Nehama Dresner, MD Finding one’s way academically in medical school can be a daunting process. As a college mentor for the Class of 2005, Nehama Dresner, MD, gladly provided refuge from the storm. “You have to be patient,” says Dr. Dresner, associate professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School. “You have to meet each student where they are and avoid global expectations. Each student is unique.” Dr. Dresner, who is also director of Wellsprings Health Associates in Chicago, finds that her knowledge as a psychiatrist was often put to good use in interacting with students, which helped earn her a reputation as a respected mentor, educator, and confidante. “I’m accustomed to helping people find ways to regain their confidence practically and emotionally,” she relates. “It might be a study strategy or guiding them through a specific crisis, academic or personal.” Most of all, she helped serve as a role model for students in the way she has lived her own life. The mother of four and wife of a neuropsychologist, Dr. Dresner says she likes to show students that it is possible to strike equilibrium between work and family. For her, the keys are open communication, working part time, and concentrating intensively during each activity. “I teach them,” she concludes, “to be students for life.”

Scott Moses, MD Obstetrician-gynecologist Scott Moses, MD, GME ’97, is no stranger to teaching awards. The winner of the Magnus P. Urnes, MD, Resident Teaching Award in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2000, he most recently received the dean’s award for teaching excellence at the start of academic year 2004–05. His secret? The students. “Seeing the freshness in the faces of students reminds you of the privilege of the task of obstetrics and gynecology,” says Dr. Moses, assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the Feinberg School. “Their energy and enthusiasm are always rejuvenating.” Dr. Moses uses his diverse background—which includes five years at the Jewish Theological Seminary, a fellowship in clinical ethics at the University of Chicago, and a fellowship in reproductive ethics at Northwestern University—to provide a compassionate, well-rounded perspective on medicine to students. “I view my job as primarily helping people to navigate life cycle events,” he reflects. “When I do ethics rounds, I talk about what it’s like to examine a patient, what it’s like the first time you deliver a baby, and the differences between taking care of a patient who is ill versus one who is not.” Many times, the students themselves directly inspire the award-winning caliber of teaching for which he is known. “If you have students around,” he says, “you see their excitement and what might be your 4,000th delivery becomes completely new again.”

Lee Lindquist, MD, MPH “Geriatrics is a growing field with a definite need,” enthuses Lee Lindquist, MD ’00, GME ’04, MPH ’05, assistant professor of medicine at the Feinberg School. “And how could you not love older people? They’re so darn cute.” Now, as the winner of a 2005 Augusta Webster Grant for Educational Innovation, she has a powerful tool to pass along her expertise: “Geriatrics Immersion Program for First-Year Medical Students to Improve the Care of Elderly Patients.” The program she created will keep growing over time with 25 students projected for the 2005–06 school year. It focuses on geriatric-specific issues such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, malnutrition, and medicines not to use in the elderly. Dr. Lindquist is well suited for her role as a burgeoning geriatrics pioneer, having gained widespread media attention for her study in October 2004 examining whether cruise ships could be a viable alternative to assisted living facilities for seniors. It is this kind of creative thinking that is essential, she says. “You have to have imagination,” she notes. “When you are taking care of older people, there is not always a lot of research to consult. As people are living longer, it’s almost like we are exploring a whole new world.”