Ruth Stewart

Biography

Dr. Ruth Stewart is the Associate Dean of Medical Education at the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine at Belmont University, where she leads the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the MD curriculum. With over three decades of experience as a family physician, medical educator, and academic leader, Dr. Stewart has held key faculty and leadership roles at Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt Medical Group. Her work has focused on curriculum innovation, accreditation readiness, and fostering inclusive, case-based learning environments that connect clinical relevance with foundational science.

At Meharry, Dr. Stewart served as Associate Dean of Medical Education and directed the Family Medicine clerkship, helping to reshape clinical learning with a focus on health disparities and improving the health of the un and underinsured. She has been a principal investigator on federal grants supporting primary care training, a founding medical director of a student-run free clinic, and a longstanding advocate for community health. At Frist College of Medicine, she also serves as Faculty Accreditation Lead (FAL) and a key liaison in the college’s academic partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. Dr. Stewart is widely recognized for her mentorship of faculty and students and her commitment to excellence in medical education rooted in equity, professionalism, and whole-person medical care.