Each spring, Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Affairs alongside Vanderbilt University School of Medicine recognizes outstanding faculty members for their contributions to student medical education, as voted upon by graduating M4s. This year was particularly special as Dean Jeffrey Balser, M.D., Ph.D gave the final commencement-season address of his career.
VUSM faculty, staff, and students celebrated the following recipients at the Almost Alumni Luncheon on Wednesday, May 6, 2025:
Bonnie M. Miller, M.D., M.M.H.C Award
The Immersion Award highlights teachers, mentors, coaches, and other faculty that greatly support students in the highly individualized, post-clerkship phase that uses clinical context to build upon prior learning. The broad menu of courses in this phase offer students the opportunity to engage with faculty in a variety of ways, whether the faculty member be an expert in their field or rising star in the field, teach many students or a few, these educators have a meaningful impact on students. This award recognizes five individuals, the top vote recipient receives the “Miller Award” and the next four top recipients receive the “Miller Immersion Award.” Together they recognize Dean Bonnie M. Miller, M.D., MMHC, as a champion of Curriculum 2.0, which brought in this highly-individualized post-clerkship phase.
Miller Immersion Awards
- Adriana Bialostozsky, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics
- Cameron Henry, M.D., Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Services
- Janice Law, M.D., Associate Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
- Kaitlin Ray, M.D., Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Miller Award
- Stephen Gadomski, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery
House Staff Clinical Teaching Awards
This award is given to four faculty educators that acted as exceptional teachers to students in a clinical setting during the educators’ time as interns or residents.
- Dan Jan Niec, M.D., Radiology-PGY3
- Ryan Seltzer, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery-PGY3
- Morgan Touchton, M.D., OB-GYN-PGY3
- Punit Vyas, M.D., General Surgery-PGY3
J. William Hillman, M.D. Award
This award is given to an educator that has gone above and beyond to teach students in a clinical setting during the educator’s time as an intern or resident.
- James Jordano, M.D., Emergency Medicine-PGY3
Thomas E. Brittingham, M.D. Clinical Teaching Award
This award distinguishes faculty teaching in the clinical years (both full and part-time) who are felt by fourth-year students to be exceptional teachers, mentors and role models.
- Anuj Patel, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Hospital Medicine
Jack A. Davies, M.D. Award
This award recognizes excellence in teaching the basic sciences by a faculty members who worked with students in their M1 year.
- Cathy Pettepher, Ph.D, Professor of Biochemistry, Medical Education & Administration
Assistant and Dean of Medical Student Assessment
John S. Johnson, M.D. Award
This award is given to the faculty member who demonstrates integrity, humility and honor in his or her practice and life, setting an example for students by living out the ideals presented in the professional oath.
- Babatunde Carew, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Leonard Tow, M.D. Humanism in Medicine Award
This prestigious award is given to recognize one faculty member for exemplifying outstanding humanism in medicine by their compassion and sensitivity in the delivery of care to patients and their families.
- Rohini Chakravarthy, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine
James B.D. Mark, M.D> Award in Surgical Training
- Steven Eskind, M.D., FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery and Surgical Clerkship Program Director
Shovel Award
The Shovel Award is given by members of the fourth year class to a faculty member who has had a positive and meaningful influence on their lives and education. This award is considered to be the class “favorite faculty.”
- David F. Meoli, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine
Congratulations to these fantastic educators! View all Almost Alumni Luncheon photos on our Flickr.