Family Medicine Resident Recognized for Excellence

The award recognizes a resident demonstrating excellence in leadership, teaching, patient care and service to the profession.

“Robert’s commitment to excellence is exemplified by his outstanding residency performance as our academic chief resident,” says Diana G. Wilkins, MD, clinical assistant professor of family medicine and director of the department’s residency program.

“This year’s academic didactic schedule has been nothing short of outstanding with numerous procedural workshops and suboxone training,” she adds.

Macek has engaged in a multitude of leadership opportunities as a member of several residency committees, including as a resident representative on the Graduate Medical Education Committee.

“Receiving the award means a lot to me because I was selected by my program’s faculty as a resident that goes above and beyond,” Macek says.

“I am very involved in the family medicine residency and it is nice to know that the hard work I put in over the years was recognized by both my residency and the Erie County Medical Society.”

When not practicing medicine, Macek has found other ways to serve his community.

He has been a volunteer fireman with the Cleveland Hill Fire Department since 2016. He is also an emergency medical technician and an Emergency Medical Services lieutenant for the fire department.

Macek also served as a volunteer police officer in New York City while he was an undergraduate at St. John’s University and shortly after 9/11.

“I have always believed that strong community engagement will strengthen our relationships with each other and maintain a better quality of life for all,” he says.

Wilkins says such service shows a commitment to community often found among family medicine practitioners.

“Whether it be protecting citizens as a police officer, rescuing victims as a first responder, or delivering health care while supervising medical students at a free clinic, Robert’s passion clearly is caring for his community,” she says.

Wilkins also notes Macek identified a gap in care for the obstetrical patient population during his residency and was successful in securing a $50,000 grant which led to the purchase of two new ultrasounds for the clinical practices.

“While going through my obstetrics and sports medicine rotations I realized how often we were training on ultrasound machines. These machines are crucial for the progression of safe and efficient medical practice,” Macek says.

“In family medicine we are expected to be one-stop shop physicians for our patients, but our clinics did not have these technologies and we often sent our patients elsewhere for imaging or procedures that we were being trained to perform,” he adds. “These machines are now being utilized in our clinics and further enhancing our education while providing continuity for our patients.” 

Macek has been recruited as a core faculty member and to UBMD Family Medicine as associate program director for the Amherst office starting in the fall.

“Robert is an excellent physician who possesses the skills necessary to become a future leader in family medicine,” Wilkins says.

“We are fortunate to have him on our team and even more fortunate to have recruited him to join our faculty after he completes his training.”