Dr. Spahlinger received his M.D. degree from Ohio State University in 1980. He then completed residency training in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan, serving as Chief Medical Resident 1983-1984. After his residency, he entered private practice at the Wooster Clinic in Wooster, Ohio. In addition to maintaining a busy primary care practice, Dr. Spahlinger was active in the administration of the Wooster Clinic as a member of the Board of Directors and Director of Finance and Third Party Relations. He also served in leadership roles at Wooster Community Hospital. Dr. Spahlinger was recruited to return to the University of Michigan in 1994 as a Clinical Instructor in the General Medicine Division of the Department of Internal Medicine. He was also appointed as Medical Director of Primary Care, a position he held through 1997. He was responsible for staff and budget management of the Health System's primary care health centers and acquired practices. He played a central role in the development of the East Ann Arbor Health Center. In 1995 Dr. Spahlinger was promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, and in 1997 was promoted to Clinical Associate Professor. That same year he was selected as Executive Director of the Medical School's Faculty Group Practice and serves on its Board of Directors and chairs its Finance Committee and Primary Care Executive Committee. He was the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs in the Medical School from 2000-2003 and is Senior Associate Dean since 2003. In addition to his leadership role at the Health System and his patient care responsibilities, Dr. Spahlinger teaches clinical skills and supervises the medical students and residents who rotate on his service.
