Vice Chair of Education

An update from the Office of the Vice Chair of Education

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Looking Ahead to a New Academic Year

There is no denying that June is a particularly special time of year in Medical Education. Programs are working tirelessly to graduate seniors while simultaneously onboarding new interns and fellows. Medical school graduates and senior residents are readying themselves for the next phase in their careers. Medical school leaders are preparing to guide their next cohort of students into an interview season that is just over the horizon.

Hematology/Oncology Fellows celebrate graduation. From left: David Russler-Germain, MD, PhD, Michael Slade, MD, Raya Saba, MD, Bindya Patel, MD, Fahrettin Covut, MD, Michael Igelsia, MD, PhD
Gastroenterology Fellows celebrate graduation. Back row from left: Kemmian Johnson, MD, MPH, Matthew Peller, MD, Badr Alhumayyd, MBBS, Parth Shah, MD, Parth Patel, MD. Front row from left: Garrett Greenan, MD, Lolwa Al-Obaid, MD, Vladimir Lamm, MD. Not pictured: Ankita Tirath

With so many moving pieces, it can be easy to let the month fly by without pausing to appreciate the many and varied accomplishments of everyone involved in such a tremendous operation. But the successful changeover to a new academic year is no small feat, and when June comes to a close, congratulations are in order for each and every member of the team that contributed to a seamless transition.

We hope that at this time of year, you can find the time to slow down and celebrate all the wonderful accomplishments occurring around you. The entire gamut of Medical Education deserves to be celebrated, from the program administrators crossing every T and dotting every I to ensure a smooth onboarding, to the chief residents and fellows pouring their energy into orientation for new trainees, to the faculty and program directors working to continuously improve the curriculum we deliver to our housestaff and medical students. Most importantly, now is a time to recognize the bright physicians that have worked diligently to reach this milestone achievement in their careers. As we send our medical students, residents, and fellows on to their next adventures, we hope they feel recognized and appreciated for the impact they have had, and our excitement at what lies ahead for them. Congratulations to the class of 2023!

Changes in IM Residency Leadership

We are very pleased and excited to welcome Katie Sidler, C-TAGME, as the new Senior Education Manager for Internal Medicine Residency! Katie has been with the Internal Medicine Residency program for the past nine years and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. She is stepping into this role after Bethany Millar, C-TAGME, who recently accepted the role of Director of Graduate Medical Education in the WashU GME Office. We congratulate both women on their new roles and look forward to continued collaboration!

The IM Residency is also pleased to announce the addition of two new Associate Program Directors. Dr. Natalie Baumann is a current General Medicine faculty member. She will serve as the Ambulatory APD and as a housestaff advisor. Dr. David Vermette joins the General Medicine faculty on July 1st following fellowships in Medical Education and Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. He will serve as a General APD, a housestaff advisor, and a preceptor in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic.

Fellows’ Council

Fellows enjoy a game during the DOM Fellows’ Appreciation Weekend sponsored by the Fellows’ Council. From left: Philip Wiener, DO; Alyssa Carvahlo, MD; Alice Zhou, MD, PhD; Imran Nizamuddin, MD

The DOM Fellows’ Council worked hard in the past year to build community and provide meaningful professional development opportunities to all subspecialty fellows. The Council saw many successes in 2022-2023, ending the year with a series of fun social events as part of the Inaugural Fellows’ Appreciation Weekend. We congratulate the Council on their achievements and are excited to see what lies ahead in the next academic year.

We would like to acknowledge the outgoing council members for their efforts: Gaurav Rajashekar (Nephrology), Lolwa Al-Abaid (Gastroenterology), Philip Wiener (Electrophysiology), Petra Krutilov (Endocrinology), Raya Saba (Hematology/Oncology) and Aisling Doyle (Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine).

Fellows socialize at a DOM Fellows’ Council Happy Hour

We also congratulate and welcome new and returning council members: Gayathri Krishnan (Infectious Disease), Alice Zhou (Hematology/Oncology), Anne Marie Kerchberger (Cardiology), Hannah Wey, (Electrophysiology), Alyssa Carvahlo (Endocrinology), Mary Morgan Lee (Infectious Disease), Intelly Lee (Infectious Disease), Michael Iglesia (Hematology/Oncology) and Abdullah Jalal (Nephrology).

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

As we close out the final chapter of our 2022-2023 Academic Year, we wish to extend hearty congratulations to the following faculty and housestaff educators for their outstanding achievements in Medical Education!

  • Steven Cheng, MD – Recipient of the Pre-Clinical Teacher of the Year Award, presented at the 2023 WUSM Commencement Ceremony
  • 2023 IM Residency Awards Teacher of the Year Awards
    • Martin Kerrigan & Eric Johnson – Inpatient Medicine (FIRM)
    • Adam May & Richard Bach – Cardiology
    • Daniel Reynold – Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine
    • Steven Cheng – Nephrology
    • Jeffrey Crippin – Gastroenterology & Hepatology
    • Colin Diffie – Rheumatology
    • Sena Sayood – Infectious Diseases
    • Sana Saif Ur Rehman – Hematology/Oncology
    • Clay Semenkovich – Endocrinology
    • Colin Martz – Teaching Fellow of the Year
  • 2023 WashU Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) inductees
    • Faculty: Abby Spencer (Internal Medicine); Lisa Zickuhr (Rheumatology); Gregory Ewald (Cardiology)
    • Housestaff: Cosette Champion (Internal Medicine), Kai Jones (Endocrinology), Niral Patel (Internal Medicine), Shreyas Venkataraman (Internal Medicine)
  • Block 2 LeJIT Teaching Awards
    • Inpatient Setting: Zach Morgan (faculty) and Elisa De Togni (resident)
    • Outpatient Setting: Rebecca Wiesehan (faculty) and Neha Akkad (resident)