Tom Brittingham, who was Vanderbilt's first director of the Residency Program, taught the human side of medicine through the compassion and respect that he had for each of his patients. Following in Dr. Brittingham's footsteps, Dr. John Leonard carried forward the traditions of the "good doctor," as the director of the Internal Medicine residency training program from 1983–2004.
Dr. John Sergent directed the residency program through 2013 and continues to anchor the program's values in patient care. Currently, Dr. John McPherson directs the residency program.
In the 1990s, several of Dr. Brittingham's former trainees created the Vanderbilt Society of Internal Medicine to help each other keep those values alive and to connect former housestaff. The society was later renamed the Brittingham Society and expanded to include those who trained as fellows in the Department of Medicine.
(Source: Roger DePrez's comments from memorial service for Dr. Brittingham at VU Housestaff reunion, September 1987 – with thanks to Charles Mayes)
Past Presidents
2019-2020: Benjamin Tillman, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology
2018-2019: Michael Fowler, MD, former Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism
2016-2017: Cecelia Theobald, MD, MPH, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Chief of Staff for Corporate Clinical Affairs and Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs
2014-2015: David Aronoff, MD, is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine and the former Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
2012-2013: Co-presidents, Clifton Meador, Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, and Roman Perri, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
2010: Anderson Spickard, III, MD, Professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2008: R. Seth Cooper, MD, Vanderbilt Chief Resident 1974-75; Univ of Rochester in NY, Hematology Fellow 1975-76 and Vanderbilt Hematology Fellow 1976-77.
2006: Margaret Brennan, MD, Vanderbilt 1981, Housestaff 1982-1984, Vanderbilt Chief Resident 1985-1986
2004: Taylor Wray, MD, Housestaff 1966-1967 and 1969-1973, Cardiology Fellow 1972-1974
2002: John Johnson, MD, Vanderbilt, 1961, Housestaff 1961-1962
2000: James Sullivan, MD, Vanderbilt, 1974, Housestaff 1974-1976, Nashville General Chief Resident 1979-1980
1998: Robert Alford, MD, Vanderbilt, 1961, Housestaff 1966-1967
1995: John Sergent, MD, Vanderbilt, 1966, Housestaff 1970-1971, Vanderbilt Chief Resident 1971-1972
1992: Lawrence Wolfe, MD, Vanderbilt, 1960, Housestaff 1960-1962, Vanderbilt Chief Resident 1963-1964, Endocrine Fellow 1964-1966.
