Exceptional Teachers
We are interested in collecting your stories about faculty members, residents, nurses, or anyone else, who have impacted or influenced you in a significant way. Please tell us about what those teachers did that resulted in an exceptional educational experience and how it changed you.
This Quarter's Submissions
Below are the exceptional teacher recognitions shared with the Learning Environment Advocacy Committee this quarter. Thank you to these faculty for providing a great experience for our students.
January - February 2023 Submissions
Emergency Medicine
February 2023
- Dr. Kimberly Abel - “Dr. Abel was a great attending to work with on this rotation! She often went out of her way to make sure I had interesting patients to follow, let me get involved in various procedures, and made me feel a part of the clinical team at all times.”
- Dr. Brian Meier - “Very engaging preceptor and always provided a supportive and approachable learning environment. Enjoyed working with him greatly.”
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Carol Bernier, Pre-Hospital Medicine - “Well-organized and good communication.”
- Dr. Jonathan Nogueira, EM Ultrasound - “Excellent attending to learn and work with. The many resources provided for reference and self-study were welcomed. I appreciate his enthusiasm for US.”
Family and Community Medicine
February 2023
- Dr. Timothy Bierne - “My favorite aspect about Dr. Beirne is that he made me feel like part of the team. He had clear objectives and goals for me and helped me achieve them. I was able to grow as 3rd year student with the help of Dr. Beirne. I feel comfortable writing a note, presenting on a patient, formulating a differential diagnosis and much more. He is a GREAT attitude with his team and patients. I have learned how to be compassionate and effective with patients by watching Dr. Beirne. He is awesome.”
- Dr. Mark Watts - “Dr. Watts is AMAZING! He is one of the BEST attendings I have worked with in my 3rd year. Everyday I was happy and excited to work at the Vinton clinic because of him. I have learned so much as third year student. At the beginning of the clerkship he inquired about my goals and then made sure we hit those goals throughout the clerkship. He gave me ample opportunity for patient presentations, write notes, and practice procedures! Even when I wasn't working with him, he would make sure to check on me. I have learned how to talk to patients and grow as a clinician. I see why his patients are sad when he mentions his retirement. He gave me feedback at appropriate times, thus giving me the chance to readjust and improve. Then when he saw me get better, he gave me more responsibilities. Dr. Watts is awesome. VTC students are lucky to have him.”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Alison Thornton - “Dr. Thornton was an amazing attending. She spent time talking to me about PE/lab findings and I appreciated hearing everything she had to say. I also had a lot of questions about the profession itself, and I left the rotation knowing more about what life as a family physician actually looks like. She challenged me by asking what my thoughts were for an assessment and plan, and having me write it out in notes was helpful because I wasn't just nodding and agreeing with someone, I was trying to say it all myself.”
- Dr. Brittany Hayes - “Dr. Hayes was an amazing preceptor to have and she was one of the highlights on this rotation. She constantly gave good feedback about what I needed to do/work on and mentioned the improvements I had made as the rotation went on. She was calm and patient with me as I was getting my bearings on the rotation, and I was very appreciative of how friendly and inviting she was. She was a great teacher and took the time to hear my questions fully, give thoughtful responses, and ask for my thoughts on findings in certain patients. I learned more than medicine from her, as I will be taking away interpersonal skills she had with her patients that I admired. All in all, a fantastic physician who is knowledgeable, skilled, friendly to be around, and clearly loves teaching. Dr. Hayes (and of course Dr. Thornton, Dr. Soloman, and the rest of the staff) made the drive out to Rocky Mount worth it.”
Internal Medicine
February 2023
- Dr. Katherine Coffey-Vega - “It was a privilege to work with Dr. Coffey-Vega on IM. We had a particularly complex patient list during our time together with lots of opportunities for palliative/geriatric/ethics involvement. She brought an extremely valuable and unique viewpoint to these patients and I learned a lot just from watching her. She is so kind, proactive, and caring and you can see how much each patient means to her. She puts all of herself towards each patient, and it was clear that the patients felt that way. She is by far the most empathetic and caring attending that I've worked with.”
- Dr. Samuel Florescu - “Dr. Florescu definitely made this rotation a great one. He went out of his way every day to teach us something new. He catered to our personal goals/learning objectives each day. He constantly provided feedback and made sure that we were doing okay/achieving what we wanted to achieve. He was really kind and welcoming from day one.”
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Justin Weppner, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - “Dr. Weppner is an exceptional educator. His patient care and expertise in the field of PM&R is something I can only hope to emulate some day!”
- Dr. Ann Austin, Acting Internship in Internal Medicine - “Very easy to approach, kind, warm, effective instructor.”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Jeri Lantz - “She is an awesome teacher and as a student I so appreciated how much she invested in me this rotation to give feedback on notes and advice on career choices. It was so wonderful working with her!”
- Dr. Thomas Turner - “Awesome teacher, so fun to work with! Always checked in on his students to make sure we were doing ok and understanding everything. Really appreciated the time he spent answering all my questions about my patients.”
Neurology
February 2023
- Dr. Nitya Karki - “Really enjoyed working with Dr. Karki. She was a great teacher, affirming, gave constructive feedback when needed, and was kind to her patients.”
- Dr. Nicholas Yelverton - “Great attending. Made it clear that he cared about my interests and connected with me on a personal level. Easy going and nice to work with. Also a good teacher - really helped me understand several topics related to stroke physiology that were previously a struggle for me. Because he was able to reach me on that level, I will definitely move forward more comfortably able to recognize strokes and provide my patients better care in the future.”
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Della Williams, Acting Internship in Neurology - “Dr. Williams took the time to explain the physiology behind disease processes when I was confused, and she did so in a clear, kind, and concise manner.”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Nicholas Yelverton - “It was a pleasure learning from Dr. Yelverton. He created a welcoming environment for learning and he frequently impressed the team with his ability to nail difficult diagnoses.”
- Dr. Benjamin Wiener - “Dr. Wiener was a wonderful resident to work with on my neurology rotation. He gave us a lot of autonomy to evaluate patients and take ownership of their care while always being supportive. He always took the time to review notes and answer any questions we had about difficult neurology concepts.”
OB-GYN
February 2023
- Dr. Alana Castro-Gillard - “Dr. Alana Casto-Gillard went above and beyond to teach me important skills. She also had exceptional trust and compassion with her patients which I would like to emulate in my future practice.”
- Dr. Kimberly Simcox - “Dr. Kimberly Simcox was especially engaging during my time with her at her gyn clinic. She taught me hands on clinical skills even though I am sure it made her day longer. She taught me the importance of addressing stigma in the clinical environment to best care for patients.”
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. James Casey, Acting Internship in MIGS and Pelvic Pain - “Dr. Casey was great to work with! He made sure I was a part of every aspect of patient care and gave me many opportunities for direct hands-on practice, especially in the OR. He is very approachable and encourages questions and conversation about every patient encounter. It is obvious that he enjoys teaching and is invested in his students!”
- Dr. Kimberly Simcox, Substance Use Disorder in Pregnancy - “Dr. Simcox creates a wonderful learning environment where students are engaged and actively learning. She also demonstrates incomparable patient care where the patient is always at the center. I enjoyed working with her immensely and am sad that it is over!”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Larry Dennis - “Dr. Dennis was an incredible mentor and went out of his way to make sure that myself and the other students were enjoying their time on MFM and were seeing everything we wanted to see! I really appreciate his attention to detail and his care for the students!”
- Dr. Shannon Howard - “She was a great resident and really challenged my knowledge and pushed me to think about future patient care and a plan for the current patient. I appreciate her engagement in my education!!”
Pediatrics
February 2023
- Dr. Kathy Amoroso - “Dr. Amoroso was an excellent teacher and kind physician, I very much enjoyed working with and learning from her.”
- Dr. Austin Drake - “Dr. Drake is a phenomenal teacher! He was very engaging and really took an interest in creating teaching points for medical students!”
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Emily Nguyen, Acting Internship in Pediatrics - “I enjoyed working with Dr. Nguyen. It is obvious she has an interest in medical education and mentorship. I felt supported and appreciated in my role as an acting intern. She listened to my assessments and plans, read my notes, and provided guidance and correction in a constructive manner. She takes time with patients and does a great job of explaining our assessment and plan to patients and their families. I learned a lot about effective communication while working with her “and appreciate that she gave me the opportunity to explain difficult concepts to patient's families.”
- Dr. Virginia Powel, Pediatric ICU - “Dr. Powel gave very clear guidance on her expectations for student and resident patient presentations, which I appreciated. She was also very organized on rounds, which allowed her to spend a lot of time teaching. She gave immediate feedback on presentations and notes. Overall, it was a great learning experience.”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Austin Drake - “Amazing to work with. Incredibly approachable and easy to talk to. Gives ample opportunities to practice clinical skills and interact with patients, and gives specific feedback on performance and constructive suggestions on how to improve. I was blown away with his willingness to teach and openness to answer any and all my questions. Even though we are students, his confidence in us is palpable and it felt like he holds us to similar standards as the residents and challenged us to rise to the occasion, which helped accelerate my learning and growth. I would welcome another opportunity to work with him!”
- Dr. Manish Kumar - “I had a great time working with Manish. He is very approachable and easy to talk to. More than happy to answer any and all of my questions and is a great teacher. Gave specific feedback on notes, which was very helpful.”
Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine
February 2023
- Dr. Jessica Farrell - “10/10 nicest person I've ever met. Delightful to work with. Very clear about expectations and making sure I was involved in patient care as much as possible. Gave great feedback and was always available if I had questions or needed help on anything.”
- Dr. Eric Vance - “I had a great time working with Dr. Vance. He welcomes any and all questions and shared many clinical pearls throughout the days we spent working together. I learned a tremendous amount, not just content, but also tips and tricks on how to interact with patients and coach families that I will continue to use in my practice going forward. I would welcome another opportunity to work with Dr. Vance!”
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Hajra Ahmad, Emergency Psychiatry - “I really enjoyed working with Dr. Ahmad, learned a lot from her!”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Sarah Rivelli - “Dr. Rivelli is an excellent attending to learn from; she has a clear picture when looking at psychiatric and physiologic factors effecting a patient--she explains things very thoroughly and helps students walk through all the important details of a consult. Gives feedback directly and immediately, very good teacher, great attending to learn from.”
- Dr. Amin Syed - “Dr. Syed was great to work with during my time in inpatient psychiatry. I met him on the first week of my rotations and I found it incredibly helpful that he defined expectations and had great suggestions on interviewing patients. I appreciated that he let me take the lead on many interviews. I immensely liked that he clearly defined his expectations from the beginning and was always available when I had questions. He was cognizant of my shelf exam and provided me with resources that he found to be helpful during his medical school years, which is not something that residents often do. He is caring and compassionate, and certainly a great mentor to have.”
Radiology
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Nikesh Patel, Musculoskeletal Radiology - “Excellent attending to learn and work with. Appreciate his patience with going through anatomy and reinforcing concepts. Provided great resources for self-study and future reference. Very open to suggestions from the student and willing to tailor sessions to student interests.”
- Dr. Kelley Whitmer, Musculoskeletal Radiology - “Excellent attending to learn and work with. Appreciate the hand-drawn diagrams in reinforcing and explaining key MSK concepts. Was very enthusiastic about the learner's interests.”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Khursheed Imam - “Dr. Imam is really great! He took the time to simplify the foundations of MRI for me and MSK.”
- Dr. David Keyes - “Dr. Keyes is great! He took the time to go back and review neuro CT and MRIs before we read different cases. I could tell he wants me to learn and understand the basics.”
Surgery
February 2023
- Dr. Bryan Collier - “Very helpful introduction to fluid and electrolyte management in the hospitalized patient, enjoyed the conversational tone and engagement of students in critical thinking exercises throughout.”
- Dr. Maddy Denison - “Maddy Denison provided multiple opportunities to learn hands-on on our 24hr shift together, took every opportunity there was to teach and explain what was happening, facilitated a very collegial and friendly environment, demonstrated amazing empathy and compassion toward patients (especially a pediatric trauma we were called to).”
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Yaohua Lu, Pain Management-Outpatient - “I had a great experience learning from Dr. Lu during my time in pain management. Dr. Lu's flexibility and rapid response in making up lost rotation days due to a family passing was very much appreciated!”
- Dr. Andrea Olson, Anesthesia - “Helpful feedback, great patient interaction skills that I'd like to emulate/learn from, lots of opportunity to participate.”
January 2023 - Clerkship
- Dr. Katie Love-Bower - “Great attending - willing to teach, looks out for medical students, kind, and respectful.”
- Dr. Derek Schaap - “Dr. Schaap had the best bedside manner of anyone I worked with on this rotation. He took the time to answer all of the questions patients had, relay information in understandable terms, and really get on the patients level. He was also a willing teacher.”
Health Systems Science and Interprofessional Practice
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Cynthia Morrow, Health Systems Science Policy In Action - “Dr. Morrow is literally the best person I know.”
Medical Education
January 2023 - Elective
- Dr. Joanne Greenawald, Medical Education - “Although I did not work directly with Dr. Greenawald, this elective overall was an enjoyable experience and one that I would do again if given the opportunity. She established clear expectations for me from the first day and made an effort to meet with me at the end of my rotation. She is open to receiving feedback and making changes to improve the elective for future students.”
- Dr. Gary Simonds, Surviving A Malpractice Lawsuit - “It was great working with Dr. Simonds. He provided invaluable insight into the nature of medical malpractice and I'm confident I've walked away from this course better prepared to handle a malpractice suit in my career. I appreciate that the course was based on group discussions and challenged me to critically think about various aspects of medical malpractice.”