Faculty Honored for Dedication and Support of Medical Education by Each Class of Students

Every year, each class of medical students nominate faculty who have been exemplary role models and gone above and beyond in supporting their education. Friday, May 3, those recognitions were presented at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix’s Student-nominated Faculty Teaching Awards.

Across 300 clinical sites, more than 2,000 faculty interact with College of Medicine – Phoenix students, mentoring and guiding them as they pursue careers as physicians.

Katie Brite, MD, associate dean of Clinical and Competency Based Education, spoke to the enormous impact their work has on the college’s students. “Today is a very special day for us because we are honoring our amazing and tremendous faculty. It takes a village; we have a wonderful network of faculty that are so passionate and dedicated to our students’ journey,” she said.

As crucial as their mentorship is for the students, the faculty also benefit immensely from playing a role in the education and development of the next generation. Being recognized by the students for their efforts is both emotional and gratifying.

Wesley Swartz, MD, a first-year pediatrics resident at Phoenix Children’s, was honored to have been recognized as the outstanding house officer in his field. “It's a big privilege. I, myself, have been the recipient of some really excellent educators over the years,” he said. “And when I think about myself in an educational environment, working with medical students, they have really inspired me to make it fun, make it applicable and really find a way to enjoy my time working together with other people.”

Juliana Peterson, MD, and Tati Rivera-Rodriguez, MD, who were co-recipients of the Outstanding Teaching by a House Officer for Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN), were similarly gracious to have received the award.

“There's a lot of energy, and I just loved working and interacting with the students this year. I think there's so much potential, and they're great at what they do. I'm excited to see where they go,” said Dr. Peterson, a fourth-year resident in the college’s OB/GYN Residency, as well as an alumna from the college’s Class of 2020.

Dr. Rivera-Rodriguez, a second-year resident in the college’s OB/GYN Residency, was also complimentary of the work the students did in the clinical setting, “I was blown away by this third-year class. They're so amazing, so talented. To be honored by them is really awesome and touching.”

The nominations from the Class of 2027 will be presented at next year’s awards.

Awards

Selected by the Class of 2024

• Educator of the Year – Bob Raschke, MD, director of the Critical Care Selective.
• Excellence in Medical Student Mentoring – Will Heise, MD, director of Precision Medicine and research director of the Division of Clinical Data Analytics and Decision Support.

Selected by the Class of 2025

• Educator of the Year – Uriel Castañeda, MD, site director of the Gila River Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship.
• Excellence in Teaching by a Clerkship – Laura Mercer, MD, OB/GYN Clerkship director.
• Outstanding Teaching by a House Officer:
  • Family/Community and Preventive Medicine – Christopher Alvarez, MD, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
  • Internal Medicine – Harrison VanDolah, MD, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
  • Neurology – Zain Ashary, MD, Barrow Neurological Institute, and Dakota Enlow, DO, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
  • OB/GYN – Juliana Peterson, MD, and Tati Rivera-Rodriguez, MD, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
  • Pediatrics – Wesley Swartz, MD, Phoenix Children’s.
  • Psychiatry – Lukas Kuhnel, MD, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.
  • Surgery – Janelle Rodriguez, MD, and Amanda Mesa, MD, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

Selected by the Class of 2026

• Educator of the Year – Ali S. Al Yaqoobi, MD, director of the Biomedical Informatics Theme.
• Excellence in Medical Student Mentoring – Jennifer Hartmark-Hill, MD, director of Narrative Medicine and the Longitudinal Clinical Experience, and Leah Hillier, MD, assistant clinical professor of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine.
• Excellence in Teaching by a Block – Nervous System II:
  • Cynthia A. Standley, PhD, director. 
  • Paul Bendheim, MD, co-director.
  • Robert Bina, MD, co-director.