Title: Vice Provost
Company: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Location: Macon, Georgia, United States
Linda R. Adkison, PhD, vice provost of the Philadelphia College, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in osteopathic medicine.
Across fifty years, Dr. Adkison has built an impressive professional life in health care, medical research and education. Passionate about science from a young age, she was encouraged by a teacher who became an early mentor to pursue a challenging education in genetics and studying DNA. Despite willingly setting out on an impressive academic journey, Dr. Adkison’s career did not always come easily. She submitted more than 60 applications before receiving an interview for her first job as a laboratory technician for VA Hospital and Shands Teaching Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, in 1973.
After establishing herself in the health care world, Dr. Adkison returned to academia as a graduate teaching assistant at Georgia Southern University, a research associate with the University of South Alabama Medical School and an instructor at St. Mary’s Dominican College. She focused on research for more than five years as a graduate research assistant at the Tulane University School of Medicine and Texas A&M University. In 1989, she accepted her first professorship as an assistant professor of genetics at the Mercer University School of Medicine, where she was promoted to professor in 1994. Progressing into leadership roles in higher education, Dr. Adkison dedicated significant time as an associate dean at the Kansas City University College of Medicine and Biosciences, a dean and provost at the Trinity School of Medicine, and a provost at the Trinity Medical Sciences University. Additionally, she served on the board of directors at Swope Health Services for nearly 10 years.
Dr. Adkison’s trajectory culminated in 2020 when she joined the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine as associate provost. Promoted to vice provost in 2024, she oversees the entire academic program and accreditations for both the institution’s primary campus and its branch campuses. Dr. Adkison also heads the college’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research, which utilizes data to aid decision-making and ensure that programs achieve their goals. She provides oversight for the clinical career counseling program and develops performance evaluations that are utilized for 500-plus medical students a year.
Prior to embarking upon her professional journey, Dr. Adkison recognized the importance of building up her credentials through her education, beginning with an associate degree in general studies from Pensacola State College (formerly Pensacola Junior College) in 1971. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in biology from Georgia Southern University in 1973. Subsequently, Dr. Adkison earned a Master of Science from Southern University in 1977 and a PhD from Texas A&M University in 1986. She went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at The Jackson Laboratory. Committed to continued learning and growth, Dr. Adkison pursued coursework in executive leadership and academic medicine for women. She has been certified in medical education research through the Association of American Medical Colleges.
When looking back on her career, Dr. Adkison considers her greatest highlights as tied to witnessing her students graduate. One accomplishment that stands out was taking an institution that was barely performing at an average level in Kansas City University and revitalizing it to the point that she achieved a 100% pass rate for students taking the medical licensing step exams. Dr. Adkison views graduation day as the greatest day of her year, every year. She has also had the opportunity to contribute to noteworthy research projects, including research in gene mapping, analysis of the B2 element and exploring the effect of stress on development.
Beyond her career, Dr. Adkison is a loving mother to two and grandmother to three. She finds fulfilment outside of work in running, gardening, playing softball and practicing martial arts. Dr Adkison remains committed to helping students reach their full potential, regardless of their position when they come into her institution. She looks forward to continuing to find ways to improve the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, implement new strategies, programs and metrics that benefit her students directly, as well as the academic community as a whole.
For more information, please visit:
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Profile
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