Toni Johnson Liggins, MD
Associate Dean of Clinical Studies at St. George's University
Story of Dr. Liggins
Dr. Toni Johnson Liggins has an over 20-year career in academic psychiatry. She is currently the Associate Dean of Clinical Studies at St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. Her responsibilities include overseeing the clinical education of 3rd and 4th year students at SGU’s affiliated hospitals and clinical sites throughout the U.S. In this capacity she educates faculty across all clinical sites on the goals and objectives of the clinical curriculum in the core rotations (internal medicine, surgery, family medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and OB/Gyn) and on the assessment of students on three key competencies: clinical skills, medical knowledge, and professionalism.
Dr. Liggins graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed residency training in psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic where she was chief resident. For the majority of her career, she has been engaged with both undergraduate and graduate medical trainees in the practice of inpatient, outpatient, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.
Her first position in medical education was as a preceptor for students at Case Western Reserve University Medical School who completed their psychiatry rotation at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. She was quickly promoted to Residency Program Director and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Psychiatry for the MetroHealth System.
After several years, Dr. Liggins joined the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina where she served initially as Residency Program Director and later as the Chief of Service and Vice Chair for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine.
Prior to joining SGU Dr. Liggins served the Mount Carmel Health System as the Director of Medical Education (DME) and The Designated Institutional Official (DIO) overseeing the education and training for all medical students and residents in this 3-hospital health care system in Columbus Ohio.
Dr. Liggins’ research has focused primarily on topics in psychiatric education. She also has a passion for physician wellness, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion in medical education.
Workshop Presentation Abstract
My Journey: Psychiatry and Beyond
By sharing aspects of my journey from medical school to psychiatry residency to teaching faculty to program director and beyond, I hope to educate and inspire all students from diverse walks of life. Each of our journeys is important for the future of medicine, in general, and to the future of psychiatry, specifically. In psychiatric practice clinicians use themselves as part of the therapeutic tool by way of the therapeutic alliance in a way that is unique compared to other branches of medicine. So, just as the patients that need psychiatric care are diverse in their experiences, so should the psychiatrists who care for them be. I will share a little insight into each of my following experiences:
1. How I was best matched for psychiatry and my journey to residency
2. How I discovered the vast field of psychiatry and the many psychiatric sub-specialties
3. How I developed an academic career in psychiatry
4. How I as a psychiatrist was well-suited for leadership as a Director of Medical Education (DME), a Designated Institutional Official (DIO), and eventually an Associate Dean