Chapter 13: A Candidate for the Presidency of MD Anderson;

In this chapter, Dr. DuBois talks about undertaking the process of applying to be MD Anderson\u27s fourth president. In response to the interviewer\u27s observation that many people in the institution felt he was viewed as Dr. John Mendelsohn\u27s heir apparent, Dr. DuBois confirms that Dr. Mendelsohn raised the issue of his retirement from the presidency during their first recruiting conversations. He felt he was groomed for the role. He then describes the search process and the steps he underwent to apply and interview for the position of president. He notes that he had a lot of support within the institution, but that the Board of Regents makes their own, independent choice, and internal candidates have challenges. (Dr. DuBois explains that he was really focused on the administration of the institution, on making incremental changes within the reality of the institution as opposed to bringing broad visions of institutional transformation, an allusion to the perspective brought by outside candidates. Dr. DuBois sketches the areas of growth he included in the vision he presented to the Board of Regents. Dr. DuBois then talks about going through the final interview process and then getting the news that the Board had made another choice. He explains why he had wanted to job. He talks about his disappointment and initial feeling that he wanted to move on to another institution, but that people within MD Anderson asked him to stay on to help with the transition under Dr. Ronald DePinho.https://openworks.mdanderson.org/mchv_interviewchapters/1667/thumbnail.jp