Polly E. Parsons, MD is the E.L. Amidon Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. She is also Medicine Health Care Service Leader and a pulmonary and critical care physician at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont. Dr. Parsons is the co-author with Jeanine Wiener-Kronish, MD of Critical Care Secrets, 6th Edition. She is also the co-author of Pulmonary/Respiratory Therapy Secrets, 3rd Edition.

Dr. Parsons was named a US News Top Doctor in 2012.  She was ranked in the top 1% of specialists in the nation for excellence in pulmonology with special expertise in critical care and acute lung injury. In addition, since 2008 she has annually been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor, an honor bestowed upon specialists and primary care physicians highly recommended by their peers and other healthcare professionals.

Receiving her MD in 1978 from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Dr. Parsons went on to perform her residency and fellowship at the University of Colorado College of Medicine, focusing on internal medicine and pulmonary/critical care. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Radcliffe College.

Dr. Parsons is board certified in critical care medicine, internal medicine, and pulmonary disease, and her research interests include acute lung injury and sepsis. She has special expertise in Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS.)  She has authored over 50 articles in distinguished medical journals.