Medical students honor faculty, house staff

Linda J. Pike, PhD, accepts a Distinguished Service Teaching Award from Miriam Ben Abdallah, president of the second-year class at Washington University School of Medicine. (Credit: Jerry Naunheim Jr.)

As a show of their appreciation for exemplary service in medical education, Washington University School of Medicine students recently presented the school’s faculty and house staff with the annual Distinguished Service Teaching Awards.

The awards were for the 2013-14 school year.

Initiated by students and implemented with support from the Office of Medical Student Education, the awards honor educators who have made significant contributions to the training of future physicians at Washington University.

Each year, students finishing their first, second and third year of studies select the course masters, lecturers, clerkship directors, attendings and residents who distinguished themselves most in the education of medical students. The awards give medical students an opportunity to express appreciation for their teachers’ efforts, dedication and patience.

David Clifford, MD, accepts an award for humanism in medicine from third-year medical student Agnes Dardas. Clifford was the students’ nominee for the National Humanism in Medicine Award. (Credit: Jerry Naunheim Jr.)

Among those honored was David Clifford, MD, the Melba and Forest Seay Professor of Clinical Neuropharmacology in Neurology. Also a professor of medicine, Clifford is the students’ nominee for the National Humanism in Medicine Award, which is presented annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The award recognizes medical school faculty physicians who exemplify the qualities of a caring and compassionate mentor in the teaching and advising of medical students.

Here are others honored at the awards ceremony Nov. 19 at the Eric P. Newman Education Center:

Class of 2015

Thomas M. De Fer, MD, speaks at the awards ceremony after being named clinical lecturer and clerkship director of the year by the Class of 2015. (Credit: Jerry Naunheim Jr.)

Clinical Lecturer of the Year: Thomas M. De Fer, MD, professor of medicine

Clerkship Director of the Year: Thomas M. De Fer, MD


Clinical Department of the Year: Internal Medicine

Clerkship Administrator of the Year: Patricia Werner, obstetrics and gynecology

Clinical Teachers of the Year:

  • Megan E. Wren, MD, associate professor of medicine
  • Camaryn Chrisman Robbins, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology
  • Martin I. Boyer, MD, the Carol B. and Jerome T. Loeb Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Robert C. Bucelli, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology
  • Renee B. Van Stavern, MD, associate professor of neurology
  • Melvin S. Blanchard, MD, associate professor of medicine
  • David L. Eisenberg, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology
  • Richard D. Brasington Jr., MD, professor of medicine
  • Tammy L. Sonn, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology
  • Douglas P. Larsen, MD, assistant professor of neurology

Residents of the Year:

  • Matthew J. Burford, MD
  • Laura E. Baldassari, MD
  • Lauren M. Bergeron, MD
  • Nsangou T. Ghogomu, MD
  • Anna S. Graseck, MD
  • Chung A. Lee, MD
  • Micaela E. O’Neil, MD
  • Charlene J. Ong, MD
  • Meghan L. Valentine, MD
  • Kathryn Squires, MD
(From left) Steven C. Cheng, MD, Erika C. Crouch, PhD, MD, and Nigar Kirmani, MD, listen as teaching award winners are announced. Each of the three was honored at the ceremony. (Credit: Jerry Naunheim Jr.)

Class of 2016

Lecturer of the Year: Nigar Kirmani, MD, professor of medicine

Professor of the Year: Erika C. Crouch, PhD, MD, professor of pathology and immunology

Course Master of the Year: Steven C. Cheng, MD, associate professor of medicine


Practice of Medicine Preceptor of the Year: Thomas M. De Fer, MD


Distinguished Service Teaching Awards:

  • Richard D. Brasington Jr., MD, professor of medicine
  • William E. Clutter, MD, associate professor of medicine, associate director of the House Staff Training Program
  • Alan I. Glass, MD, assistant vice chancellor and director of Student Health Services, and assistant professor of clinical psychiatry
  • Scot G. Hickman, MD, professor of medicine
  • Steven J. Lawrence, MD, assistant professor of medicine
  • Deborah C. Rubin, MD, professor of medicine
  • Timothy T. Yau, MD, assistant professor of medicine
  • Wayne M. Yokoyama, MD, the Sam and Audrey Loew Levin Professor of Medicine
  • Megan E. Wren, MD
  • Allyson R. Zazulia, MD, associate professor of neurology and associate dean for continuing medical education
(From left) Jay Piccirillo, MD, Henry V. Huang, PhD, and Timothy E. Holy, PhD, attend the teaching awards ceremony. Each was honored by medical students in the Class of 2017. (Credit: Jerry Naunheim Jr.)

Class of 2017

Stanley Lang Lecturer of the Year: Krikor T. Dikranian, MD, PhD, associate professor of anatomy

Professor of the Year: Jane E. Phillips-Conroy, PhD, professor of anatomy and of anthropology

Course Master of the Year: Glenn C. Conroy, PhD, professor of anatomy and of anthropology

Teaching Assistant of the Year: Roger Klein, graduate research assistant

Practice of Medicine Small Group Leader of the Year: Douglas M. Char, associate professor of emergency medicine

Selective of the Year: Cynthia A. Wichelman, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine

Distinguished Service Teaching Awards:

  • Paul C. Bridgman, PhD, professor of neurobiology
  • Alan I. Glass, MD
  • Timothy E. Holy, PhD, associate professor of neurobiology
  • Henry V. Huang, PhD, associate professor of molecular microbiology
  • Heidi B. Miller, MD, instructor in clinical medicine
  • Jay F. Piccirillo, MD, professor of otolaryngology
  • Linda J. Pike, PhD, professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics
  • Gregory M. Polites, MD, associate professor of emergency medicine
  • Joseph L. (Joel) Price, PhD, DPhil, professor of anatomy and neurobiology
  • Jason D. Weber, PhD, associate professor of medicine

For more photos from the event, follow this link.

Andy Mohapatra, president of the third-year class at the School of Medicine, (far left) prepares to present a teaching award. Among those honored were (from left of Mohapatra) Richard D. Brasington Jr., MD, Alan I. Glass, MD, Scot G. Hickman, MD, Steven J. Lawrence, MD, and Deborah C. Rubin, MD. (Credit: Jerry Naunheim Jr.)