Joseph Snyder, MD

Joseph Snyder wanted to become a physician as early as tenth grade. He was always interested in science, and thought that medicine seemed like a gratifying profession. He received his BA in zoology from University of Pennsylvania and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Dr. Snyder then attended the Jefferson School of Medicine in Philadelphia where he completed his internship and first year of residency in internal medicine. He graduated at the top of his class and won the Anatomy Prize, the Hoffman LaRoche Award, Surgery Prize and Hobart Hare Honorary Medical Society designation. In addition, he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alphs Honor Society.

He became involved in research while at Jefferson, and that led him to the National Institutes of Health. While there, he learned about ophthalmology and while not having any training in that field, he applied and was accepted to George Washington University for a second residency.

Dr. Snyder first became interested in organized medicine in the 1970s. He became a member and later president of the Maryland Academy of Ophthalmology and served as chair of its legislative committee. He also founded the academy’s political action committee.

He soon became involved in the Montgomery County Medical Society, and became president. This led to becoming a member of the MedChi Council in the 1980s and becoming an AMA delegate.

In 1993, Dr. Snyder was elected as President of MedChi.