PITTSBURGH – Lawrence R. John, M.D., a family medicine physician with UPMC Community Medicine, Inc. and UPMC St. Margaret, and clinical instructor for the department of family medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, was recently sworn in as the 170th president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) — a physician-led organization representing all physicians and medical students throughout the state of Pennsylvania. 

“I am excited to have been selected as president for the Pennsylvania Medical Society and look forward to advocating for both physicians and medical students throughout the state,” said John.

As president, one of John’s primary goals is to highlight and seek solutions for physician burnout — a long-term stress reaction marked by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

“Since we know that physician well-being is essential for safe and high-quality patient care, we must have a critical discussion about how we can eliminate burnout and establish an environment of well-being,” said John, who also was elected by PAMED’s statewide House of Delegates in 2017 to serve one-year terms as vice president (2017-18) and president-elect (2018-19) before assuming the role of president (2019-2020).

John earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. In both 2017 and 2018 he was named one of “Pittsburgh’s Best Doctors” by Pittsburgh Magazine.

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