Dr. Durkin is a graduate of Georgetown University with a major in biology and a minor in theology. He is also a graduate of the medical school at Georgetown University. After completing a surgical internship at Georgetown University Medical Center, he returned to his native New England and did a residency at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, MA. He then went on to serve in the U.S. Navy. His operational assignment was as the shipboard medical officer and department head abroad the USS Sierra (AD-17). The ship was home ported in Charleston, SC, but deployed to the Indian Ocean during which time Dr. Durkin actually had the opportunity to travel around the world supporting the medical departments of smaller ships in several foreign ports. His next assignment was in the emergency department of the Naval Hospital, San Diego, where he was a member of the inaugural medical faculty that began the first EM residency in the Navy.
Upon leaving the Navy, Bill practiced in community hospitals in San Diego. He served as assistant medical director, phase III clinical trials investigator, co-founded AccuQual-Super Doc Systems, taught classes for the nursing and medical staffs, and was elected Chief of Service. He then moved to the Washington, DC, area where was Director/VP of Emergency Services at Southern Maryland Hospital. Dr. Durkin presently works for himself doing clinical and consulting work.
In 2008, Bill completed his MBA at the University of Tennessee and was elected to the Phi Alpha Phi Honor Society.
After meeting Jim Keaney and Scott Plantz, founders of the Academy, at a conference in San Diego, he became a founding member of AAEM. From 1998-2004 and again 2007-2008, Dr. Durkin served on the Board of Directors, as Secretary-Treasurer from 2004-2006 and again from 2008-2010, Vice President from 2010-2012. He formed the USAAEM Chapter Division, was one of the original board members of CAL/AAEM, Treasurer of CAL/AAEM; co-founded AAEM Services, and wrote and/or sponsored many of the original polices of AAEM. In addition, he founded the Practice Management Committee, served on the Education Committee, Finance Committee, MEMC Executive Committee and is the AAEM Executive Director of the Pan Pacific Emergency Medicine Conference. He has also served on several of the state and interim committees. Bill has lectured at the Scientific Assembly, numerous residency programs, the Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Conference as well as the Pan-Pacific Emergency Medicine Conference.
In 2017, Dr. Durkin was awarded the David K. Wagner Award which honors individuals who have had a meaningful impact on the field of EM and who have contributed significantly to the promotion of AAEM’s goals and objectives. In 2018, Dr. Durkin was recognized with the Master of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine Award (MAAEM). This award identifies a senior AAEM fellow who has demonstrated a long career of extraordinary service to AAEM and to organized emergency medicine.
Dr. Durkin has always advocated for the practicing community emergency physician. He has a strong interest in the business of emergency medicine and finance. Bill’s outside interests include sailing, biking, fine wine collecting, travel, and investing.