Three internal medicine faculty were honored at Yale School of Medicine’s (YSM) commencement ceremony on Monday, May 23.
Thilan Wijesekera, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine (general medicine); was the recipient of the 2022 Charles W. Bohmfalk Teaching Prize in Clinical Sciences. One of YSM’s highest faculty awards, the Bohmfalk award is presented to two faculty members, one in the clinical sciences and one in the basic sciences.
Wijesekera started at YSM as an intern in 2014. Over his residency, he found a joy for medical education and a passion clinical reasoning. In 2018, he completed his General Internal Medicine fellowship in medical education and his master’s degree in health science at YSM in addition to a fellowship in diagnostic excellence through the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine.
“During my fellowship, my research project was a needs assessment on understanding how providers practice clinical reasoning and learn about and react to diagnostic error, but how to teach that was something that really drew me in. As I would learn more, I remember going to the library to read about clinical skills and clinical reasoning, and I saw the plaques on either side of the entry to the library [of past Bohmfalk award winners], and I'd see all these names of people I looked up to so much and saying, “Wow, I wonder if that'll be me someday,’” recalled Wijesekera. “It feels surreal to actually be one of those names.”
Wijesekera works as a hospitalist in the Program in Hospital Medicine in the Fitkin and Step-Down Units at Yale New Haven Hospital, along with numerous roles in medical education. He has been the Director of the Clinical Reasoning course for the past five years. Additionally, he is a coach and mentor to students on clinical skills and test taking as Director of Performance Improvement and Remediation, and a Section Leader for the Interprofessional Longitudinal Clinical Experience, the main coaching course for first year MD and PA students.
His nomination included high praise from a number of students. One wrote, “Dr. Wijesekera is the best clinical teacher I have worked with in my five years at Yale. With Thilan's clinical reasoning course, he meets us early in our careers and projects a beacon of insight, humor, and caring to every student, whether in large lecture or small group. Equally, as an attending on the wards Thilan sets a tremendous example and inspires every teammate-medical student, resident, or fellow. Considering more than 50 attendings over five years. Thilan exceeds them all.”
Lisa Puglisi, MD, assistant professor of medicine (general medicine) was honored with the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates particular compassion and sensitivity in the delivery of care to patients. Puglisi came to YSM for her residency in 2012 and was chief resident in 2013. She joined the faculty in 2013 and practices primary care and addiction medicine, caring primarily for patients with substance use disorders or hepatitis C.
Puglisi was honored to be recognized by students and colleagues. “The bulk of my patient care takes place in the Transitions Clinic that I direct here at the New Haven Primary Care Center. We are part of a national network of clinics that are focused on addressing the health needs of people returning to the community after being released from incarceration. A core component of this model is care is the previously incarcerated community health workers we include on our health teams, and I also direct a medical legal partnership, so we have law students on our team as well. It is my opinion that the most humanistic care for people with complex needs is team-based care. The clinical care I deliver feels so deeply intertwined with the community health workers and law students I work with, so I really share this honor with them and need to recognize Monya Saunders and the late Jerry Smart Jr., our senior community health worker who died just this past year. They both have taught me a lot of what I know about how to deliver excellent care to patients,” said Puglisi.
One of Puglisi’s nominators wrote, “There is nothing more powerful than seeing Dr. Puglisi navigate the doctor-patient relationship: how it evolves over time, how it expands to family, and how it acknowledges the centrality of individual decisions/health behaviors, but also the structural forces that dictate the health of people who have been incarcerated. She practices medicine with joy, humility, and courage. In one patient’s words, “Dr. Puglisi doesn’t just care about my health, but also if I am living a life with meaning.”
Sarita Soares, MD, FACP, assistant professor of medicine (general medicine) won the Francis Gilman Blake Award for outstanding teaching of the medical sciences. This award is presented to a member of the YSM faculty chosen by the senior class for outstanding teaching of the medical sciences.
Soares completed her primary care internship and residency at YSM. In 2012, she served as chief resident, and became faculty in 2012. She serves as one of the associate program directors for the Primary Care Residency with interests in resident coaching and wellness, medical education, point of care ultrasound and addiction medicine. She is also involved in graduate medical education interdisciplinary committees to promote the culture of wellness and enhance faculty development.
While Soares enjoys being a physician, she loves teaching. “I am always deeply inspired by the intellectual curiosity and wonder of our students and residents. I've been fortunate to have learned medicine from a number of amazing role models and have tried to emulate characteristics of their teaching style. Yet, working with learners who are always striving to advocate for their patients, understand a concept better, identify paradoxes in how we practice medicine is what really propels me to strive to be a better physician and educator,” said Soares.
She is honored to be chosen by the graduating medical school class to win this award, which is named after Blake, YSM dean from 1940-1947. “The past two years have been a challenging time in medical education, and if the time I've spent with students has helped them grow as physicians, I am immensely grateful. Thank you, class of 2022, for all your contributions to our community at Yale, congratulations and best wishes for your future success,” said Soares.
Patrick G. O'Connor, MD, MPH, MACP, Dan Adams and Amanda Adams Professor of General Medicine; and chief, Section of General Internal Medicine, was pleased that three of the award winners are from his section. “We have a culture of educational excellence within our department and section, and I am thrilled that Thilan, Lisa, and Sarita were honored in this way. It is truly remarkable,” said O’Connor. “Yale GIM faculty have done exceedingly well with these three YSM commencement awards, winning them 22 times since 2000 in addition to seven Yale GIM faculty receiving the Leah Lowenstein Award at graduation during this same timeframe. Thilan, Lisa, and Sarita continue this tradition of excellence in their own unique and highly compelling ways.”
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