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Dr. Stotland was born on August 15, 1943, and has lived her life in Chicago, Illinois. Her father died when she was eight years old, and she and her two younger brothers were raised by her mother, who, as the first member of the family ever to graduate from college, became an elementary school teacher. The future Dr. Stotland aspired to become a physician from an early age. She graduated from the University of Chicago (U of C) with a B.A. in Psychology in 1963 and married Harold Stotland before enrolling in the University's School of Medicine as one of four women in a class of 72. She completed a pediatrics internship at the University of Illinois and then returned to U of C for a psychiatric residency, in which she was one of two women in the entire program.
Dr. Stotland became interested in prepared childbirth and was elected VicePresident of the Lamaze childbirth organization. She spent her fourth year of residency as the consultation/liaison psychiatrist to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and then continued as a C/L psychiatrist after graduation, first at Michael Reese Hospital and then as Director of C/L at the U of C. Her first paper, "How to Write a Psychiatric Consultation," was published as the lead article in the American Journal of Psychiatry. She went on to write or edit six other books; publish 75 articles, chapters and book reviews; and lecture frequently both nationally and internationally. She served on the Editorial Boards of the American Journal of Psychiatryand Psychiatric News, and was the Founding Editor of a journal, Primary Care Update for Psychiatrists. Her subsequent professional positions were: Director of Psychiatric Education at the U of C; Medical Coordinator for Mental Health Services for the State of Illinois; and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Illinois Masonic Medical Center. She also completed psychoanalytic training at the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, obtained a Master's in Public Health from the University of Illinois, and served on the Board of the National Mental Health Association.
Dr. Stotland began her APA career at the local level, as the Chair of the Women's Committee and eventually the President of the Illinois Psychiatric Society. She was appointed Chair of the APA Women's Committee and then of the' Joint Commission on Public Affairs. She has maintained an active interest in public education through the media and has represented the APA on Oprah, CNN, and the Bill O'Reilly Show. As Chair of the Women's Caucus, she became a member of the APA Assembly and was elected its Speaker. She was then elected APA Secretary, Vice-President, and President-Elect