Renee Beirne, MD, MPH, FACP

Position Responsibilities

As Director of the Foundational Science Curriculum (Phase 1), at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM), Dr. Renee Beirne provides strategic leadership for the design, implementation, and integration of the pre-clerkship medical curriculum.  She collaborates with the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education and the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs to ensure the Phase 1 curriculum aligns with VTCSOM’s mission, educational goals, and accreditation standards.

Dr. Beirne works closely with Department Chairs, Domain Leaders, and faculty across the foundational and health systems sciences to promote curriculum innovation and integration between basic, clinical, and systems content. She chairs the Phase 1 Integration Committee (PIC), is a member of the Medical Educational Leadership Team, and serves as an ex officio member of the Medical Curriculum Committee (MCC), fostering communication among students, faculty, and educational leadership.

Professional Background

A member of the VTCSOM faculty since 2010, Dr. Beirne has contributed to both foundational and clinical science education, serving as a lecturer, small-group facilitator, and curriculum designer. Her teaching spans endocrine physiology and pathophysiology, diabetes management, and systems-based instruction. As a Physician Educator Design Partner for the Integrated Foundational Sciences course, she collaborates with course directors and content experts to create active-learning experiences and assessments that enhance student engagement and curricular coherence.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Beirne practiced internal medicine for more than 15 years with Carilion Clinic, where she led quality-improvement and e-consultation initiatives and served as a dedicated educator within the Internal Medicine Residency Program. From 2014 to 2019, she facilitated resident learning through case-based teaching, lectures, and board review sessions. She has also taught anatomy and physiology at Virginia Western Community College and the East Coast Polytechnic Institute, where she applied innovative instructional technologies to improve pre-health education.

Research Interests

• Active-learning design
• Learner engagement strategies
• Health systems science
• Safety and Quality-improvement
• Public health education & community-based health

Awards and Honors

• Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health (Delta Mu Chapter), 2022
• Fellow, American College of Physicians, 2019
• Gold Humanism Honor Society, 2017
• Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, 1999

Education and Training

• MPH, Health Education, Virginia Tech
• MD, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
• Bachelor’s, Biology (Summa cum laude), Virginia Commonwealth University
• Residency, Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Internship, Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University

Other Positions

• Assistant Professor, Basic Science Education and Internal Medicine, VTCSOM
• Physician Educator Design Partner, Integrated Foundational Sciences course, VTCSOM