Ryan J. Spencer, MD, MS
rjspencer2@wisc.edu
Clinical Sciences Center
H4/664
600 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53792
Medical program assistant
Karlee Nelson
608-264-1992
kanelson33@wisc.edu
Ryan J. Spencer, MD, MS, is the associate dean for graduate medical education and a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Spencer is also the designated institutional official (DIO) at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics (UW Health).
In these roles, Spencer leads a team that is entrusted with the oversight, compliance and accreditation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residency and fellowship programs at UW Health. These training programs are central to bolstering the health care workforce and providing world-class care to the people of Wisconsin and beyond. They are also a key component of the clinical education and mentorship of medical students at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
Spencer is a nationally recognized leader in graduate medical education and specifically in rural training and program development. He has held leadership roles in the Rural Residency Program Development Technical Assistance Center and the Teaching Health Technical Assistance Center, both within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Research and Services Administration (HRSA). He has been the principal investigator on grants from both the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and HRSA for rural residency program development. He has published and presented widely on topics of developing rural training, curriculum development, recruitment of faculty, and professional development for program directors and program faculty. He has directed UW Health’s obstetrics and gynecology residency program and gynecologic oncology fellowship.
Spencer received his medical degree from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in 2007. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology in 2012 as part of Harvard University’s integrated residency program and a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in 2015. He also earned a master of science in clinical investigation at the University of Wisconsin in 2018.
His awards include the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology’s Mentor of the Year, Society of Gynecologic Oncology’s Congressional Ambassador of the Year, and a Wisconsin Office of Rural Health Community Hero award for his contributions to rural health in Wisconsin.