David L. Nahrwold, M.D.

Dr. Nahrwold received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Indiana University, where he also completed residency training in general and cardiothoracic surgery.  This was followed by a research fellowship in gastrointestinal physiology under Morton Grossman at UCLA, and service in the U.S. Army as a surgeon in Vietnam in 1966-67.  After service on the faculties at Indiana and Penn State, he was the Loyal and Edith Davis Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Northwestern University for 15 years.  Subsequently, he was the President and CEO of Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, Northwestern’s faculty group practice.  In 1999 and 2000 he was Interim Director of the American College of Surgeons.

A gastrointestinal surgeon, his clinical and basic research interests are in the gastrointestinal field, about which he has written extensively.  In addition to holding NIH grants, he served on a study section and was a member of the National Digestive Diseases Advisory Board.  His bibliography lists more than 250 publications.  He has served on the editorial boards of nine periodicals and is Editor Emeritus of the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques.

Dr. Nahrwold was a director and Chairman of the American Board of Surgery.  He was also president of the Chicago Surgical Society, the Central Surgical Association and its Foundation, the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract and the North American Chapter of the International Society for Digestive Surgery.  He was a member of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the organization that accredits the nation’s residency programs, and served on its executive committee.

Currently Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Northwestern, he held several leadership positions with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the umbrella organization for the certifying specialty boards.  He chaired its Task Force on Competence, which developed the Maintenance of Certification program for the boards. He was president of the ABMS for two years.  Currently, he is Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of The Joint Commission and a member of the board of its subsidiary, Joint Commission Resources. 

Dr. Nahrwold received Honorary Fellowship in the Philippine College of Surgeons and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award of the American College of Surgeons, its highest award.  He is currently First Vice President of the College, and served as a member of its Board of Regents.  In 2003 he received the prestigious John P. Hubbard award of the National Board of Medical Examiners for his work in changing the paradigm of physician evaluation.