Growing up in Birmingham, AL, Dr. Alan Robert Dimick’s father and grandfather were both in the local steel business. As they worked closely with iron that reached temperatures as high as 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, workers in the field often sustained burn injuries, which sparked his interest in treating burns and trauma injuries. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science from Birmingham-Southern College in 1953, he embarked on his career in medicine in 1958. He received a Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Alabama and began his medical training with an internship and then a residency at the University of Alabama Hospital (UAB Hospital). He is also a board certified diplomate through the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Dimick began his career as an associate professor and then full professor of surgery at the University of Alabama for more than 30 years. Also at the university, he served as the director of the burn center at UAB Hospital from 1986 to 1989, and as assistant chief of staff from 1993 to 1996. He also acted as chairman of the advisory board of the Emergency Medical Service in Alabama from 1972 to 1987. Today, he continues to serve as the chairman of the advisory committee for the Emergency Medical Service. In addition, he has extended his expertise to the field by contributing articles to professional journals throughout his career.
Specializing in burns, trauma infections, education and practice, Dr. Dimick is a dedicated physician and educator. He considers the highlight of his illustrious career to be a moment when he was able spread his knowledge to others in the medical field. When he led the emergency department of the burn center in the 1970s, he encountered a patient who had broken his back and suffered from extensive burns in an accident. The patient was not treated properly by the paramedics who transferred him to the hospital. After bringing this to the attention of government and university officials, Dr. Dimick and his wife received a federal grant that was used to train the first paramedics in Alabama. This program is now used throughout the state.
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