarded her their Meritorious Service Award in 1995. An avid Scrabble player, she was a member of

Mensa International Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organisation open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. Mensa formally compr ...

References

External links

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences websiteGeorge Washington University School of MedicineEducation Committee for Foreign Medical GraduatesUnited States Medical Licensing ExaminationInternational Medical Graduates UnitedSociety for Executive Leadership in Academic MedicineWomen in NephrologyAmerican Society for NephrologySpringfield College, Springfield, MA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gary, Nancy E. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences faculty Rutgers University people People from Manhasset, New York Springfield College (Massachusetts) alumni Drexel University alumni University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey faculty Albany Medical College faculty George Washington University faculty 1937 births 2006 deaths Mensans American women chief executives American health care chief executives Manhasset High School alumni