Arnold Malcolm, MD, MBA

Dr. Malcolm served as Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Radiation Oncology and chair of the department from August 2010 thru December 2014. Malcolm was the first African American to serve as chair of a clinical department at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Malcolm’s career with VUMC was lengthy and varied. Among his accomplishments during his tenure as chair, he cemented a culture for delivering world-class oncology services, scientific discovery, and educating leaders, and created a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the delivery of care to patients with head and neck cancer.

His history with VUMC began in 1971 when he served an externship in radiation oncology. He was hired by Vanderbilt in 1981 as chief of the radiation oncology clinical program. He left VUMC in 1987 to spend 18 years practicing in Southern California before returning to the Vanderbilt faculty in 2005.

In 2016, Vanderbilt University honored Dr. Malcolm with the appointment of professor of Radiation Oncology, emeritus.

A self-described “preacher’s kid,” Dr. Malcolm’s career in medicine began when he served as an U.S. Army medic in Vietnam.