James M. Cooke, MD, Leads Departmental Faculty Affairs

James M. Cooke, MD, professor of family medicine and learning health sciences, has been named Associate Chair for Faculty Affairs in the Department of Family Medicine. 

Dr. Cooke completed his undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech before earning his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. After completing his residency at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he served as chief resident, he joined the Department of Family Medicine faculty. He was later jointly appointed in the Department of Learning Health Sciences. Dr. Cooke was promoted to associate professor on the clinical track in both departments in 2017 and to professor in 2022.

For 25 years, Dr. Cooke practiced as an outpatient family physician at the Chelsea Health Center and as an inpatient attending on the department’s continuity service at Chelsea Hospital. In 2025, he shifted his clinical focus solely to inpatient care, while continuing his educational and administrative leadership roles.

Dr. Cooke has served in numerous consequential departmental and institutional leadership positions, including assistant residency director at Chelsea, program director of the Family Medicine Residency Program, and executive director of the University of Michigan Medical School Clinical Simulation Center. In these roles, he has demonstrated significant leadership in faculty development and advancement, as well as in building high-impact educational programs and educational scholarship. He has also served on the department’s Advisory Committee on Promotions and Tenure, where he currently serves as chair, and as an elected member of the Medical School Executive Committee.

Dr. Cooke’s scholarship has focused on clinical simulation, primary care workforce development, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. His work has been supported by numerous National Science Foundation and other foundation grants, as well as a pivotal Health Resources and Services Administration award in 2010 that funded the permanent expansion of the family medicine residency program to its current size. He has received numerous invitations to speak and has provided consultations to major academic health systems developing state-of-the-art healthcare simulation programs. He also reviews for multiple journals and serves on national study sections focused on medical education and health care simulation.

In his new role, Dr. Cooke has been meeting with peer department, institutional, and national leaders to identify challenges and opportunities in faculty affairs. His work will focus on developing and refining processes that support recruitment, appointment, development, promotion, and the many important steps in between.

Early focus areas will include:

• Refocusing and streamlining annual professional development meetings.
• Supporting communities of practice to amplify research and publication efforts.
• Revitalizing the department’s approach to mentorship.
• Regularly sharing essential information about development opportunities and promotion.
• Building mechanisms for recognition, including awards, national committee involvement, presentations, and visiting professorships.
• Recruiting a manager of faculty affairs to help advance this important work.

Dr. Cooke’s appointment reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to supporting faculty across all stages of their careers and strengthening the academic home for family medicine.