Boasting time…with humility.

In 2009, at our annual end-of-year banquet where we say goodbye to our graduating chief surgical residents from the Baystate Medical Center (Springfield, MA) surgery residency, I received the ‘Faculty Teacher of the Year Award’. What an honor! And what a surprise as I work part-time there and spend the rest of my time writing. We have so many excellent surgeons who are superb teachers. It’s a fantastic job and working with tomorrow’s surgeons keeps me young and motivated. I figured that was it – the apex of my teaching career.

Then, in 2010, I was one of three academic surgeons to receive a national teaching award from the Association for Surgical Education. Too good to be true. But, it wasn’t over. In 2012 I received a ‘Special Faculty Recognition Award’ from the graduating Tufts Medical School Class.

This year I was awarded the ‘Dean’s Outstanding Mentor Award’from the 2013 graduating class and, to my surprise, it carried with it the priviledge of ‘hooding’ the new graduates during the graduation ceremony. Teaching, including including being a patient advocate is my life’s work. I’ve been blessed to be working with so many talented future doctors.

I hope your work is as rewarding.