Office of Medical Education Announces New Student Affairs Positions

In an effort to further enhance the development of our medical students’ professionalism, well-being, and social opportunities throughout their educational experience, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Office of Medical Education has selected four faculty and staff members to serve in specialized leadership roles within student affairs, creating two new positions in the process. Michelle Lineberry, EdD, will serve as associate dean for student affairs, which is now a 100-percent FTE position to facilitate the cohesive and seamless provision of student services. Elizabeth (Berry) Seelbach, MD, will continue as assistant dean for student affairs, with a focus on career counseling. Angela Dearinger, MD, MPH, and Anthony (TJ) Lile, MD, will serve in newly created assistant dean roles, Dr. Dearinger’s focus on well-being and professionalism and Dr. Lile’s focus on learning communities. As associate dean for student affairs, Dr. Lineberry will manage student affairs operations within the Office of Medical Education, collaborating with others across campuses to provide excellent support services to students so they can be successful in the curriculum from orientation through graduation. Dr. Lineberry has been a member of the Office of Medical Education for the last six years, initially in curriculum development and then as assistant dean for students and academic success. Prior to joining the College of Medicine, Dr. Lineberry was the assistant dean for academic and faculty affairs for the UK College of Public Health. Her extensive experience in curriculum, assessment, advising, student services, accreditation, and administration through multiple roles at the University of Kentucky has equipped her with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead this talented student affairs team. Dr. Seelbach will continue assisting students with their career goals as assistant dean for student affairs – career counseling. She will remain heavily involved in graduation, MatchWorks, Match Day, and other medical school events that prepare students for their futures in health care. In her role, she will help with the faculty development of house advisors and advanced development directors to advise students and work with Dr. Lile to integrate aspects of career exploration into the learning communities. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the Gold Humanism Honor Society and the American Medical Women’s Association. Dr. Seelbach is a graduate of the UK College of Medicine and completed her residency at the University of Arizona. She is a board-certified pediatric hospitalist and an associate professor in pediatrics. Her prior roles in the College of Medicine include pediatric clerkship director, associate program director for pediatrics and assistant dean for competency assessment. She has been heavily involved with the development of Entrustment in Clinical Medicine and continues to serve as one of the course directors. She has received numerous awards for her mentorship, including the UK College of Medicine Master Educator Award and the Gold Humanism Award. Dr. Dearinger will manage the promotion of student wellness through the implementation of wellness resources and opportunities into the medical school curriculum and house systems across all UK College of Medicine campuses. As part of this role, she will oversee the professional code committee and other wellness programs such as Resilient, a peer support service established to prioritize wellness for all medical students. Dr. Dearinger also will serve as faculty advisor to the Salvation Army Clinic. Dr. Dearinger is a graduate of the UK College of Medicine. She completed her residency at the University of Alabama and a master educator fellowship at UK. She is board certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, and preventive medicine. She has been a faculty member of the UK College of Medicine since 2007, having served as the preventive medicine residency director and as the associate chief of staff for education at the Lexington VA. Dr. Dearinger will continue to serve as assistant dean of accreditation with the Office of Graduate Medical Education. She is currently an associate professor in the department of internal medicine and for health management and policy with the UK College of Public Health. She also was named public health commissioner for the state of Kentucky and held this position last fall. Dr. Lile will oversee the learning community system across all UK College of Medicine campuses, providing a creative and adaptable vision for these learning communities while developing a comprehensive, longitudinal curriculum. Through his new role he will train and provide continuous mentorship for all house faculty advisors and student house leaders. He also will ensure that the foundational tenets of the learning communities – social connection, professional development, and wellness – underlie all its programming and activities. Dr. Lile is an associate professor in both the departments of internal medicine and pediatrics. Clinically, he practices as a hospitalist at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital and at the Chandler and Good Samaritan Medical Centers. He is a graduate of the UK College of Medicine and also completed his combined internal medicine/pediatric residency training at the University of Kentucky. Since becoming a faculty member, he has been deeply involved with student education and has received many accolades in his teaching roles including a number of clerkship teaching awards, the UK College of Medicine Master Educator Award, and the Clinical Golden Apple Award.