1954-2021
Dr. Carey Chisholm died on July 7, 2021, at the age of 66. Carey was born on November 3, 1954, to the late Herbert and Norma Chisholm. In the winter of 2018, Carey was unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Along with his palliative care physician, and family he created a photo essay to represent how he felt at different stages of dying and interpreted them with words to describe his journey. It comes as no surprise that as a lifelong educator, Carey continued to educate his former residents and loved ones about seeing the dying process as a celebration of life.
Dr. Chisholm earned his bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University in 1976 and his medical degree from Medical College of Virginia in 1980. Carey completed his residency training in emergency medicine at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington State. Following completion of his residency training program, Dr. Chisholm served as the medical director for the U.S. Army Hospital in Nurenberg, Germany. In 1985, Carey became the emergency medicine residency program director at Brooke Army Medical Center. He served in this capacity until 1989 when he came to Indiana University. Dr. Chisholm was the emergency medicine residency program director for over 23 years.
Dr. Chisholm shaped the careers of many IU School of Medicine graduates. Along with his longtime friend and colleague, Dr. Kevin Rodgers, he created a powerhouse of a residency that trained over 500 hundred emergency medicine physicians. Carey and Kevin strongly believed that no resident should ever graduate from the IU emergency medicine program without strong clinical skills, with the litmus testing being that they were comfortable with the graduates caring for one of their loved ones. The second source of pride in the program and its graduates revolved around leadership development. Perhaps rooted in Kevin and Carey's shared military service experiences, they thoughtfully and systematically developed leadership roles for residents.
Carey also has served in multiple leadership roles within the Department of Emergency Medicine and was elected or appointed to high‐impact leadership positions in professional organizations. This included serving as president of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. Further, Dr. Chisholm was the recipient of many prestigious awards including the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Program Director of the Year Award in 2002; Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Parker J Palmer “Courage to Teach” Award in 2007, American College of Emergency Physicians Hero of Emergency Medicine Award in 2008, and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
Dr. Chisholm was a prolific and effective educator, known for exceeding all expectations related to the time and passion he put toward training the next generation of emergency medicine physicians. Dr. Chisholm was a beloved educator. He has served as a faculty advisor to numerous senior medical students and residents during his time in the department. Beyond serving as residency program director, he taught evidence‐based medicine, bioethics, and professionalism competency case scenario courses to the medical students.
Following the tragic death of Dr. Kevin Rodgers in 2017, Drs. Carey Chisholm, Robin Chisholm, and Ruth Rodgers established the Chisholm-Rodgers Legacy Fund. To date, over $800,000 has been raised. The fund facilitates and supports these two foundational principles of the excellent, nationally respected residency program Drs. Rodgers and Chisholm developed. First, in recognition of the importance of clinical education, the fund supports the "Chisholm-Rodgers Clinical Teaching Award in Emergency Medicine,” which is given to an IUSM EM teaching faculty member who demonstrates excellence as a clinical teacher of residents and medical students. Secondly, the fund will support a professorship that will enable the faculty recipient to advance their leadership development skills.
Outside of his professional accomplishments, Dr. Chisholm loved his family, good meals, travel, and good wine. Carey is survived by his wife, Robin, of nearly 40 years and his daughters Kelsey and Tyler. He will also be remembered forever by his brother, Mark, extended family and friends, and the IUEM community.
Despite the hole his death leaves in the hearts of his loved ones and colleagues, Dr. Chisholm made the world a better place. His legacy lives on in the over 500 physicians he trained who now teach residents and medical students and take care of patients across the globe.
Be it here resolved that this memorial resolution be adopted by the Faculty Council of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and a copy be sent to his loving wife, Dr. Robin Chisholm, at PO Box 235, Bayview, ID, 83803.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of Dr. Chisholm’s colleagues,
Steve Roumpf, M.D.
Chris Strachan, M.D.
Jennifer Sullivan, M.D.
Elizabeth Weinstein, M.D.
Megan Palmer, Ph.D