UAMS Names Schulz Director of Internal Medicine Residency Program at UAMS’ Northwest Campus

By Jon Parham

Schulz has been appointed an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine of the College of Medicine. As director of the residency program, he will prioritize seeing the new program through the accreditation process as well as direct activities of the Northwest Arkansas Graduate Medical Education Consortium, a professional committee of area medical center directors and residency coordinators.

Thomas K. Schulz, M.D.

Thomas K. Schulz, M.D.

Upon accreditation, the postgraduate program hopes to admit eight physicians annually for a three-year specialized residency. During the residency, those physicians strengthen their skills caring for patients in hospitals and clinics in the region under supervision of experienced physician specialists.

“Internal medicine is a major primary care need in northwest Arkansas, largely because of the broad spectrum of acute symptoms and chronic diseases that these specialists are specifically trained to diagnose and treat,” said Peter Kohler, M.D., vice chancellor for UAMS’ northwest Arkansas campus. “Dr. Schulz brings the leadership we need to move forward with development and accreditation of this residency program, which will increase the number of internal medicine physicians starting their career in the region.”

Schulz practices hematology and medical oncology and is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology. In addition to his appointment with the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine, Schulz has an appointment in the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville.

“It’s an exciting time to move into this fast-growing region, focused on building the kind of residency program that will respond to the area’s health care needs,” Schulz said. “UAMS is committed to establishing a premier training program that will produce outstanding physicians who hopefully will serve northwest Arkansas beyond the term of their residency.”

Schulz previously served as an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita. He joined the faculty there in 2000, also holding the KU Gaines’ Endowed Research Professorship, directing a research program that enrolled patients in Phase I clinical trials.

He instructed medical residents and students and also served as associate director for the Internal Medicine Program. While at the university, he earned the KU Faculty Teaching Award and the Resident Teaching Award.

Schulz earned a bachelor’s degree at Newman University in Wichita. He earned his medical degree in 1991 from the University of Kansas School Of Medicine – Wichita, where he then completed his residency in internal medicine.

He completed a fellowship in hematology and medical oncology at the University of Colorado. While there, he was named chief fellow in medical oncology and was the recipient of a Susan G. Komen grant to study breast cancer in the Latina population.