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Debra Litzelman, M.D.
Dr. Debra Litzelman

Dr. Litzelman is the Associate Dean for the Office of Medical Education and Curricular Affairs and the Richard C. Powell Distinguished Professor of Medicine. Prior to her appointment as Associate Dean, Dr. Litzelman served as the Vice Chair of Educational Affairs for the Department of Medicine and as the Medicine Clerkship Director. Dr. Litzelman's main interests are in undergraduate medical education, clinical teaching skills development for students, residents and faculty, and organizational change strategies. She is widely published in the areas of clinical teaching effectiveness, curricular innovations, and shaping the informal curriculum of academic health centers.
Currently, Dr. Litzelman is the principal investigator on IUSM’s Behavioral and Social Science Integrated Curriculum (BASSIC) program funded by a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health. She is continuing her work with Dr. Thomas Inui in promoting the Relationship-Centered Care Initiative focusing on transforming the professional, learning environment of IUSM.

Dr. Litzelman has been recognized for implementing various innovative, online assessment tools and programs, including an online evaluation system for statewide undergraduate medical courses and instructors and disseminating and tracking student performance as they progress through an integrated four-year competency-based curriculum. She was instrumental in creating an educational relative value unit (RVU) system for the Department of Medicine. This educational RVU system is used extensively for faculty annual reviews, promotion and tenure considerations, and identification of faculty for teaching awards and was foundational for the creation of the education arm of IUSM data-driven decision-making (DDD) system for accountability and changes in the guidelines for promotion and tenure of IUSM faculty.