Emory University named Sandra Wong as the next Emory School of Medicine dean and Emory Healthcare chief academic officer. Wong, who is the surgery chair at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (N.H.), will be the medical school’s first female dean.  

Wong will begin her new role in March 2024, succeeding interim Dean Carlos del Rio.

“I am honored and humbled to be named the dean at Emory University School of Medicine and am excited to work with the immensely talented and dedicated team at Emory University and Emory Healthcare to continue to build world-class patient care, research and education,” Wong said in a Nov. 30 press release.  

After receiving her bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, Wong received her medical degree from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Ill.) in 1997.

Sandra Wong will begin her role as the medical school’s first female dean in March 2024. Courtesy of Emory University

Wong then completed her surgical residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine (Ky.) before moving on to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City to undertake a surgical oncology fellowship.

After completing her education, Wong began working at the University of Michigan as an attending physician and professor. While at Michigan, she also served as vice chair of academic affairs and associate chief of staff.

Wong later moved to Dartmouth, where she currently serves as the William N. and Bessie Allyn professor of surgery and chairs the school’s surgical department. She is also the senior vice president of the Surgical Service Line at Dartmouth Hitchcock Health and as a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

Wong will support the school’s three goals of biomedical research, health education and patient care, Emory Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Ravi Bellamkonda said in the University press release. 

“Given the vital ties between Emory’s academic institution and clinical partners, it’s wonderful to have an accomplished surgical oncologist who easily speaks both languages in this important role,” Bellamkonda said. “We are delighted to welcome Sandra to the Emory decanal leadership team and look forward to working with her closely.”

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Spencer Friedland (26C) is from Long Island, New York and is the Emory Wheel's Managing News Editor. He is a Philosophy, Politics and Law major and has a secondary major in Film. Spencer is also a part of the Franklin Fellows program at Emory.