Talented Medical Teachers Honored With 2014 Siegel Awards

The annual awards are the foremost means for University at Buffalo medical students to honor extraordinary professors and instructors.

This year’s awardees are from six departments: biochemistry, family medicine, medicine, neurology, pathology and anatomical sciences and surgery.

The honorees are listed below, along with nominators’ comments read during the award ceremony.

• Lynn M. Steinbrenner, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine

Steinbrenner “easily integrates her clinical experiences into lectures” and is “both a teacher and a role model.”

One student commented: “I often find myself writing down facts and treatment strategies from her lectures — knowing that they won’t be on the test — just because they are so interesting.”

Students describe Kowalski as “a wonderful teacher” who “relishes the opportunity to teach.”

“He has mastered the ability to convey the joy of learning and discovery to his students.”

“He imparts the many critical life skills he obtained during his numerous years of practice.”

• John Gillespie, MD, family medicine

Gillespie “goes above and beyond his required duties” as a Clinical Practice of Medicine seminar leader and “trains his students to the highest standard.”

According to his students, Gillespie has held review sessions before exams with a standardized patient and has exposed students to multiple standardized patients per seminar session, which enables them to engage in greater patient interaction.

• George Ventro, MD, surgery

Nominators praised Ventro for “consistently treating everyone with respect” and for “setting a good example of how to develop rapport with patients.”

One student said, “he helped me build confidence in working with patients, and he helped me feel more comfortable presenting to the attendings.”

“He made all of his students feel as though they were a part of the team. He displayed an incredible knowledge base for a first-year surgical resident, and he shared his knowledge with his students.”

Recipients of honorable mention also were recognized at the ceremony. They are:

• Christopher S. Cohan, PhD, professor of pathology and anatomical sciences
• Reid R. Heffner, MD, professor of pathology and anatomical sciences
• Alan J. Lesse, MD, associate professor of medicine and vice chair for education
• Mark R. O'Brian, PhD, professor of biochemistry

• Lorne R. Campbell, MD, assistant professor of family medicine
• Ashkan Mowla, MD, assistant professor of neurology

• Kenneth H. Eckhert, MD, surgery
• Donald Rachow, MD, medicine
• Mohammad Reza Samie, MD, neurology
• Lily Snyder, MD, family medicine

• Caitlyn Dragon, MD, surgery
• Bharath Rajagopalan, MD, chief resident, medicine
  
• Awais Zaka, MD, medicine