September 2025 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 Month's Submissions
Below are the exceptional teacher recognitions shared with the Learning Environment Advocacy Committee this rotation. Thank you to these faculty for providing a great experience for our students.
September 2025 Clerkship Submissions
Emergency Medicine
- NA
Family and Community Medicine
- (Attending) Adrienne Kinsey, DO – “allowed me to begin seeing patients on my own. I really appreciated this opportunity, especially coming from a previous rotation where it was challenging to have my time with patients and interview them fully without someone else jumping in. When we weren't seeing patients, she took the time to explain different concepts/screenings. These teaching moments happened each day. She was always thinking of ways to include me in clinic and support me in growing a clinical mindset.”
- (Attending) Linsey Clarke, DO – “was a physician who had outstanding bedside manner. He was fully invested in my education and made his number one priority the safety of his patients and those around him.”
Internal Medicine
- (Resident) Ijaz Mohamed, DO – “This is one of the best and most outstanding residents I have been able to work with. Dr. Mohamed always made sure I was included in the team, got my opinions on patients, prompted me with questions, and took the time to teach me. His kindness will always be remembered as s medical student, and it is appreciated. He always made sure I was in a good place before leaving the room, and made sure to answer all my questions and encouraged me to speak out on my ideas when it comes to patients.”
- (Resident) Ian Muir, DO – “made me feel welcome right away and reassured me that I want to pursue medicine. From the start, he treated us like part of the team-not just "medical students"-and that made all the difference. What stood out most was how much he cared about teaching. He didn't want us doing busy work; instead, he gave us cases he knew would be valuable learning experiences. He'd take the time to walk through differentials and go patient by patient, making sure we understood the reasoning behind each diagnosis and plan. On top of being brilliant, he's also one of the most humble people I've ever met. He never cares about taking credit for his ideas, he'll even let us present them ourselves. Finally, the way he interacts with patients is something I'll never forget. He's genuine, kind, and incredibly respectful-not just with patients, but with students and colleagues too. Overall, he made a huge impact on me during my first rotation. He's intelligent, humble, and an amazing teacher who goes out of his way to make sure students feel supported and valued.”
- (Resident) Joshua Lunsford, DO – “is one of the most thoughtful people I've had the chance to work with. What makes him stand out immediately is how much he thinks about the perspective of the medical student. He takes the time to give great constructive feedback-especially on how to communicate with patients and how to improve our notes-which has been invaluable for my learning. Beyond teaching, he's one of the most proactive physicians I've seen. He values learning and ownership in medicine. Getting to train under someone with that mindset has been incredibly inspiring. His patient care is just as impressive. He spends so much time with each patient, knows them well, and communicates in a way that makes them feel respected and reassured. Honestly, anyone would be lucky to have Dr. Lunsford as their physician, and I hope to be even half the doctor he is one day.”
- (Resident) Reshma Mandava, DO – “is honestly one of the nicest humans I've ever met. She was always checking in on us-asking if we needed anything, if we were doing okay, and making sure we felt comfortable. She constantly invited us to join her on cases, and it really felt like she wanted us to be involved. She was so patient and never made me feel dumb for asking questions. No matter how unpredictable things got, she always had a clear plan for each patient every day. On top of that, she made time to support us as students-letting me pick her brain about how to study, sharing resources on how to present, and just giving advice in such a thoughtful way. Even after the rotation ended, she still showed support by wishing us luck on exams. That's just the kind of person she is-she builds meaningful relationships and makes you feel valued. It would be such a privilege to work with her again.”
- (Attending) Lily Colpitts, MD – “taught me how to see a large volume of patients while providing compassionate and excellent care. I previously considered these things (efficiency vs. compassion/comprehensiveness) mutually exclusive but working with her showed me they are not and will inform my future work.”
Neurology
- (Resident) Ahunna Nwogu, MBBS – “was a phenomenal teacher. She was one of the smartest residents. Dr. Nwogu is a patient and excellent teacher.”
- (Attending) Nasser Mohammed, MBBS – “emphasized teaching and learning throughout each day. He taught us to approach patient cases in a systematic and logical manner to reach the correct diagnosis. He gave many tips about how to take responsibility for our patients. He was encouraging and gave direct feedback. Dr. Mohammed challenged us to be curious and to identify knowledge gaps so that we would continually learn and grow. Beyond being an excellent teacher, Dr. Mohammed continuously exhibited a knowledgeable and empathetic demeanor to patients, that made him a role model to the resident/student team.”
OB-GYN
- (Resident) Ashlee Brooker, MD – “was an amazing teacher, role model, and guide during my OB/GYN rotation. She is so very welcoming, warm, open to teaching and just an all-around wonderful presence! She made sure to keep me involved in decision making. She really helped me feel part of a team and made me feel very comfortable to ask any questions I have regarding cases/medical conditions. All in all, a very wonderful teacher and a great role model.”
- (Attending) Kimberly Simcox, DO – “From the very beginning, Dr. Simcox was incredibly approachable, which made it easy to ask questions, engage in discussions, and seek feedback. What stood out most was her ability to teach in a way that was both respectful and challenging. Dr. Simcox consistently took time during a busy service to explain clinical reasoning, review anatomy or physiology relevant to a case, and involve students in decision-making.”
Pediatrics
- (Resident in Family Medicine) Christina Nielsen, DO – “is amazing! She is a first-year family medicine resident, but she helped tremendously at every point. She helped me boost my confidence to begin speaking directly with the families to discuss plans going forward. She always gave me her full attention when I had a question or wanted to discuss a plan for a patient.”
- (Attending) Rebecca King, MD – “was an integral part of my learning experience. She had such a positive attitude and tailored didactic sessions towards topics we were interested in. She supported my learning in being very available and willing to guide me. Her presence and teaching gave me so much more confidence in my ability to make an impact on patients and learn as a student doctor.”
- (Attending) Rachel Gagen, MD – “was one of the best teachers. She pushed me to grow, make corrections, and learn from mistakes. She did so while being supportive and giving prompt, unsolicited feedback to help me learn. She was enthusiastic and praising of any successes I had during patient care.”
- (Attending) Amy Kryder, MD – “pushed me to become a better physician-more so than any attending I've worked with so far on my rotations. She had a keen ability to recognize my weaknesses (which turned out to be more glaring than I had anticipated) and resisted the temptation to spoon-feed me answers. She also never gave me busy work; instead, she took the time to review concepts and make sure I truly understood them. We worked together to improve my ability not just to recognize descriptions of lesions on exams, but to digest that knowledge and translate it into a real clinical skill. I believe every student should have the opportunity to work with Dr. Kryder.”
Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine
- (Resident) Trey Giorcelli, MD – “was an outstanding teacher and role model. He allowed me to take an active role in interviewing/rounding on patients as well as updating parents and conducting family meetings. He was very encouraging but also gave me helpful feedback. He also made a true effort to find opportunities to teach me or help me better understand a concept when we would encounter an example of it in practice. I am so grateful that I was able to work with someone who helped me grow and learn.”
Radiology
- NA
Surgery
- (Resident) Allison Zheng, MD – “incredible person and resident. I worked with her during my first service when I didn't know about the ins and outs of the OR. She took the time every day to ensure that I had enough knowledge to succeed. She helped set me up for success in my future services.”
- (Resident) Allyson Huttinger, MD – “was a great teacher while on night shifts. She had an immensely busy role during the overnights, but she still always wanted us to tag along when she went to see consults and try to teach us something. She also encouraged us to take responsibility and she gave us confidence in ourselves. She is an incredible resident and I hope she continues to work with students in the future.”