James Frank

Dr. James Frank is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. He serves as the program director for the UCSF Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Program and is the president of the Association for Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors (APCCMPD), which represents 98% of pulmonary and critical care fellowship training programs in the US.

Dr. Frank's educational background includes:

• M.D. from University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Internal Medicine Residency at University of California, San Francisco
• Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at University of California, San Francisco
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training from University of California, San Francisco (2017)
• Medical Education Research Certificate from American Association of Medical Colleges (2020)
• UCSF Health Improvement and Leadership Development Program: UCSF Health Lean Champion (2023)

Dr. Frank's primary research interests focus on medical education, with specific emphasis on education leadership, teaching quality improvement and communication skills, professional coaching, and curriculum development and implementation. His clinical work spans critical care medicine, co-leading a pulmonary embolism response team, and thoracentesis service. His research has significantly contributed to understanding pulmonary epithelial barrier function, acute lung injury, and ventilator-induced lung injury.

Analysis of Dr. Frank's recent publications reveals a strong shift toward medical education research in the last 5 years, particularly focusing on fellowship training, virtual interviews, and diversity in medical education. Earlier work focused more on pulmonary physiology, epithelial barrier function, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. This evolution reflects his transition from primarily clinical research to education leadership while maintaining connections to his pulmonary/critical care expertise.

Dr. Frank has received numerous awards for his contributions to medical education:

• Osler Distinguished Teacher Award from UCSF School of Medicine (2023)
• Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators Service Award from UCSF (2022)
• Outstanding Educator Award from Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Program Directors (2022)
• Outstanding Coach, Bridges Curriculum Foundations 1 and 2 Teaching Award from UCSF School of Medicine (2020)
• Excellence and Innovation in Graduate Medical Education Award from UCSF (2020)
• Induction to Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators from UCSF (2020)

As a mentor, Dr. Frank is available to guide faculty on career development and research projects. His leadership roles include serving as a medical student coach in the UCSF Bridges Curriculum, site director for the Clinical Microsystems Clerkship, and director of a medical student critical care immersion experience and ICU acting internship. He has been instrumental in developing evidence-based best practices for virtual interviews in graduate medical education.

Dr. Frank co-leads a pulmonary embolism response team and provides thoracentesis service as part of his clinical practice. His work bridges clinical care with educational innovation, particularly in the areas of patient and family communication, critical care ultrasound, and patient simulation.