Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA: The University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine has appointed Indian American physician-educator Kunal Patel as assistant dean for student affairs in the Office of Medical Student Education. His appointment will take effect on July 1.
Patel currently serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine's Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He also works as a foundation phase academic coach in the Office of Academic Excellence, where he supports first- and second-year medical students by helping them improve study techniques, time management, and effective learning strategies.
In his new leadership role, Patel will oversee student affairs while continuing his long-standing commitment to medical education, mentorship, and student development.
Alongside his academic responsibilities, Patel is a member of the UNC Interstitial Lung Disease Program and the UNC Center for Bronchiectasis. His clinical expertise includes interstitial lung disease, bronchiectasis, non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections, general pulmonology, and critical care medicine.
His academic interests extend to undergraduate medical education, faculty development, curriculum design for residents and fellows, and addressing trainee burnout in demanding clinical environments.
Patel has received several prestigious honors for excellence in medical education, including the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award from The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the Internal Medicine Inpatient Faculty Teaching Award, and induction into Alpha Omega Alpha.
His impact on students has also been widely recognized. Medical students selected him as a UNC Pearls Day speaker in 2025 and later invited him to serve as the 2026 Match Day speaker.
Patel earned his bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis before completing both his MD and PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital and later returned to the University of Pennsylvania for fellowship training.
The appointment reflects UNC School of Medicine's continued emphasis on strengthening student support, academic excellence, and leadership in medical education.
