Barry J. Wu, MD, MACP, professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), received a Mastership from the American College of Physicians (ACP) on April 3, 2025. One of the highest recognitions within the ACP, the honor reflects professional excellence, integrity, leadership, and a commitment to advancing internal medicine through mentorship and education. It is considered a lifetime distinction.
For Wu, the award is symbolic of the many mentors who have guided him throughout his career. “I have known all of the Masters from Yale since 1996, and all have been wonderful mentors to me,” he said, adding that the achievement belongs to many who have mentored him along the way, including Peter Herbert, MD, Ernest Moritz, MD, Stephen Atlas, MD, Robert Nardino, MD, Richard Marottoli, MD, MPH, Mary Tinetti, MD, and Terri Fried, MD.
This award symbolizes the privilege that is teaching.
Barry Wu, MD, MACP
Wu’s interest in medicine started in high school. During a visit to his ophthalmologist, he was inspired by the physician’s wall, which was covered in achievements demonstrating global health work and volunteer efforts. Wu’s natural affinity for biology and growing interest in service became the groundwork for a lifelong commitment to medicine.
Like his father, Wu initially studied chemical engineering before attending medical school at the University of Rochester. In 1989, he came to Yale for his internal medicine residency, when Rosemarie Fisher, MD, was program director, with the intention of staying for only three years.
More than three decades later, Wu remains an integral member of the Yale community. “Yale has always been a family,” he said.
Having explored basic science research early in his career, Wu learned that his true calling lay not in the lab but in education. He found immense satisfaction in patient care and even more joy in teaching. As chief resident, he became involved with the ACP, where he was introduced to educational development and, notably, to a workshop on the art of teaching. This experience solidified his commitment to medical education.
Wu was recruited by Peter Herbert, MD, to the Hospital of Saint Raphael in 1993 to serve as a clinician-educator and associate program director of internal medicine. When the hospital was acquired by Yale in 2012, he transitioned to YSM and began working with Margaret Bia, MD, on the Clinical Skills courses. Since then, he has directed numerous programs, including Introduction to the Profession (iPro), Interprofessional Longitudinal Clinical Experience (ILCE), Medical Clinical Experience (MCE), and Capstone courses.
Today, Wu devotes himself to full-time teaching while continuing part-time clinical work as a per diem hospitalist. Based in the Section of Geriatrics, he trains students in the 4Ms: What Matters Most, Mobility, Mentation, and Medication. The curriculum is an essential framework for caring for an aging population, he said.
For Wu, teaching is a core part of what it means to be a physician. “‘Doctor’ derives from the Latin word ‘docere,’ which means ‘to teach,’” he said. “This award symbolizes the privilege that is teaching.”
Geriatrics, one of the 10 sections in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine, strives to improve the health of older adults by providing exceptional patient care, training future leaders and innovators in aging, and engaging in cutting-edge research. To learn more, visit Geriatrics.