This interview is one in a series of interviews with the 2025 recipients of the ACGME Awards. These awardees join an outstanding group of previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place February 20-22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.
2025 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Awardee Alice Reeves Goepfert, MD is the associate dean for graduate medical education and designated institutional official (DIO) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and a Heersink endowed professor in GME at UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
ACGME: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Dr. Goepfert: I have wanted to be a physician for as long as I can remember – my father is a retired otolaryngologist, and I grew up in the small town of Selma, Alabama. I had the opportunity to work at our local hospital in various roles since age 16 and shadowed obstetrics and gynecology physicians in Selma, and in Charlotte while attending Davidson College. After matching at UAB for residency, I fell in love with maternal-fetal medicine and was fortunate to have wonderful mentors and role models on the faculty – as educators and physician-scientists. I stayed at UAB for my fellowship and then as a faculty member. My first role in education was obstetrics and gynecology clerkship director, then I eventually became the obstetrics and gynecology residency program director, and then the DIO. I was fortunate that obstetrics and gynecology has a strong organization of educators, and I regularly attended Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology conferences. I found numerous external mentors and made lifelong friends who have continued to support and encourage me. Eventually, I became a mentor myself and have found tremendous joy in the successes of my mentees. There is nothing better than being able to “pay it forward” by facilitating opportunities for residents, fellows, and junior faculty members.
ACGME: What does this award mean to you?
Goepfert: I am truly honored and humbled to represent UAB for this award – GME is a team effort, and I could not manage in my position without my amazing GME Office leaders and staff members and our wonderful program directors and program coordinators. The depth of knowledge and experience, passion for education, and desire to serve among our education leadership at UAB are inspiring and motivating to me. I am consistently amazed at the dedication and commitment of our hard-working residents and fellows and love working with our House Staff Council leaders to improve the clinical learning environment and advocate for our residents and fellows. The fact that they all pulled together during their crazy schedules to nominate me for this award was enough for me – being selected for the award by the ACGME is the icing on the cake!
ACGME: What do you feel is the most important job that’s part of your role as a DIO?
Goepfert: GME is unique in health care organizations since residents and fellows are both employees and learners, so policies for one or the other often do not fit the circumstances. Residents and fellows are also the frontline practitioners for a large proportion of our service areas and the initial physician contacts for many of our patients. As DIO, I work with our GME Office leaders and with our program directors to consistently advocate for GME to be involved in discussions and decisions in the health system regarding patient care, workflow, electronic health records, patient safety, quality improvement, etc. We provide expertise and guidance to our programs and the health system in matters related to ACGME accreditation, and our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) stays busy overseeing 100+ residency and fellowship programs. Our GME team also provides expertise in matters concerning residents and fellows, such as situations involving human resources, benefits, patient safety, and regulatory requirements, in addition to performance evaluation and due process/disciplinary actions that are often handled differently from other health system employees and medical students.
ACGME: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Goepfert: I enjoy interacting with our program directors, serving as mentor in some aspects of their roles, and often learning from them as well. There can be more issues related to human resources in program leadership than many program directors realize and I find satisfaction in helping them through challenging circumstances. I also find satisfaction in guiding them through challenging issues when trying to support and/or remediate struggling residents/fellows. Lastly, I enjoy working with our residents and fellows who serve as leaders and representatives on the House Staff Council – they are hardworking and reasonable and have good ideas for improving the clinical and learning environment. I know our future is in good hands!
ACGME: What is the most challenging?
Goepfert: I live and work in a state with restrictive reproductive health policies and laws; limited access to care without Medicaid expansion; and restrictive laws relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as gender-affirming care. These impact patient care, recruitment of residents/fellows and faculty members, resident/fellow education and training, and well-being.
ACGME: What advice do you have for residents or fellows who may be interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine?
Goepfert: Identify multiple mentors and role models in the areas where you want to focus your career. Get involved locally in your resident/fellow forum, GMEC, and/or hospital and institutional committees to have a seat at the table and learn. Get involved in regional or national organizations in your specialty or through the ACGME or Association of American Medical Colleges in your area of interest – this includes professional development as an educator if that is your area of interest. Mentors, role models, and networking opportunities outside your institution can be valuable to your personal and career development. Avoid getting overwhelmed by taking on too much at a time – try to choose activities or responsibilities that align with your career interests. Remember to have fun and enjoy the journey!
Learn more about the ACGME’s Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award and nominate a deserving DIO for the 2026 Award – Nominations are due by March 12, 2025.