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School of Medicine Greenville

Faculty Profile

Faculty and Staff

April O. Buchanan, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Title: Full Professor
Pediatrics
School of Medicine Greenville
E-mail: april.buchanan@prismahealth.org
Phone: 864-455-4145
   
Office: 607Grove Road, HSAB 204
Greenville SC 29605
profile

Bio

Background: Dr. Buchanan is a Professor of Pediatrics and the Associate Dean for Medical Education at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. She is a Pediatric Hospitalist with Prisma Health.

Dr. Buchanan earned her undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston, where she graduated as the Top Honor Graduate. She earned her M.D. degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed a residency in pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Buchanan started her pediatric career as a community pediatrician in Oxford, Mississippi, then served as a neonatal hospitalist at Duke University Medical Center, and then worked as a pediatric hospitalist with Hasbro Children’s Hospital where she was the Associate Director for Undergraduate Medical Education in Pediatrics at Brown Medical School. Dr. Buchanan joined Prisma Health (formerly the Greenville Health System) in 2008. She served as the Vice Chair of Quality for the Department of Pediatrics for five years and also served as the Pediatric Clerkship Director and Pediatric Acting Internship Director before moving into various roles in the medical school.

On a national level, Dr. Buchanan is the immediate Past-President of the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics and continues to serve on the Executive Committee. She is also a leader in the AAMC Medical Education Senior Leaders group, serving on the program and annual meeting planning committee and as the former Co-Chair of the Research and Publications Task Force. She has served as UME Chair for the AAMC Group on Educational Affairs. Dr. Buchanan has led multiple national workshops on various topics including professionalism, quality and safety, assessment in integrated curricula, survey design, instrument validity, clinical reasoning, and the UME-GME transition. She has authored multiple book chapters, including contributions in Nelson’s Essentials of Pediatrics, Step Up to Pediatrics, Comprehensive Pediatric Hospital Medicine, and the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Core Competencies. Her publications focus on the learning environment, narrative evaluations, curricula, and resources for first generation students in medical school.

Dr. Buchanan has been recognized for her teaching and outstanding service with an Exemplary Character Award given by the graduating residents, the Most Outstanding Clinical Professor Award, the Clinical Mentorship, Education, and Service Excellence Award, and the Dean’s Award. She was also inducted as faculty into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and the National Academy of Distinguished Educators in Pediatrics. She is completing her fellowship in Drexel’s Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine.

Dr. Buchanan enjoys running, hiking, biking, kayaking, snow skiing, spending time with her family, and just being outdoors.
Teaching Interest(s): Dr. Buchanan has been actively involved in medical student education since 2006. On a national level, Dr. Buchanan is President of the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics (COMSEP) . She recently completed a three-year term as the UME representative for the AAMC Southern Group on Educational Affairs and is active at the national level in UME. Dr. Buchanan has led multiple national workshops on various topics including professionalism, quality and safety, assessment in integrated curricula, survey design, instrument validity, and clinical reasoning. In the medical school, she serves on multiple committees and is a member of the Dean's leadership team.
Research Interest(s): Her research interests are primarily in medical student education, specifically the transition from fourth year to residency. She also has prior grant funding for pediatric asthma research.
Honors & Awards: Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Fellow
National Academy of Distinguished Educators in Pediatrics
Alpha Omega Alpha
AMEE Aspire Award for Excellence in Curriculum Development
AMEE Aspire Award for Excellence in Simulation
Dean's Award
Clinical Mentorship, Education, and Service Excellence Award
Most Outstanding Clinical Professor Award
Paul V. Catalana, MD Exemplary Character Award
Greenville Hospital System Pillar Award
Dean's Teaching Award
Brite Lites Nominee
Physician Excellence Award
H. Rawling Pratt-Thomas College of Medicine Service and Leadership Award
Bishop Robert Smith Award
Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship
Phi Kappa Phi Merit Award
MUSC Summer Undergraduate Research Award
Professional Affiliations: National Academy of Distinguished Educators in Pediatrics
Member
American Association of Medical Colleges
Other - SGEA Chair for Undergraduate Medical Education, SGEA Steering Committee, UME National Committee 2018-2020
South Carolina Asthma Alliance
Member
Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics
Member
American Academy of Pediatrics
Member
Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
Fellow
Greenville County Child Death Review
Member
Pediatric Performance Improvement Committee
Other - Chair
Furman University's Riley Institute
Fellow
Physician Asthma Education CME Program
Other - Co-Chair
North Mississippi Medical Society
Member
Cumberland Pediatric Society
Member
Davidson County Pediatric Association
Member
Tennessee Pediatric Society
Member
American Medical Association
Member
American Academy of Family Physicians
Member
American Medical Women's Association
Member

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