Congratulations to Mei Xue Dong, MD, PhD, assistant professor (rheumatology), who was chosen by graduating fellows in the section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology as the Teacher of the Year.
“We have had an incredible two years at Yale and all of our attendings have been so great to us,” said graduating fellow Trina Pal, MD, MPH, when presenting Dong with the award. “We’ve had quite a few ups-and-downs,” Pal continued, “and all of you have been incredible working with our schedules, being flexible, and providing so much support.”
Before presenting Dong with a plaque, Pal said the award was for an attending “who we think really has connected with us over the past year. …It has really been a pleasure to work with her. She goes above and beyond to make our lives as fellows easier, and has taught us a thing or two about efficiency as well,” Pal said. “She is also not that far out from fellowship graduation, making it super easy to connect on a fellow level.
“We would love to present this year’s plaque to Dr. Dong. Thank you for everything you have done for us, and have taught us.”
In addition to Pal, the graduating fellows presenting the award were Rex Huang, MD, and Jacob Meindertsma, MD.
“It is fantastic to be recognized individually, but I cannot emphasize enough that I would have achieved nothing without the knowledge and experience that I gained during my postdoc and rheumatology fellowship training at Yale,” Dong said.
“You three joined the fellowship during a special time, facing unique challenges. However, you are motivated and energetic and have markedly improved in all skills over the past two years. Thank you for keeping up the great work and thank you for choosing me to win this award.”
Dong received her medical degree from Wuhan University School of Medicine in 1996 and completed a PhD at the University of Connecticut Health Center in 2007. She did her postdoctoral training in the lab of Joseph Craft, MD, finishing in 2012. Currently, her research focuses on understanding cardiovascular diseases in systemic lupus erythematosus.
The Section of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology is dedicated to providing care for patients with rheumatic, allergic and immunologic disorders; educating future generations of thought leaders in the field; and conducting research into fundamental questions of autoimmunity and immunology. To learn more about their work, visit Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology.