Sergio Hernandez MD
Sergio Hernandez
MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry; Medical Student Education Director
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Psychiatry
Professional Summary:
I am board-certified in psychiatry, and I work as an adult inpatient psychiatrist at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC). I regularly care for six hospitalized patients who have diagnoses ranging from schizophrenia to substance use disorders. I have been recognized with awards for my compassionate care of psychiatric patients.
I am also engaged in research, with a primary interest in medical student education. I have presented at a professional meeting--usually at the national level--every year since completing my residency. My topics have included a variety of areas in teaching, e.g., curriculum innovations and use of media in education, with an emphasis on psychiatric material. I also have a research interest in the stigma of mental disorders. One of my current projects looks at attitudes toward the mentally ill held by medical students. I am interested to see whether education in the form of a psychiatry clerkship would decrease the stigma of mental illness and, perhaps, increase the numbers of students choosing psychiatry as a medical specialty.
I am deeply committed to teaching and mentoring the next generation of physicians who will care for the mentally ill. My inpatient unit is one of the primary teaching units at ECMC, and I serve on one of the primarily psychiatry teaching services at the hospital. As director of medical student education in psychiatry, most of my responsibilities and day-to-day activities include teaching and training medical students and residents. I orient and lecture the third-year medical students in my role as clerkship director, oversee the third-year medical student curriculum, coordinate the three-week psychiatry segment of the Neuroscience and Behavior course for the second-year students and lecture for a significant part of the course. I also teach the psychiatry residents on my inpatient unit and regularly deliver resident lectures.
I have been recognized for teaching throughout my career, both at the school and national levels. For example, I twice received the Mentor of the Year award from UB’s psychiatry residents, and I received the Irma Bland Award for Excellence in Teaching Residents from the American Psychiatric Association.
Education and Training:
- Residency, University at Buffalo (2010)
- Residency, Resident in Psychiatry, University at Buffalo - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2010)
- Residency, University at Buffalo - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2009)
- MD, University at Buffalo - School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (2006)
- BA, Molecular and Cell biology, University of California, Berkeley (1999)
Employment:
- Director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, University at Buffalo (2013-present)
- Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Psychiatry, University at Buffalo (2010-present)
- Inpatient Psychiatric Attending Physician, Psychiatry, Erie County Medical Center (2010-present)
- Assistant Director of Medical Student Education, Department of Psychiatry, University at Buffalo (2013)
- Junior Attending, Psychiatry, Erie County Medical Center (2009–2010)
- Assistant Clinical Instructor, Psychiatry, University at Buffalo (2006–2010)
Awards and Honors:
- Murray A. Morphy, MD Mentor of the Year Award (2016)
- Irma Bland, M.D. Certificate of Excellence in Teaching Residents (2014)
- Outstanding Staff Physician - Erie County Medical Center (2014)
- Murray A. Morphy, MD Mentor of the Year Award (2013)
- Royal College of Physicians Accreditation (2013)
- Honorable Mention for the Siegel Teaching Award, Preclinical Years (2013)
- Outstanding Contributions to Medical Student Education (2012)
- Outstanding Contributions to the Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (2012)
- Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award (2007)
- Gold Humanism Honor Society Second Biennial Conference (2006)
- Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award (2006)
- Dr. James Goldinger Curriculum Leadership Award (2006)
- The Gilbert M. Beck Memorial Prize in Psychiatry (2006)
- Inducted Member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (2005)
- Recipient of the President's Undergraduate Research Fellowship (1999)
- President's Undergraduate Research Fellowship (1999)
- Regent's and Chancellor's Scholarship (1996)
Presentations:
- "Drugs and the Brain" Camp Neuro, Jacob School of Medicine and Health Sciences Charter School, Camp Neuro (2016)
- "Exploring Factors that Encourage the Increase in Medical Students Choosing Psychiatry as a Career" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, ADMSEP, ADMSEP (2016)
- "Principle Speaker at Doctors Back to School" Doctors Back to School, Jacob School of Medicine and Health Sciences Charter School, Doctors Back to School (2016)
- "Drugs and the Brain" Camp Neuro, University at Buffalo, Camp Neuro (2015)
- "On Call Rx for Success: Medical School - Keynote Speaker" On Call Rx for Success: Medical School, University at Buffalo, Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (2015)
- "Evidence Based Medicine in Psychiatry" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, ADMSEP, ADMSEP (2014)
- "Medical Student Perception of Psychiatry/Mental Illness Before and After Psychiatric Curriculum" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, ADMSEP, ADMSEP (2014)
- "Using Reflective Writing to Increase Empathy in Medical Students" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (2013)
- "Dopamine Dysregulation Syndrome in an Acute Inpatient with Psychosis" 16th Annual Scholarly Exchange at Spring Clinical Day, University at Buffalo, Department of Psychiatry (2013)
- "Songs In The Key of Life: Using Music to Teach Psychiatry" PsychSIGN Annual Meeting, PsychSIGN (2013)
- "The Next Generation: Trends, Factors, And Success Stories in Recruiting Medical Students into Psychiatry" Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Association (2013)
- "Songs In The Key of Life: Using Music to Teach Psychiatry" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (2012)
- "Songs In The Key of Life: Using Music to Teach Psychiatry" PsychSIGN Annual Meeting, PsychSIGN (2012)
- "Songs in the Key of Life: Using Music to Teach Psychiatry" PsychSIGN Annual Meeting, PsychSIGN, PsychSIGN (2011)
- "Copyrights and Wrongs: Understanding the Fair Use Exception" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (2010)
- "Using Music to Teach Psychiatry" PsychSIGN Annual Meeting, PsychSIGN, PsychSIGN (2010)
- "The Lives of Others: Using a Film Club to Encourage Interest in Psychiatry" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Poster Presentation (2009)
- "Healing Arts" Gold Humanism Honor Society Third Biennial Conference, The Gold Humanism Honor Society, Round Table (2008)
- "It Don‘t Mean a Thing if it Ain‘t Got that Swing: Creating a Multimedia Mental Status Exam" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Workshop (2008)
- "Using the Arts in Psychiatric Medical Student Education" PsychSIGN Annual Meeting, PsychSIGN, PsychSIGN (2008)
- "Mental Illness and All That Jazz: Using the Arts to Reduce Stigma" Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry, Annual Conference of the Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (2007)
- "Gold Humanism Honor Society" Gold Humanism Honor Society Second Biennial Conference, Gold Humanism Honor Society (2006)
Service Activities:
- Psychiatry, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Department of Psychiatry Executive Committee; Member (2013)
- Psychiatry, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Department of Psychiatry Undergraduate Medical Education Committee; Member (2013)
- Phase 2 Committee Member; Member of the UB School of Medicine Phase 2 Committee; Committee Member (2013–present)
- Consolidation Committee Member; Member of the Erie County Medical Center's Consolidation Committee; Committee Member (2013–present)
- Residency Education Policy Committee; Committee member of the UB Department of Psychiatry Residency Program Education Policy Committee; Committee Member (2013–present)
- Residency Program Evaluation Committee; Committee member of the UB Department of Psychiatry Residency Program Evaluation Committee; Committee Member (2013–present)
- Travel Policy Committee; Committee member of the Department of Psychiatry Travel Policy Committee; Committee Member (2013–present)
- Faculty Chapter Advisor, Good Humanism Honor Society; Advisor (2010–2012)
- Co-Advisor Benjamin Rush Society; Advisor (2010–present)
- Psychiatry Film Club Coordinator; The Psychiatry Film club explores films relevant to psychiatric treatment and diagnosis. Students and faculty meet to watch and discuss the films.; Coordinator (2010–present)
- Residency Program Selection Subcommittee; Committee Member (2007–2012)
- Member, American Psychiatric Association; Member (2006–2012)
- Resident Coordinator - Film Club; Resident Coordinator of the Film Club; Coordinator (2006–2010)
- Member Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry; Member (2006–present)
- Member Gold Humanism Honor Society; Member (2006–present)
- Volunteer Friends of the Night People Homeless Shelter; Volunteer (2004–2010)