
Heather Abraham
Heather Abraham
Administrative Title
Program DirectorClass Year
Class of 2015Narrative Bio
Dr. Abraham is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and the WSU/DMC Med-Peds Residency. After an additional year as Chief Resident, she joined the Faculty of the Med/Peds Program in Fall 2016, and was soon after appointed co-Associate Program Director. She has made numerous contributions to medical education within the department, across graduate medical education and the school of medicine. She is well known for her commitment to excellence in teaching and mentorship, earning multiple best teacher awards.
Dr. Abraham serves as medical director of the General Medical Ambulatory Practice resident clinic, and her leadership has brought increased structure, productivity, and cohesiveness to the clinic. She steadily led ambulatory operations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic surge, where others simply closed-up shop. Her quick and decisive leadership resulted in a swift pivot to telemedicine and tele-education, and the clinic managed to maintain solvency, serve patients, and educate trainees during this time of crisis. She partnered with the Division of Pulmonology in creating the Wayne Health Department of Internal Medicine’s CoVID Continuing Care Clinic in mid-2020, in order to serve patients dealing with the longer-term effects of the CoVID-19 disease.
She was selected for a highly competitive and distinguished national leadership program, the American College of Physicians LEAD Academy, and she is one of very few junior faculty in the country to complete this program successfully. She seeks to mentor others interested in leadership and academic medicine.
In service of resident education, she has worked to improve communication between the Residents and Faculty. She has assisted in the development of curricula aimed at broadening the scope of the Med/Peds experience. She is lead faculty and principle investigator of the program’s structured longitudinal Residency Wellness Curriculum, one of few of its kind, which features consultation sessions with a clinical psychologist.
Dr. Abraham is a Detroit native, and has been an active member of the community throughout her career. Her interests are in Primary Care, Transitions of Care, Resident Education and Advocacy. Her heart lies with the Residency program, the School of Medicine, and the City of Detroit, and her professional efforts are in this service.
On a personal note, she is a dedicated Wolverine sports fan (Go Blue!), and she and her husband Ryan are parents to two spirited children, Fiona and Callum.