John Arnott, PhD, named chair of Department of Medical Education at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

The Department of Medical Education is responsible for curriculum and student assessment for undergraduate medical education at the school, including clinical and classroom learning.

"Dr. Arnott has extensive experience with medical education at GCSOM, having been a faculty member since the school’s founding,” said William Jeffries, PhD, vice dean for medical education and vice president for academic affairs. “His leadership has helped us to build a robust collaboration with clinical faculty to deliver outstanding learning experiences for our students and has been instrumental in leading the ongoing enhancements to our medical school curriculum. I am pleased he will lead the department during this time of profound change to the ways we deliver education.”

Dr. Arnott is an associate professor of cell biology. He joined the GCSOM faculty in 2008 at the school’s founding. He helped lead the school’s integration with Geisinger, implementing the merger of all GCSOM academic departments and the Curriculum Department into a single Department of Medical Education. He played a key role in leading the design of the department’s leadership structure and committees.

As department chair, he will play a major role in GCSOM’s comprehensive curriculum renewal for its MD program and he is responsible for developing a culture of scholarship within the department in order to disseminate the unique aspects of the GSCOMs research, curriculum and mission. Additionally, he is responsible for ensuring that the departments educational initiatives support student research programs and graduate medical education. He will also continue to develop and implement the department structure, mission and goals and oversee operations of The Education Office, The Gross Anatomy Laboratory and The Clinical Skills and Simulation Center.

He received a bachelor of science degree in biology from The University of Scranton and a PhD in anatomy and cell biology from Temple University School of Medicine. He also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Temple University School of Medicine with mentors Steven Popoff, PhD and William G. Delong, MD and received certification in organizational management from Temple University Fox School of Business and Management.

His primary area of research is focused on bone growth and formation. He is the author of numerous scholarly papers and a member of the American Society of Cell Biology, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research and the American Association of Anatomists. He is active in developing and supporting research opportunities for GCSOM students, as well as for participants in GCSOM’s REACH-HEI (Regional Education Academy for Careers in Health – Higher Education Initiative) and in Pennsylvania’s Junior Academy of Science.

About Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) is a member of the Geisinger family. GCSOM offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Danville, Lewistown, Scranton, Sayre and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a portfolio of graduate degrees. The school’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its region, as well as from across the state and the nation. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. Visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom.

About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country.  Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.