Robert A. Witzburg, MD

Emeritus Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Witzburg is Emeritus Professor of General Internal Medicine at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. He has been a part of the BUSM/BMC community for more than 40 years. After graduating from BUSM in 1977, Witzburg completed his residency at Boston City Hospital, now BMC. He served as training program director and associate chief of medicine at Boston City Hospital for 12 years and then as associate chief medical officer at BMC. He was the first medical director of the BMC HealthNet Plan, a community-based managed care organization founded by BMC that offers comprehensive coverage to provide care for families across Massachusetts. Witzburg was also the first chief of the section of community medicine at BMC and BUSM and a founder, president, and medical director of the Neighborhood Health Plan.

Witzburg has published numerous peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and books, including the first clinical manual on the care of HIV patients in primary care practice. He also held national leadership roles in achieving diversity in the physician workforce, using technology to facilitate individualized applicant assessment and in the development and validation of the new Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT).

Dr. Witzburg has expertise in systems development in health care delivery and in medical education, with a focus on holistic evaluation of candidates for medical school. Recently, a scholarship fund at the school of medicine was founded in his name.

Publications

  • Published 11/11/2022

    Chatterjee A, Dunleavy S, Gonzalez T, Benson J, Henault L, MacIntosh A, Goodell K, Witzburg R, Paasche-Orlow M. Health professions school applicant experiences of discrimination during interviews. Med Teach. 2023 May; 45(5):532-541. PMID: 36369780.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/1/2020

    Chatterjee A, Greif C, Witzburg R, Henault L, Goodell K, Paasche-Orlow MK. US Medical School Applicant Experiences of Bias on the Interview Trail. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2020; 31(1):185-200. PMID: 32037326.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 4/10/2013

    Witzburg RA, Sondheimer HM. Holistic review--shaping the medical profession one applicant at a time. N Engl J Med. 2013 Apr 25; 368(17):1565-7. PMID: 23574032.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 7/1/2011

    Kleshinski J, Case ST, Davis D, Heinrich GF, Witzburg RA. Commentary: criminal background checks for entering medical students: history, current issues, and future considerations. Acad Med. 2011 Jul; 86(7):795-8. PMID: 21715989.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 1/1/2007

    Singer KH, Witzburg RA. The Health Professions Advisor’s Letter of Evaluation: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask. The Advisor. 2007; 27:23-27.

Other Positions

  • Associate Dean, Admissions
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Professor, Health Law, Policy & Management
    Boston University School of Public Health

Education

  • Boston University School of Medicine, MD
  • Tufts University, BS