For over three decades, Carol Nadelson, MD has been involved in the career development of women clinicians and researchers. In 1979, she was selected as Vice Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at New England Medical Center and Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine. In 1984, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) elected her as its first woman president. She was a founding member of the first committee on women in AP A. She has been Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS) since 1995. She recently stepped down from her position as Editor in Chief, President and CEO of American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Many of her appointments have allowed her to influence policy. Dr Nadelson was appointed to chair a section of the HMS Admissions committee; served on the Council on Medical Education and Career Development, APA’s Ethics Appeals Board; chaired the Committee on Medical Student Education and the Council of National Affairs. She has been representative to the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee, to the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, and their representative to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. She was elected to the HMS Faculty Council of which she is Vice Chair; and is a founder of Harvard’s Joint Committee on the Status of Women.
She is a long time member of the women liaison officers group. Among her awards are election to Alpha Omega Alpha, the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Psychiatry from the American College of Psychiatrists; the APA’s Seymour Vestermark Award for outstanding contributions to psychiatric education; the AMA’s Sidney Cohen Award for outstanding contributions to the understanding of addiction; the Boston YMCA’s Woman of Achievement; the Elizabeth Blackwell Award; the American Medical Women’s Association award for Recognition of the Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Women in the Field of Medicine; and the AAMC Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award. In 2002, she received the Alexandra Symond’s award from APA, recognizing outstanding contributions to women’s mental health.
Leadership in major organizations includes the Group for Advancement of Psychiatry (Board of Directors and is now President-elect), the American College of Psychiatrists (Board of Regents), the Association for Academic Psychiatry (President), and the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training Programs. She has also served on the Psychiatric Education Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr Nadelson is a Trustee of the Menninger Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of the Menninger Clinic.
During her academic career, Dr Nadelson has presented nearly 1,000 lectures, written over 200 papers and chapters, and co-edited 15 books. During Dr Naddson’s tenure as Editor-in-Chief, the American Psychiatric Press, Inc, published more books on women’s health and leadership than any other medical press.
In 1998, she was selected as Director of the Partners Office for Women’s Careers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School (OWC) charge to the search committee consisting of male and female faculty was to find someone who had a demonstrated excellence in identifying, developing, and enhancing the academic medical careers of women. Because of OWCs uniqueness, Dr Nadelson has been asked to guide other American teaching hospitals in developing similar offices. At Brigham and Women’s Hospital, she formed the OWC Advisory Committee that works with her to identify projects and advocate for women’s careers. This has led to the development of a much larger informal network that collaborates on advancement of professional women in the hospital.
Dr Nadelson is currently spearheading the development of an on-site-emergency-childcare facility for patients and staff. Moreover, the OWC office kept the importance of equitable maternity benefits before the emerging BWH physician’s organization. Dr Nadelson worked to help administration understand that women patients want the best women doctors, and that these doctors will more likely be drawn to facilities that offer solid maternity benefits. While the staff and nurses have had paid maternity benefits for years, it was in March 2001 that the BWH department chairs endorsed a paid maternity benefit for all women MDs and PhDs.
Dr Nadelson has long been recognized as an authority on sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct. She has worked with Harvard and Tufts Medical Centers to bring rape prevention, counseling, and sexual harassment to the level of administrative awareness, and she has developed clinical and educational programs on sexual assault in Boston, the United States, and throughout the world. Dr Nadelson has presented internationally on the subject of professional boundary violations, and professional sexual misconduct. She has served on the A..”lv1aAn d Massachusetts Medical Society’s Committee on Physician Health and the AMA Committee on Family Violence.
Dr Nadelson began her academic career as a pathfinder and leader and has continued to be a powerful influence on policy related to women in academic medicine. She has been active in student and professional guidance and has been recognized and richly awarded for her efforts in women’s issues. She is in a unique role as the Director of the Office of Women’s Careers in a major teaching hospital. One by one and group by group, she analyzes the need and then identifies the solution. She is capable in any situation to bring the challenge to the fore and argue for a concerted solution.
