Daniel Rahn, MD

Chancellor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, AR
Undergraduate: Yale University (1972)
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine (1976)
Residency (internal medicine): Yale New Haven Hospital (1979)
Fellowship (rheumatology): Yale New Haven Hospital (1981)

What distinguished your residency program?

It was a very vibrant time in the Department of Medicine, which had a great intellectual and collegial environment. We had a committed core of excellent clinicians on the faculty, one characterized by physician scientists. We had physicians who were also very active clinicians. And just the caliber of the house officers: What matters most when you're a PGY 1 and 2 is your PGY 3 and chiefs. Also, the atmosphere for developing decision-making ability and maturity as a clinician was terrific.

How did Yale New Haven prepare you for your current leadership role?

We were very self-motivated. There was never a sense of doing something because somebody else was watching. Also, we were taught how to think. Being able to think analytically and about root causes of problems, whether it's pathophysiology or organizational behavior, really involves the same type of reasoning.