Areas of Expertise
- Alignment of infrastructure and governance to support medical education
- Quality improvement of medical school programs and student performance
- Innovative scholarship in medical education
- Academic leadership
Dr. Juan C. Cendan is a board-certified surgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgery and surgical disorders of the breast. He also has an extensive career in academic medicine.
Dr. Cendan joined FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in 2021 as vice dean and executive associate dean for student affairs. In 2022, he was appointed dean of the College of Medicine and senior vice president for health affairs. He developed the vision and led the process culminating in a comprehensive affiliation between the College of Medicine and Baptist Health South Florida and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital—clinical and educational collaborations aimed at elevating care, addressing doctor shortages and advancing medical research in South Florida.
Before FIU, Dr. Cendan was a founding faculty member of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine where he served in several roles from 2010 to 2021, including assistant dean for simulation, medical director of the simulation laboratory and chair of the Department of Medical Education. As provost chair and associate dean in residence, he collaborated with UCF’s provost to develop the framework for establishing the UCF Academic Health Center.
After completing his medical training at the University of Florida, Dr. Cendan practiced as a general surgeon in Gainesville, Florida. He then returned to UF as faculty, where he focused on simulation-based medical education. His undergraduate background in biomedical engineering was particularly valuable, allowing him to align the technical specifications with educational needs.
Education
- Residency, General Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- M.D., University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, and Queen Mary University, London, England
Certifications
- American Board of Surgery