Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, MSSM ’87
The George S. Peters, MD and Louise C. Peters Chair in Surgery
Professor and Chair, Department of Surgery, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Surgeon-in-Chief, Temple University Health System
Senior Vice President, Perioperative Services, Temple University Hospital
“I think Mount Sinai gave me my heart with regards to medicine,” says Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS, MSSM ’87, one of nine accomplished physicians and researchers who received the 2019 Jacobi Medallion—one of Mount Sinai’s highest awards. “I remember one of my professors telling us that patients wait all day to see their doctor. That’s what I learned at Mount Sinai: That it is all about the patient, and that’s why we’re here. I always wanted to be a doctor and always thought that I would actually be a surgeon. I’m so grateful for my education that I had at Mount Sinai and how that really set me on my path to being successful.”
Dr. Goldberg is well recognized as a superb educator–winning several teaching awards including Temple University’s highest teaching honor, The Great Teacher Award in 2018, the Lindback Award, and multiple Golden Apple Awards.
“I have a very strong commitment to education, and it’s really been an honor seeing in people sometimes what they don’t see in themselves, or helping them be where they think they can’t go,” she says.
Dr. Goldberg’s contributions to academic medicine have earned numerous accolades throughout her career. She is a nationally celebrated clinician scholar with a robust portfolio of highly regarded publications and presentations. She is also widely recognized as an expert in violence prevention and improved outcomes for victims of trauma.
“I was trained to be a surgeon, but I also was educated on what gun violence does to our patient population,” she says. “We have a prevention program where we bring in students, and we really educate about what bullets do to bodies. We want to make a difference, one patient at a time.”
“Amy Goldberg came to a place where penetrating trauma was a major portion of what we do,” says Larry R. Kaiser, MD, FACS, The Lewis Katz Dean at the School of Medicine, Senior Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Temple University, President and CEO, Temple University Health System, and Professor, Thoracic Medicine and Surgery.
“We live in the largest city in the country without a public hospital. We sit in North Philadelphia, one of the poorest areas in the country, and unfortunately violence is a fact of life. Her trauma program is a model for other programs around the country,” Dr. Kaiser says. “As the Chair of Surgery, she has tremendously elevated the Department. She has been a leader among women in surgery. We now have almost 50 percent of our residencies filled with women in surgery. She is an outstanding educator who has won multiple teaching awards.”
