Carolyn D’Ambrosio, MD, associate professor of medicine (pulmonary, critical, and sleep medicine) was recently awarded the Outstanding Educator Award by the Association of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Program Directors (APCCMPD). Currently, she serves as the vice chief for Fellowship Training in Yale’s Department of Internal Medicine’s Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Medicine.
D’Ambrosio completed her medical school training at George Washington University, followed by her residency training at the University of Rochester, Strong Memorial Hospital, where she served as chief resident. She came to Yale in 1995 as a pulmonary, critical, and sleep medicine fellow. After some time in Boston, she returned to Yale in 2021. At Yale, she has conducted impactful studies on sleep and menopause, sleep and breathing in infants, and sleep apnea. She recently co-authored a children’s book regarding infant sleep and parent bonding, titled Comfort the Kid!
When asked what her favorite aspects of serving as program director has been, she states, “the enthusiasm for the field is infectious. Trainees are so excited to learn and are so full of energy. They want more information and want to learn it so deeply and become good doctors.”
D’Ambrosio believes that being a program director has “kept her on her toes and keeps her interested in the field.” She is excited to see the future of her field, and of medicine, in general. Currently, while not serving as program director, she is working on researching the intersection of sex and gender in pulmonary and sleep medicine. She is also co-chairing a guidelines committee for screening pregnant patients for sleep apnea. Aside from this, she is writing a book on sleep and teenagers, targeted for teenagers.
Section Chief Naftali Kaminski, MD, Boehringer-Ingelheim Professor of Internal Medicine (Pulmonary), states, “First and foremost, this award is recognizing Dr. D’Ambrosio’s success and notoriety. She is renowned as a medical educator and leader in our communities. Of course, it also reflects on our commitment to fellowship training. We have one of the biggest and most successful T32 research training grants, fellowships in traditional pulmonary critical care medicine, in critical care medicine, in sleep medicine, interventional pulmonary and pulmonary hypertension. Many of our alumni are very successful faculty, as well as leaders nationally.”
Phillip Joseph, MD, assistant professor of medicine (pulmonary, critical, and sleep medicine), served as her fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2019 prior to joining faculty at Yale. “Dr. D'Ambrosio was a formative figure in my training. I can truly say that I would not be in my current position without Dr. D'Ambrosio's mentorship. She is a nationally recognized leader in graduate medical education. She is an excellent program director and a great advocate for trainees,” said Joseph.
Hannah Oakland, MD, clinical fellow (pulmonary, critical, and sleep medicine), noted D’Ambrosio’s clear vision of what is required to train strong physicians and physician-scientists. “I have seen how her depth of experience allows her to give clear, concrete, and invaluable advice to my co-fellows, whether they want to go into academic medicine, further fellowship training, private practice, or research.”
“Dr. D’Ambrosio will explicitly and kindly point it out when she sees in me the well-delineated confidence gap between women and men in medicine. This has been one of her most valuable lessons to me. One time when I told her I was losing faith in myself in a project I was doing, she said to me, “Hannah, don’t have imposter syndrome!” Dr. D’Ambrosio has encouraged me to apply for awards and grants for which I never would have thought myself qualified. As I transition to faculty, I think about this often, even when I am on rounds – recognizing trainees who doubt the incredible, complex work they are doing. I try to find a way to gently reframe their confidence in the same way, because it was so meaningful to me that Dr. D’Ambrosio did this for me,” said Oakland.
Undoubtedly, D’Ambrosio’s work has touched many, from trainees to patients. When asked if she had any advice for budding academic clinicians, she suggests, “There are many training programs where people can do well in medical education research and projects, but the thing that has helped me the most was being a good educator. Honing those skills is very important. If you see a workshop, go to it. Listen to the feedback, incorporate it. Then, pathways will open.”
The Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine is one of the eleven sections within Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine. To learn more about Yale-PCCSM, visit PCCSM's website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.