Catherine L. Coe, MD, FAAFP, Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum in the UNC School of Medicine and Associate Professor of Family Medicine, has been named Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. She will begin her new role on January 5, 2026.
Dr. Coe has been a driving force behind curricular innovation and medical education leadership at UNC. As the former Director of the Community Health Training Program (formerly FIRST), she led the expansion of a nationally recognized three-year accelerated MD curriculum focused on preparing students for service in rural and underserved communities. Her work has shaped the future of medical education at UNC and influenced institutions across the country. Dr. Coe has secured over $2.5 million in grant support for educational programming and served as the principal investigator on a $1.8 million grant from the American Medical Association to support the FIRST Program. She has presented her work at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.
A graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine, Dr. Coe completed her family medicine residency at UNC in 2017, followed by a year as Chief Resident. She joined the UNC faculty in 2018 and quickly became a key contributor to curriculum design, serving as co-director of the School of Medicine Foundation Phase Patient Centered Care course and later the Assistant Dean for the Clinical Curriculum, where she has led the curriculum redesign of the clinical phases and transition to Competency-Based Medical Education.
Her national leadership includes elections to the Board of Directors for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Executive Committee for the American Medical Association (AMA)’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education initiative. She also serves as Secretary to the Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP), supporting institutions nationwide in developing innovative medical education models.
“Dr. Coe has been an extraordinary leader, educator, and colleague,” said Margaret Helton, MD, Chair of UNC Family Medicine. “Her vision and dedication to transforming medical education have made a lasting impact on our department and the UNC School of Medicine. We are thrilled for her as she takes on this exciting new role and know she will continue to inspire and lead nationally.”
Reflecting on her time at UNC, Dr. Coe shared:
“I have loved my time at UNC. It has been a true privilege to be part of an institution so deeply committed to excellence, collaboration, and meaningful impact. I am profoundly thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow professionally, contribute to important initiatives, and work alongside such dedicated colleagues. I am looking forward to this next step in my career at UCSD and an opportunity to build research and support excellent clinical care and education.”