VCU School of Medicine presents highest honors with Faculty Excellence Awards

By Malorie Burkett

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine presented its 10th annual Faculty Excellence Awards during a ceremony and reception that celebrated faculty members’ achievements while looking ahead to the school’s future.

The awards recognize and reward faculty members for excellence in the achievement of the School of Medicine’s educational mission.

“This 10th anniversary comes at an auspicious time, “ Jerome F. Strauss, III, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Medicine, said, alluding to preparations for a new School of Medicine building. “It’s an opportunity to influence medical education probably for a century.”

VCU is planning a new building for the School of Medicine – a state-of-the-art training hub for medical students, residents, physicians and other healthcare providers that would allow class size to be expanded up to 250 students.

Enrique Gerszten. M.D., professor in the Department of Pathology, received the Faculty Excellence Award – the school’s highest teaching recognition that honors extraordinary accomplishment in all aspects of education. The award is given to a faculty member who is an outstanding teacher with a compelling record of contributions to education.

Gerszten has been at VCU for 45 years, and his achievements and publications have earned him recognition nationally and internationally for his development of innovative teaching methods and materials.

This year’s Irby-James Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching was awarded to John G. Pierce, Jr., M.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in recognition of superior teaching and professionalism in clinical medicine taught in the last two years of medical school and residency training.

Pierce’s emphasis on medical education has earned him numerous teaching awards and a national teaching award honoring his work in resident education.

John Clore, M.D., professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, is the recipient of the Distinguished Mentor Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the career development of others, including colleagues, residents, fellows and students.

To strengthen VCU’s commitment to mentoring, Clore drove the establishment of the Academy of Mentors, a new program that matches senior faculty with junior investigators, providing them with career advice and guidance on developing and implementing research.

The Education Innovation Award is given to an individual faculty member, group, program or an academic unit for significant educational innovation or educational research.  This year, the award was presented to two teams. One team was led by Alan Dow, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, and received the award for the development of a multidisciplinary curriculum in collaboration with VCU’s Department of Theatre aimed at teaching clinical empathy skills.

Team members included Aaron Anderson, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Theatre; David Leong, professor and chair of the Department of Theatre; and Richard Wenzel, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Internal Medicine.

In addition, Curtis Sessler, M.D., professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, led a team that developed a simulation plan for central vein catheterization. Team members included Catherine Grossman, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine; Paul Mazmanian, Ph.D., professor and associate dean for continuing professional development; Brenda Seago, M.L.S., associate professor and director of the computer based instruction lab; and Elizabeth Waterhouse, M.D., professor in the Department of Neurology.

Janet M. Eddy, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine, received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award presented by the Arnold Gold Foundation. This award underscores the value of humanism in the delivery of care to patients and their families.

Eddy’s countless activities include teaching English as a second language to Cambodian refugees and volunteering as a layperson at the Fan Free Clinic. Her international volunteerism includes work in Haiti, Honduras and India.

The Women in Science, Dentistry & Medicine Professional Achievement Award, which recognizes strong role models and mentors for women, was presented to Ellen L. Brock, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Brock is the section head in general obstetrics and gynecology. She recently created a year-long didactic/simulation training course for residents, teaching them minimally invasive surgery—primarily laparoscopic surgery.

The MCV Physicians Distinguished Clinician Award, which recognizes clinical excellence among faculty, was presented to Thomas P. Loughran, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

A team physician for VCU, Virginia Union and the Richmond Braves, Loughran’s practice addresses a wide variety of injuries suffered among professional and college athletes, weekend warriors and those with everyday orthopaedic injuries.

Today, Loughran’s brainchild, the VCU Sports Medicine Center, hosts rotations of residents from a wide variety of medical specialties, from orthopaedics to pediatrics as well as providing experience and training to physical therapists, physician assistants and athletic trainers.

The VCU/VCUHS Leadership in Graduate Medical Education Awards recognize outstanding contributions to medical education by residency and fellowship directors. These include awards for program director and fellowship director.

Brian J. Kaplan, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery received the LGME Program Director Award for his dedication and commitment to the surgical training program.

Lisa K. Brath, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, received the Fellowship Director Award for her efforts, leadership and advocacy of the Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship Program.

Laurel J. Lyckholm, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, also received the Fellowship Director Award. A dual program director in Hematology and Oncology and Palliative Care, Lyckholm is known for her dedication to educating, advising and mentoring fellows while helping them balance research, teaching and service.

The School of Medicine also recognized faculty members for Outstanding Departmental Teacher Awards in health sciences education, undergraduate medical education’s Best Teacher in the Course, clerkship awards and faculty with high evaluation awards.