Bright named associate dean for ECU Brody School of Medicine admissions

Dr. Cedric M. Bright (Contributed photo)

Cedric M. Bright, associate dean for inclusive excellence at the UNC School of Medicine, has been named associate dean for admissions for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, effective Feb. 4.

Bright will step into the role currently held by Dr. James Peden, who will become associate dean for admissions emeritus effective Feb. 1. and will remain a tenured professor at Brody.

Bright will also serve as a clinical professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. A graduate of the UNC School of Medicine, Bright has served on the UNC School of Medicine faculty since 2011. He also has served as assistant dean for admissions, director of the Office of Special Programs and director of pipeline programs. He previously was an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Duke University.

“We are certainly fortunate to have Dr. Bright join us, bringing his talent, energy and outstanding work in medical school admissions and diversity,” said Dr. Mark Stacy, dean of Brody and assistant vice chancellor for ECU’s Division of Health Sciences. “We look forward to his expertise helping to lead our efforts to ensure the success of tomorrow’s physicians for North Carolina.”

In conjunction with Bright’s efforts to diversify the student body of the UNC School of Medicine, he has led UNC’s Medical Education Development (MED) program, a summer program that provides students from underrepresented backgrounds training and preparation for success in medical or dental school. The program began in 1974 and is funded by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Since 2004, the MED program has seen more than 1,200 participants, with more than 50 percent gaining entrance into a graduate program. Of the participants, 212 have gone on to become doctors, 90 have become dentists and 124 have graduated with a Master of Science degree.

Bright served as the 112th president of the National Medical Association and is a member of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and National Medical Fellowships Inc. He was featured in the 2015 AAMC report “Altering the Course: Black Males in Medicine” and participated in a National Academy of Science forum addressing the lack of black males in medicine. He has also led numerous workshops on workforce diversity. In 2017, Bright earned an Award for Distinguished Service in the Health Field from the National Association of Medical Minority Educators.

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