Karen J. Nichols, DO
Treasurer
Oak Brook, Ill.
An AOA-board-certified internal medicine physician, Dr. Nichols earned her osteopathic medical degree at what is now the Kansas City (Mo.) University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her internship and residency training at the former Oklahoma Osteopathic Hospital in Tulsa.
In 2002, Dr. Nichols became dean of the Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (MWU/CCOM) in Downers Grove, Ill.. As dean, she encourages her students to take an active role in their new profession.
“I tell my students what my grandfather told me: ‘You can make a difference,’” Dr. Nichols says. “Osteopathic medicine is a growing profession where students and DOs can have an impact.”
Dr. Nichols has been a member of the AOA since 1981 and a member of the AOA Board of Trustees since 1999. She is also a former chair of the AOA Department of Government Affairs and the AOA Council on Palliative Care Issues.