Daniel Williams, DO, was placed as the vice president of certifying board services, psychometrics, and continuing medical education for the American Osteopathic Association in Chicago. The AOA serves as the professional home for more than 129,000 osteopathic physicians and medical students in the U.S., and is the primary certifying body for all osteopathic physicians and the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical schools, promoting public health, encouraging scientific research, and helping to ensure quality, cost-effective care for underserved patients. In his role, Dr. Williams is a key contributor to the strategic plan of the AOA, serving as the business leader for the evaluation and improvement of all programs related to educational assessment, measurement, and certification, with an eye toward continually improving physician engagement with the AOA. He has responsibility for the finances, marketing, staff development, and quality of the board certification process, as well as for the execution of strategic CME initiatives for the board of trustees, the Council on Continuing Medical Education, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, and the Bureau of Osteopathic Education. In addition, Dr. Williams leads the complex, interrelated psychometric policies, processes, and activities for 18 Certifying Boards and nine Conjoint Examination Committees, and is responsible for the management of all contracted services relative to external psychometric contractors.
Prior to his recruitment to the AOA, Dr. Williams was a full-time practitioner with Excell for Life Family Care and Pediatrics in Indianapolis, Indiana, a practice focused on functional medicine, osteopathic manipulation, medical acupuncture, herbal medicine, traditional medicine, and regenerative injections. Dr. Williams has trained with internationally renowned experts in osteopathic manipulation and integrative medicine from the United States, Europe, and Japan; has taught and presented to students and medical professionals across the globe; and has designed and published board review books for osteopathic medical students. Dr. Williams’s medical research experience includes National Institutes of Health-funded research on the effects of manipulation on low back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Having earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Southwest Baptist University in Missouri and his DO degree from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Williams began in private practice in 2006. Since that time, he has had unique opportunities to provide osteopathic consultation and manipulation to the University of Arizona’s athletic department, and to serve as the vice chair and interim chair of the OMM Department at the newly opened Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Throughout his career, he has been an active member of the AOA, including serving as the vice chair of its Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists.
Dr. Williams and his wife, who is a pediatric health psychologist, are the parents of one young daughter. Outside of work, Dr. Williams enjoys traveling with his family, and is a licensed pilot.
QLK’s Steve Derks led the search to recruit Dr. Williams to the AOA.
