Read about our faculty and staff updates, including awards, publications, and new roles, in the Recognition section. Department updates, important dates, and new initiatives can be found in the Announcements section.
I am grateful for the dedication of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni throughout the academic year, which lead to these wonderful stories and foster a strong, caring, and creative community.
TEACHING AWARDS Recognizing Outstanding Teaching
The annual teaching awards were announced during the MD Class of 2026 Commencement. Seven distinguished awards were presented.
ANNUAL EVENT Medical Education Day
The 14th annual Medical Education Day at Yale kicked off at The Anlyan Center on June 4. This year’s keynote speaker was Kate Tellers, senior director at The Moth, who explored the intersection of medicine, humanity, and the art of connection.
STUDENT RESEARCH DAY YSM Students Showcase Research Excellence
The 38th annual Student Research Day took place on May 6 and recognized the research accomplishments of YSM students.
TEAM BUILDING Two Wheels, a Handlebar, and a Team
Twelve bicycles were built for local children as part of a team-building event for YSM’s First Generation/Low Income (FGLI) community.
FOURTH YEAR SHOW They're All in This Together
Audiences were laughing and cheering throughout this year's Fourth Year Show which took inspiration from the 2006 film High School Musical.
SIMULATION ACADEMY Simulation Academy at Yale Celebrates Class of 2026
The two-year program exposes New Haven high school students to the world of medicine through hands-on simulation training and mentorship.
PRESCRIBING BETTER HEALTH YSM Formalizes Nutrition Education in MD Curriculum
The MD curriculum will enhance longitudinal nutrition content and emphasize the role physicians play in promoting health and treating disease with dietary interventions.
INNOVATION IN ACTION Teams Build Prototypes to Transform Medical Education
The second Ideathon brought together faculty, staff, students, and residents to collaboratively tackle challenges in medical education using artificial intelligence and extended reality.
RETIREMENTS Medical Education Celebrates Retirements of Five Faculty Members
Medical education celebrates five faculty members whose combined service to Yale totals over 175 years. Retirements include Dana Dunne, MD, MHS; Michael Green, MD; Robert Homer, MD, PhD; Cyrus Kapadia, MD; and Leigh Evans, MD. Their contributions will benefit our community for years to come.
AWARD Zhang Wins Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Showcase
Lisa Zhang, MD, presented a collaborative project between YCHS and the Educational Technology and Innovation team on AI feedback at the 2026 SAEM "Amplifying Innovation in the Digital Era" showcase. Her presentation was selected as the showcase winner based on panel scoring and live audience voting.
NEW ROLES Welcome and Congratulations
Congratulations to two staff members who have moved into new roles:
Catherine Lindsay, senior administrative assistant to Associate Dean for Student Affairs John Francis
Barbara Hildebrand, continuing medical education program manager
Welcome to Raymond Andreoli who is the new associate director of financial aid.
AWARDS Poster Award Winners at Medical Education Day
Medical Education Day featured more than 90 posters. A panel of eight judges evaluated each poster and selected winners for the Medical Education Research and Innovation in Education awards.
GRADUATES 2026 Education Scholar Fellowship Graduates
Congratulations to the 15 Education Scholar Fellowship graduates of the year-long program, who were recognized at a graduation ceremony as part of Medical Education Day.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Upcoming Presentations
Sara Guastello and Allison Rentfro will present "Leveraging AI to Design High-Impact Medical Education" at the 2026 AAMC Staff Track Virtual Conference.
PA STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS YSM PA Students Shine at AAPA 2026
YSM Physician Associate (PA) students made an impact at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) Conference held in New Orleans, La. from May 15-20, including winning first place in the annual iSCAN Ultrasound Competition!
PLUS . . .
We have several new leaders joining the MD Curriculum leadership team.
Michelle Hughes, MD, assistant professor of medicine (digestive diseases), is the new co-director of the Energy & Metabolism master course. She has extensive experience working with trainees across the continuum of medical education, and she has a particular interest in working to expand student understanding of the role of nutrition in health and disease.
Caroline Nelson, MD, MHS, assistant professor of dermatology, is the new co-director of the Attacks & Defenses master course. Nelson is a hospital-based dermatologist with extensive educational experience. She has served as a longitudinal coach and as a tutor in the high-engagement small group pilot.
Ben Gallagher, MD, assistant professor of medicine, will start as clerkship director for the Primary Care component of the Biopsychosocial Approach to Health clerkship. Gallagher has served as a lead instructor in the Clinical Skills program, as a high-engagement small group tutor, and as interim director of the Clinical Skills Assessment committee.
Announcements
WHITE COAT CEREMONY Goessling Selected as Guest Speaker at White Coat Ceremony
Wolfram Goessling, MD, PhD, was selected as the Class of 2030's White Coat Ceremony speaker. The ceremony will take place on Aug. 14 at 3:30 p.m. on the Harkness Lawn. Goessling is ensign professor of internal medicine and chair of the department of internal medicine at YSM.
CONTINUING EDUCATION Yale/ACGME Developing Faculty Competency in Assessment
Registration is now open for the 2026 Yale/Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Developing Faculty Competency in Assessment course. It is designed to help participants develop and implement effective assessment programs for residents and fellows. The four-session course includes a virtual session on Sep. 2 and in-person sessions from Sep. 8-10. Attendees are expected to attend the entire course.
STUDENT RESEARCH Thesis Process for Class of 2027
Students who plan to graduate in 2027 are required to submit their thesis in mid-January. Research should conclude by the end of this summer. In July, the Office of Student Research (OSR) will distribute the 2027 thesis deadlines, hold a thesis “kickoff” meeting, and collect preliminary thesis information (topic, mentor, department, etc.) from all graduating students. Information regarding the thesis deadlines and requirements can be found on the OSR website and the Thesis Guide.
CENTER FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION New FAME Leadership
The Center for Medical Education will be the central home for the Fellows as Medical Educators (FAME) program, a year-long course now open to fellows in all departments. FAME prepares participants for careers as clinician educators through interactive sessions on learning theory, teaching skills, curriculum development, and structured teaching observations.
Lisa DelSignore, MD, associate professor of pediatrics (pediatric critical care medicine), will oversee the centralized FAME program beginning July 1.
Master of Health Science (MHS) Degree
The MHS degree program graduated 22 students this year. During the commencement ceremony, Roy Herbst, MD, PhD, program director of the MHS-clinical investigation (CI) program, was recognized for his commitment, leadership, and instrumental role in building the new MHS-CI program.
The MHS team will welcome 21 students to the Class of 2028 on June 30. The new cohort consists of 4 students in the Medical Education program, and 6 each in the Clinical Informatics & Data Science, Clinical Investigation, and Health Services, Policy, and Outcomes programs.
Starting in 2027, the MHS degree will offer an online program in Medical Artificial Intelligence. Learn more about the new MHS-Medical AI program.
MD CURRICULUM Redesign Update & Elentra
Our new learning management system Elentra allows students and longitudinal coaches to more easily track formative feedback related to the MD Program Competencies and Milestones. New assessments have been successfully added for the clinical clerkships and aspects of the pre-clerkship curriculum. Full implementation of Elentra in the pre-clerkship phase will be completed in August 2026.
The team is also working on significant changes in the pre-clerkship curriculum, including a greater emphasis on interactive sessions, better integration of core conditions and foundational concepts across the curriculum, and more opportunities for formative feedback.
NEW COURSE Foundations of Patient Care
The new Foundations of Patient Care course combines the Interprofessional Longitudinal Clinical Experience (ILCE) and the Medical Clinical Experience (MCE). First-year PA and MD students will learn together for the first part of this course, and then MD students will continue their clinical and interprofessional experiences throughout the pre-clerkship phase.
New features include more opportunities to learn alongside other healthcare professionals (physical and occupational therapy, nutrition, pharmacy, spiritual care, etc.) in patient care settings, and a new logbook for students to track their clinical experiences across the entire 18 months. The course will provide an immersive and comprehensive learning experience in the patient care environment which better prepares students for clinical clerkships.
UPDATE Brains and Beyond
Kashif Qureshi, MD '28, and Jose Anzueto, MD '28, organized another Brains and Beyond this year, in partnership with the community organization Seeds of Success. The event brings New Haven middle schoolers to the YSM campus and allows them to get hands-on experiences with stethoscopes, suturing, ultrasound, reflex hammers, and intubation. Qureshi and Anzueto hope the event becomes an annual tradition so it can continue reaching new students for years to come.
DONATION New/Gently Used Upright Piano Needed
The Office of Student Affairs is seeking a donation of a new or gently used upright piano for the MD student lounge music room. A donation from the New Haven (ideal) or Connecticut area is preferred. Please reach out to deanna.calvert@yale.edu for more information.
BLOOD DRIVE PA Program Sponsors Blood Drive
On May 5, the PA Program hosted its second annual blood drive, led by PA student Jessica Wang, MMSc '27. PA student Emily Ritchie, MMSc '27, volunteered alongside medical students Kesi Wilson, MD-PhD '33; Lily Sutton, MD '29; Rose Bender, MD '26; and Victoria Chen, MD '29, to help ensure the event's success. The blood drive resulted in 32 donations from members of the PA and medical student communities. According to the American Red Cross, a single blood donation can help save up to three lives, meaning this year’s drive has the potential to impact as many as 96 lives.
