Saumil Chudgar, MD
Saumil Chudgar, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine and director of undergraduate medical education in the Department of Medicine, has received the 2016 Duke Medicine Golden Apple Award for Clinical Science Faculty for the fifth time! It is the highest teaching award presented by the School of Medicine student body and recognizes physician-teachers that the medical students feel have played an exceptionally effective and dedicated role in their education. “I am humbled and honored to have received this award five times,” says Chudgar. “It is truly a privilege to work with our amazing medical students and to be able to teach them.”
Dr. Chudgar is well known for interacting with his students and truly getting to know them. “Connecting on a more personal level and learning about them and their interests makes it easier to teach them effectively,” he says. “There are multiple times in the medical school curriculum that I get to interact with the students and seeing their growth over time is especially exciting.” One nominator wrote, Dr. Chudgar “is among the most gifted educators and mentors I’ve had in my life. Not only is he a great teacher, he genuinely cares about the quality of our education. He is unselfishly invested in the growth of his students, caring more than perhaps anyone I’ve ever met.”
Chudgar, who completed both medical school and residency at Duke, says he was influenced by many great teachers along the way. “I had so many amazing teachers whom I can model my teaching after. Even now on faculty, I have many skilled colleagues who are constantly teaching me and pushing me to improve.”
Want to see him in action? Dr. Chudgar teaches classes on Effective Clinical Teaching where he conveys techniques and ideas that he has developed over the years. These courses are mainly aimed at fourth year medical students and residents, but he is moving in to additional faculty development as well.
Dr. Chudgar was recognized with the Thomas Kinney Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011, 2012 and 2013 in addition to his five Golden Apples. Congratulations on all your success as a Duke clinician-educator!
1 comments
Truly an amazing, epic accomplishment that is well-deserved. It’s nice to be recognized, but will anyone else get a chance during Saumil’s career :)?