Karen J. Nichols, DO, MA, MACOI, CS is most recently the Dean of the Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine serving since 2002 until stepping down July 2018. She took a leave to serve as President of the American Osteopathic Association 2010-2011. Prior to serving as Dean, she was Assistant Dean, Post-Doctoral Education and Division Director (chair), Internal Medicine at the Midwestern University/Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine since 1997. She was in the private practice of internal medicine and geriatrics in Mesa, Arizona from 1985 through 2002. A graduate of the Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) with a DO degree, she holds a Master’s degree in Management with a specialty in Healthcare Administration from Central Michigan University. In 2015, she was selected for the highest honor given by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), the Distinguished Service Award as well as receiving a Presidential Citation in 2018. In 2015, she received the Robert A. Kistner, DO Award and then in 2020, received the Dale Dodson, DO Award, the two highest honors bestowed by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. She has received numerous other awards.
She has served as President of the American Osteopathic Association, President of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association and President of the American College of Osteopathic Internists and was the first woman to hold all those positions. She is Past President of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago Board of Governors. Dr. Nichols is one of the two first DOs nominated by the AOA and elected to the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education board. She is the Chair of that board and serves on the Executive Committee and Policy Committee.
Dr. Nichols has served on the boards of the Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Osteopathic International Alliance and the American Osteopathic Foundation. By invitation she frequently speaks nationally on leadership, end-of-life care and outreach issues for osteopathic medicine. She is also authoring a book on Leadership for Physicians.
In 2004 Dr. Nichols created the endowed Costin Institute for Osteopathic Medical Educators, sited at Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, a one-year hybrid fellowship which has graduated over 300 medical educators. Dr. Nichols teaches nationally and internationally on the topics of end-of-life care, physician leadership, and women leaders in medicine.
Dr. Nichols has no disclosures.
