An award-winning educational leader and clinician, John Spollen, M.D., provides leadership for our growing, robust medical education programs in Northwest Arkansas. Dr. Spollen has held numerous leadership roles since joining the faculty in 1999, and his leadership was a tremendous asset to the College of Medicine during his service as Interim Chair of the Department of Psychiatry from June 2021 to February 2022. Additionally, he led the development of the initial curriculum for medical students at the Northwest Campus in 2008.
Dr. Spollen directed the Psychiatry Junior Clerkship from 2000 to 2005, and then served as Co-Director until 2012, when he became Course Director for the M2 Behavioral Science Module. When the curriculum changed to interdisciplinary modules for the pre-clinical years, he continued as the Clinical Co-Director of the Brain and Behavior Module until his appointment as Interim Chair of Psychiatry. Dr. Spollen has served as Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Psychiatry since 2004. He has been a member of the COM Curriculum Committee since 2002 and has held a number of leadership roles, including Co-Chair of the Evaluation and Quality Improvement Subcommittee.
Dr. Spollen has earned extensive recognition for his teaching, mentoring and other work with students. These include the COM Educational Innovation Award, two Educational Research Awards, the Master Teacher Award, student-selected Red Sash awards annually since 2008, and the Gold Sash Award.
Dr. Spollen received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his residency in psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina.