Poonam Sharma, MD, associate professor of medicine (General Internal Medicine), has been named the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education for the Department of Medicine effective July 1, 2021.
Dr. Sharma will succeed Saumil Chudgar, MD, MS, in this role. Sharma joined the Duke faculty in 2010 as a hospitalist based at Duke Regional Hospital. She has been an influential teacher and clinician at both Duke University Hospital and DRH, where she has served as Director of Clinical Education for DRH Hospital Medicine starting 2014, and then Associate Medical Director since 2017. She has directed the Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum for the School of Medicine since 2019. Sharma earned a Certificate in Health Professions Education from Duke AHEAD in 2016.
Sharma has focused on interprofessional education throughout her career and has been influential in running the PA student clerkships, a curriculum for which she has studied, presented nationally and published. She has received numerous teaching awards throughout her career including the Interprofessional Education Excellence Rising Star Award from Duke AHEAD in 2018. Additionally, Sharma has published extensively in medical education and serves as a Coach in the Education Scholars Branch of the DOM Faculty Development Academy.
“Dr. Sharma has an impressive record of educational innovation and deep understanding of educational scholarship. Her educational leadership experience will further strengthen the Department’s educational impact across the School of Medicine. I am so excited to work with Dr. Sharma in this new role,” said Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, MD, MEd, vice chair for education in the Department of Medicine.
As Director of Undergraduate Medical Education, Sharma will serve as Course Director of the Internal Medicine core clerkship for second year students, and Associate Course Director for Internal Medicine Sub-internships. She, with Department of Medicine Chair Kathleen Cooney, MD, MACP, will write the Departmental letters of recommendation for graduating medical students. In this role Sharma will oversee development, implementation, and evaluation of rotations offered throughout the DOM. She will be instrumental in providing faculty development and ensuring alignment with the School of Medicine expected teaching and evaluation practices as grading schema evolve and will represent the Department of Medicine on important School of Medicine committees.
Many thanks to the selection committee led by Dr. Anna Lisa Crowley, that included Drs. Saumil Chudgar, Jenny Van Kirk, Lisa Criscione-Schreiber, Lonnie Sullivan, and Ms. Sheila Gainey.