Dr. Simoyan, Caron’s Center
 

Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH, BDS, FAAFP, FASAM

Dr. Simoyan is an addiction medicine specialist with training in family medicine and public health.

Before medical school, I trained in dentistry and public health. I guess you can say I am a “professional student!” 

I have worked in academic medicine for several years now and still do, but for the last several years I have been exploring the intersection of medicine and the arts. I enjoy being a physician and a researcher, but I also love the arts and have learned to express myself creatively through writing, music and photography. (See more about that below.)

Career Highlights

Currently, I am a practicing addiction medicine physician and a full professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Drexel University College of Medicine.

  • Board certifications: addiction medicine, family medicine, and dental public health (2002- 2022)

  • Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians 

  • Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine

  • Founding Medical Director of Research, Caron Treatment Centers

  • Founding Executive Director of Research, Caron Treatment Centers

  • Founding faculty member, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

  • First medical director, Habit Opco/Dunmore Comprehensive Treatment Center (opioid addiction treatment program)

  • First lead physician (medical director), Clean Slate Centers, Scranton and Wilkes Barre, PA (opioid addiction treatment program)

  • Program Director, Geisinger Marworth Addiction Medicine Fellowship – under my leadership, the program was among the first cohort of addiction medicine fellowships in the US to obtain accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)

  • I was part of the first cohort of physicians to obtain board certification in addiction medicine through the American Board of Preventive Medicine

At the 2022 Arnold Gold Foundation gala. Read more.

Honors & Awards

  • Pro-Health International’s Award of Excellence in Humanitarian Services, 2023

  • National Humanism in Medicine Medal (Arnold Gold Foundation), 2022

  • Top 25 Women in Business Award – Northeast PA Business Journal, 2015 

  • Second Prize Winner, Citizen Diplomacy Award, US State Department, 2015

  • Society for Teachers in Family Medicine Editorial Fellowship, 2015-16

  • Best in Class Award- Visual Presentation- Family Medicine Education Consortium, 2015, Women in Family Medicine - a medical humanities project featuring an exhibit and video, 2015.

  • Fulbright specialist scholar to Nigeria, 2012, 2013, 14

  • Erasmus Mundus scholar to France, 2012 and UK, 2013

  • Harvard Macy Institute scholar, 2012

  • Gold humanism in medicine scholarship recipient, 2012

  • Herbert Nickens faculty fellowship award recipient (American Association of Medical Colleges), 2012

  • Family Medicine Education Consortium Emerging Leader Award, 2010

  • Family Medicine Resident Award for Scholarship, June 2009

  • Leonard Tow Award for Humanism in Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine recipient, 2006

  • American Medical Womens’ Association Community Service Award, 2004-2005

  • Penn State/Good Samaritan Family Practice Residency Medical Student Research Award, 2005

Editorial Roles

  • Founding Editor in Chief, Silver Linings (Reading Hospital/Tower Health)

  • Founding Editor in Chief, Black Diamonds, Geisinger Commonwealth Medical College

  • Founding Editor, New Voices column, Pulse - Voices from the Heart of Medicine

  • Former Associate Editor, Medical Education Online

Reciting the Gettysburg Address for The Address a film by Ken Burns, 2014.

Olapeju-Simoyan-musician.jpg

Dr. Simoyan is also an author, musician, speaker, and photographer.

As a child and teenager, I was interested in music and writing but was encouraged to pursue a “real” profession since those interests were considered hobbies that I could pursue in my spare time.

After years of training in dentistry, public health, and medicine, I returned to these interests and enjoy combining my passions for music, writing, and photography to inspire others.

I now play several musical instruments, mostly self-taught, except the piano. I recently recorded an instrumental piano collection, Christmas Melodies.

Photography is another interest I developed as an adult and I've been able to combine my childhood interest of writing and my love of photography in photobooks!