Ron Falk, MD, chair of the department of medicine, has named Ashley Henderson, MD, associate professor of medicine in pulmonary medicine, and Koyal Jain, MD, assistant professor of medicine in nephrology, the new directors of undergraduate education in the department of medicine.
“The best education curriculum responds to changes in medical knowledge and puts them in practice,” Falk said. “Dr. Jain and Dr. Henderson have distinguished themselves as enthusiastic advocates for excellence in medical education and will ensure that the changing context of patient care delivery continues to be integrated with undergraduate education.”
While the department of medicine has always been involved in every phase of medical education, and students have consistently given educators the highest ratings, Jain says there is a need to better integrate the experience with the curriculum.
“We hope to work with the excellent educators in the department and collaborate with the UNC School of Medicine to make the internal medicine experience seamless,” said Jain, associate program director for the nephrology training program. “Additionally, we would like to incorporate innovative methodology and mentor medical students who are interested in internal medicine.”
Henderson, fellowship program director for the division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine, recognizes that developing well-rounded physicians who understand different patient needs will enable them to provide the best care.
“This involves integrating the medical knowledge with clinical skills and sensitivity to patient needs at an early stage in the medical career,” said Henderson. “The School of Medicine does a wonderful job and we want to ensure that our medical students continue to receive excellent education in every aspect of internal medicine. We’d also like to understand the different interests of our students early on, so that we can team them with the right faculty members for career guidance.”
“As directors, we will provide continuity across all phases of internal medicine education–foundational to application and individualization–working to understand the medical student experience across the board. By doing so, we’ll identify our strengths and weaknesses so that we can improve any gaps in knowledge or experience. We have an outstanding school and want to continue to support the cultivation of excellent doctors.”
Both Jain and Henderson have received the ‘Foundation Phase Excellence in Teaching Award’ from the UNC Academy of Educators.