Each year in November, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson and its members of the Academy of Medical Education Scholars (AMES) promote excellence in teaching and educational scholarship by recognizing outstanding educators during the F
aculty Teaching Awards and the Vernon and Virginia Furrow Awards ceremony.
This year, Lisa R. Stoneking, MD, assistant professor with the UA Department of Emergency Medicine was awarded one of four 2013 AMES Grants for Medical Education Research Awards for creating a novel medical Spanish immersion curriculum.
The ceremony, held on Thursday, November 14, recognized individual faculty, housestaff, rural health preceptors and volunteer physicians for their particularly noteworthy accomplish
ments as teachers. During the ceremony, Dr. Frank Walter, UA Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) professor was recognized for excellence in innovation in medical education. Read more on Dr. Walter's award here.
The ceremony also recognized administrative and clinical support staff who have made a valuable and appreciated impact on college life through their interactions with students, faculty and others.
Dr. Stoneking, is the program director of the UAMC-South Campus Emergency Medicine Residency Program, which serves a disparate and highly Hispanic, Spanish-speaking population on Tucson’s southside. Serving this population of patients created the awareness for Dr. Krisiti Grall, associate program director at UAMC-South Campus, and Dr. Stoneking to develop a Spanish language immersion curriculum for the residents and doctors working at the UAMC – South Campus.
The curriculum is taught by Eliud Chuffe, PhD, second language teaching methodology associate professor with the UA Spanish and Portuguese Department, who is credited with creating a curriculum to teach residents with zero Spanish language competency, into residents who can perform a history and physical exam on a patient completely in Spanish.
The curriculum is a one hour session provided for a total of 26 hours throughout the academic year. The program had been funded directly by the department, until budget cuts hit.
Thanks to the program’s proven success, Dr. Stoneking and the program was honored with a 2013 AMES Grant for Medical Education Research Award to continue providing the course.
Congratulations to Dr. Stoneking and the UAMC-South Campus Emergency Medicine Residency Program team!