Dedicated Medical Teachers Receive 2015 Siegel Awards

The annual awards are the foremost means for University at Buffalo medical students to honor their professors, instructors and teaching assistants.

This year’s awardees are from seven departments: biochemistry, dermatology, medicine, neurology, neurosurgery, pathology and anatomical sciences and pediatrics.

The awards were presented during the School of Medicine and Biomedical Science’s Faculty Appreciation Day April 15. Honorees are listed below, along with nominators’ comments read at the award ceremony.

• Heather K. Lehman, MD, clinical associate professor of pediatrics 

Students said Lehman “encompasses all the hallmarks of a good teacher,” noting that “she is well-organized, well paced, clear, approachable and competent.”

“I feel that the sign of an effective teacher is one who delivers concepts so well that they become part of a student’s understanding of the world, rather than a fact to be memorized. Dr. Lehman does this.”

Berenson “is comprehensive and thorough as both a teacher and a physician.”

“He continually pushes us to look a little deeper and to learn to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind every test. It’s easy to see how much he cares for every one of his patients.”

“He is one of the best clinical teachers I’ve had.”

• Jonathan Claus, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases

Students said Claus “teaches at the bedside every day on rounds, and he makes students feel like important members of he team. He never makes us feel like we’re in the way.”

“He makes us well-rounded, and teaches us about the medical field as a whole."

“I feel lucky and honored to work with Dr. Claus.”

• Ali Sheikh, DO, medicine, cardiovascular disease fellowship program

Students described Sheikh as “a physician role model” who “demonstrates compassion, respect and humanism for all patients.”

“His passion for teaching is obvious. He always finds time to teach us, no matter how busy the service and no matter how much work there is left to be done.”

“His teachings are tailored to different levels of understanding, which makes his talks with students easy to follow, yet still comprehensive.”

The following honorable mention recipients also were recognized:

• Christopher S. Cohan, PhD, professor of pathology and anatomical sciences
• Cynthia A. Dlugos, PhD, research associate professor of pathology and anatomical sciences
• Murray J. Ettinger, PhD, distinguished teaching professor of biochemistry

• Robert N. Sawyer Jr., MD, clinical associate professor of neurology

• Michael J. Chaskes, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
• Stephen Chrzanowski, MD, clinical assistant professor of medicine
• Laura Fisher, clinical instructor of pediatrics
• Robert E. Kalb, MD, clinical professor of dermatology
• Channa M. Kolb, MD, assistant professor of neurology
• Naz J. Zulqarni, MBBS, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics

• Mohammed E. Al-Sofiani, MBBS, medicine
• Jasmine Bir, MD, medicine
  
• Andrew Fanous, MD, neurosurgery
• Adam R. Riordan, DO, medicine

Michael Danise, a second-year medical student, received an honorable mention for the volunteer tutoring services he provides to his fellow students.