Meaningful recognitions of teaching impact often come from the trainees and students themselves. Each year each student at each level in the Carver College of Medicine is asked to nominate and then vote for instructors who have made the most difference to them.
Because our educators measure impact one student at a time, a nomination is held in as high esteem as a win. Congratulations to the following nominees and the winner, all with appointments in Internal Medicine, for the 2023-24 academic year!
Nominee: Jason Barker, MD
I would like to nominate Dr. Jason Barker for always ensuring we were on time with our lectures, for creating extra handouts/pearls for our keystone exams, and for always answering questions to the best of his ability. He cares about our education and I really appreciate that from him.
Nominee: Hunter Frederiksen, MD
His unwavering enthusiasm for medicine and genuine desire to share knowledge made him an outstanding teacher. Dr. Frederiksen’s positive energy creates a collaborative learning environment where medical students enjoyed learning and felt valued. His explanations were always clear and accessible. He went far beyond typical expectations for a senior resident, personally arranging for us to shadow an ablation procedure in the cardiac cath lab. His kindness, passion for medicine, and dedication to both his patients and to teaching solidified my choice to pursue internal medicine. I’ve worked with many great residents, but Dr. Frederiksen’s teaching style has left a lasting impact and serves as an inspiration for the kind of resident I strive to be.
Nominee: Lauris Kaldjian, MD, PhD
Over the past year I have been influenced by Dr. Lauris Kaldjian through a handful of rotations in which he led ethics discussions. Dr. Kaldjian taught these ethics sessions with conviction, encouraging students to think deeply about their own ethics and moral compass and genuinely challenging us to understand why we believe as we do. He even made time to meet with me outside of these formal lectures for further discussion, and indeed, throughout medical school, he has made it clear that his door is always open to discuss any question I may have, related to ethics or not. As I now think about graduating and beginning residency, I can’t help but wonder what ethical dilemmas I will possibly encounter? Thanks to Dr. Kaldjian’s influence and teaching, I know that I have a better foundation for handling these dilemmas and challenges, whatever they may be.
Nominee: James B. Ray, PharmD
Dr. Ray is one of the primary pharmacists for the inpatient palliative care team. He also oversees many pharmacy students in this role. During my four-weeks of palliative care, I found myself gravitating towards his teaching sessions with the pharmacy students. His knowledge base is impressive and his ability to answer any question about the therapies we were using was outstanding. He always welcomed me to his teaching and would even open his questions to all learners on the service. He provided me with additional resources for my own personal learning beyond the rotation. His commitment to patient safety is clear and the inpatient team is in great hands with his oversight on the therapeutic decisions made for the very sick patients.
Winner: Antonio Sanchez, MD
Antonio Sanchez, MD, clinical professor in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, has been nominated and selected by the Carver College of Medicine student body as the 2024 Milleman M3 Faculty of the Year.
Medical student Alex Marti summarized the nominations Sanchez received, citing “his encouraging and engaging teaching style in the hospital, his contagious passion for this field of expertise, and the respect and support he shows for members of his team.”
One nominator wrote:
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Sanchez while on my internal medicine rotation. He was so kind and encouraging and made me feel like a valuable member of the team. I learned so much while working with him. The hepatology service felt a bit overwhelming and confusing at first, but his passion for his work left me feeling like it was the coolest specialty I had ever encountered.
Upon learning of his win, Sanchez said that he was “surprised” and “humbled by this honor.” He accepted the award “with deep gratitude.” Sanchez went on to say, “I am so proud to teach at the CCOM and support our students through all their phases of learning.”
Sanchez was presented the award in late April at the college’s 120th Aesculpian Frolics, an annual tradition in which students and faculty showcase their talents. As one of the faculty award-winners, Sanchez was also invited to serve as a judge for the evening’s performances.