The Department of Medicine recognizes and appreciates the hard work and dedication of its outstanding faculty and their enduring commitment to the education of its fellows, residents, and students.
The annual Excellence in Education Award recognizes a faculty member in each division for excellent teaching and commitment to the education and professional development of Duke trainees.
Bharathi Upadhya, MBBS
Associate Professor of Medicine
Cardiology
Dr. Upadhya is recognized as an outstanding teacher and committed educator of trainees giving high-yield lectures to cardiology fellows, sonographers, and sonography students. Additionally, she is a gifted bedside clinician-educator.
Todd Frieze, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Nutrition
Dr. Frieze has made broad contributions to the training program in the two years he has been on the faculty. He has senior fellows with him in clinic where he teaches thyroid ultrasound and biopsy, and he is the divisional expert in thyroid cancer and has dedicated didactic sessions for the fellows to teach this area and benign thyroid disease. His division leadership credits his addition to the division as enhancing the interest and enthusiasm for clinical learning and the pursuit of intellectual excellence.
Steven Choi, MBBS
Associate Professor
Gastroenterology
Dr. Choi has been extremely invested in the trainees' experience, welcoming all into his hepatology clinics and endoscopy sessions and rounding with them on the gastroenterology inpatient consult service. He has high performance expectations and trainees have noted his willingness to make time for additional teaching sessions on core topics. Through his leadership roles, Dr. Choi has effectively balanced the demands of the service while prioritizing the experience of the trainees. He is a thoughtful clinician recognized for his evidence-based approach to care, and his strong commitment to education.
Gwendolen Buhr, MD
Associate Professor
Geriatrics and Palliative Care
Dr. Buhr has excelled as a clinician-educator and as a scholar in the fields of geriatrics and long-term care. The focus of her work has been the development of innovative educational programs to teach principles of long-term care, transitions of care, and primary care geriatrics. She is also an important mentor for geriatric medicine fellows and junior clinician-educator faculty. In the last five years, she has mentored seven division fellows, all of whom have presented their work at national meetings and some of whom have won awards for their work.
Joseph Plaksin, MD
Assistant Professor
General Internal Medicine
Dr. Plaskin is a leader in Graduate Medical Education as the assistant program director for ambulatory care. He is a dedicated clinician and educator in the VA Prime clinic. He is providing invaluable service and leadership in planning upcoming changes in the residency program to optimize the primary care experience for both patients and residents.
Ammon Fager, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Hematology
Dr. Fager is being recognized for the outstanding job he has done with the division’s Tuesday Hematology Case Conferences, said Division Chief Thomas Ortel, who nominated Dr. Fager for the award. He joined the department in 2015.
Andrea Sitlinger, MD
Assistant Professor
Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy
Dr. Sitlinger is recognized for educating trainees in hematology-oncology over the last four years. She is a fierce advocate who has acted to ensure that hematology-oncology fellows get the best training possible. Dr. Sitlinger has made impactful changes to the formal fellowship training program and was instrumental in the development of a widely popular academic half-day for fellows. Her dedication to education in HMCT has enabled fellows to undergo rigorous and well-rounded training.
Sonya Patel-Nguyen, MD
Assistant Professor
Hospital Medicine
Dr. Patel-Nguyen’s impact is evident. She played a pivotal role in designing the med-peds service line, demonstrating a keen ability to navigate complex clinical scenarios. In addition, she is consistently praised as a “favorite” attending among residents, reflecting her exceptional teaching skills, mentorship, and collaborative approach to learning. Dr. Patel-Nguyen fosters an environment where trainees feel supported and encouraged to excel.
Molly Hillenbrand, MD
Assistant Professor
Infectious Diseases
Dr. Hillenbrand has a longstanding commitment to medical education and innovation. Her impact as an educator has been immediate and far-reaching, contributing to both the academic and professional development of trainees and the learning climate at the institutional level. She has championed innovative enhancements to the fellows’ curriculum, playing a pivotal role in curriculum re-design with a focus on clinical reasoning. Dr. Hillenbrand’s efforts have enriched the curriculum and set a new standard for excellence in medical education across the division.
Rasha Raslan, MD
Assistant Professor
Nephrology
Dr. Raslan always demonstrates a strong commitment to training the next generation of physicians. In her first year on faculty, she distinguished herself as an active leader in fellowship training as an associate program director in nephrology. She is actively involved in undergraduate medical education, in addition to being a role model for the fellows, residents, and students who round with hospital consult teams.
Matthew Labriola, MD
Assistant Professor
Medical Oncology
Dr. Labriola has an unwavering dedication and commitment to educating the next generation of physicians in internal medicine and medical oncology. He spends over a third, if not more, of his time, recruiting and retaining the best and brightest candidates to the Duke Internal Medicine Program. Dr. Labriola balances his roles with grace and is a constant steward of excellence in education in the Department, the Division, and the IM Residency Program.
Stephen Bergin, MD
Associate Professor
Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine
Dr. Bergin was appointed associate professor in 2024 after completing both his fellowship and residency at Duke. Her serves as the vice chief for Education in the division, as well as the program director for both the Combined Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship and Internal Medicine-Critical Care Medicine Fellowship programs.
Philip Chu, MD
Assistant Professor
Rheumatology and Immunology
Dr. Chu is an outstanding educator who has made significant contributions to fellow education on a local and national level. He is particularly distinguished as an educator in musculoskeletal ultrasound, creating a novel musculoskeletal ultrasound curriculum for our fellows and personally mentoring three fellows over the last two years through the competitive Ultrasound School of North American Rheumatologists (USSONAR) training program.