2006-2007 Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Awards
Distinction In Teaching Awarded to Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD & George Sawaya, MD
The Academic Senate is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Distinction In Teaching Awards.
Recipients of the Academic Senate Distinction In Teaching Awards will be honored at the Academic Senate Distinction In Teaching Awards Ceremony to be held Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 12:00 Noon in Toland Hall.
Distinction in Teaching
Category 1 (UCSF Faculty Less Than 5 Years): The 2007 Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award for faculty at UCSF five years or fewer goes to Gurpreet Dhaliwal, MD, Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine.
Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal originally came to UCSF for his residency in Internal Medicine in 1998, where he was considered “with no question, one of the very best residents here in quite some time” and was the “clear choice” for Chief Medical Resident. Dr. Dhaliwal was appointed to Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, School of Medicine in 2002 and is a clinician-educator at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. (The Clinical Professor series for non-volunteer faculty is now distinguished as the Health Sciences Clinical Professor series.) Dr. Dhaliwal was inducted into the Academy of Medical Educators in 2005. Paul Volberding, Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine, writes of Dr. Dhaliwal, “His clinical skills, knowledge and professionalism are unsurpassed; his teaching is always highly effective and his caring approach to his students and to all he does makes him a role model for many others.” An exceptional clinician-educator, Dr. Dhaliwal teaches in a wide range of settings, including the emergency room, ambulatory clinics, and direct bedside teaching in addition to his didactic lecturing in the Foundations of Patient Care and the Integration and Consolidation courses.
Dr. Dhaliwal has been the Site Director of the Internal Medicine Student Clerkship at the San Francisco VA Medical Center since 2005. Previous distinctions for Dr. Dhaliwal include the Calvin L. Chou PRIME Teaching Award (2006), the Henry J. Kaiser Award for Excellence in Inpatient Teaching (2005), the Floyd C. Rector Jr. Housestaff Teaching Award (2003), and the Excellence in Small Group Instruction Award (2001).
Category 2 (UCSF Faculty More Than 5 Years): The 2007 Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award for faculty at UCSF more than five years goes to George Sawaya, MD, Associate Professor, Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine.
Dr. Sawaya began his career at UCSF as a Resident in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences in 1990 and was a fellow in the Clinical Research Training Program in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics from 1994-1996. In 1996, Dr. Sawaya was appointed to the UCSF faculty as an Assistant Adjunct Professor and by 1997 became an Assistant Professor In Residence in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences with a secondary appointment in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Sawaya is currently an Associate Professor with appointments in both departments and is a Member of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Sawaya’s teaching covers numerous courses and a variety of venues. Recently Dr. Sawaya has taught in the Cancer Block, Clinical Decision Making, the Life Cycle Block, Physiology (all for UCSF Medical Students), and Research Methods and Introduction to Evidence-Based Medicine for Ob-Gyn Residents. Dr. Sawaya has “contributed significantly and creatively to the design of new courses at UCSF” and has been an excellent and effective mentor for students, fellows, and faculty. Dr. Sawaya was inducted into the Academy of Medical Educators in 2003. Previous distinctions for Dr. Sawaya include the Outstanding Teaching Award for Medical Student Education (1993), and the Outstanding Resident Teaching Award and Exceptional Achievements in Resident Education (1994 and 2005) from the UCSF Department of Ob-Gyn & RS, Excellence in Small Group Instruction from the UCSF School of Medicine Class of 2000 (2000), and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2000).
Students’ comments for Dr. Sawaya are uniformly laudatory, offering high praise for his precision, professionalism, dedication, sense of humor, availability, and ability not only to relate and engage important information, but to inspire. Students frequently express their gratitude for Dr. Sawaya’s ability to make evidence-based medicine come alive and relate clinical points with the underlying science.
Comments such these typify students’ appreciation for Dr. Sawaya’s teaching: “He cares deeply about my learning and has tailored my responsibilities to meet my learning goals. His passion for his work is infectious and he is incredibly fun to work with.” “My small group was the envy of our classmates for having Dr. Sawaya as our discussion leader.” “Dr. Sawaya illuminates the subject.” “His biostatistical agenda is to make us ‘thoughtful clinicians.’” “Throughout the process, Dr. Sawaya has been supportive, available, and has continually elicited feedback about my experiences and my preferences.” “Dr. Sawaya is one of the best small group leaders I have had in medical school. He is an engaging, clear, and wonderful teacher.”
Date/Location: Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 12:00 Noon in Toland Hall.
To select each year’s recipients the Academic Senate Committee on Academic Personnel designates a selection committee comprised of faculty and student representatives from all four schools. Student representatives are assigned by Associate Deans from each of the respective Schools. This award honors teaching efforts with both students and residents.