San Francisco, CA, November 9, 2002 - Former Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., is the third recipient of the Herbert W. Nickens, M.D. Award. Dr. Satcher will be honored at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 113th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, where he will deliver an address on targeting health care disparities by increasing the diversity of medical school applicants.

The Herbert W. Nickens, M.D. Award, named for the AAMC's former vice president of the Division of Community and Minority Programs, is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to promote justice in medical education and health care.

As Surgeon General (1998-2002) and Assistant Secretary for Health, the second person in history to hold both positions simultaneously, Dr. Satcher led the federal government's effort to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care. This initiative was incorporated into one of two major goals of "Healthy People 2010," the nation's public health agenda for the next several years.

Prior to becoming the country's top health official, Dr. Satcher served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. His dedicated career in public health and minority education also includes an 11-year appointment as president of Meharry Medical College.

Dr. Satcher is currently director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine, where he once served as professor and chairman of community medicine and family practice, over two decades ago.

Dr. Satcher is a graduate of Morehouse College. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University. He received his residency and fellowship training at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, University of California - Los Angeles, and King-Drew Medical Center. Dr. Satcher is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the American College of Physicians.

Last year, the Nickens Award was presented to University of Michigan President Lee Bollinger, for his commitment to promoting diversity in higher education. The first recipient of the Nickens Award was Donald Wilson, M.D., dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and founding member of the Association of Academic Minority Physicians.

Dr. Satcher will deliver the Nickens Award Lecture on Monday, November 11, 8:00 a.m. at the Hilton San Francisco and Towers.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges represents the 125 accredited U.S. medical schools; the 16 accredited Canadian medical schools; some 400 major teaching hospitals, including Veterans Administration medical centers; more than 105,000 faculty in 98 academic and scientific societies; and the nation's 66,000 medical students and 97,000 residents. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 129 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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