August 2025
Dr. Patricia Latham, Faculty, Medicine and Pathology - GW SMHS
Dr. Latham is an absolute star. Her lectures are so good, she covers things in such a good amount of depth and she takes the time to point out findings on the slides, so that when I am watching the recordings back, I can see EXACTLY what she is pointing to. She also recommends specific resources to look at that I have found to be enormously helpful.
Dr. Adenike Animasaun, Fellow, Pediatric Emergency Medicine - Children's National Hospital
Dr. Adenike Animasaun was an excellent educator who made me feel like an equal, an asset to the team and a valuable contributor!
Dr. Daniel Donoho, Faculty, Pediatric Neurosurgery - Children's National Hospital
Dr. Donoho was a very approachable, enthusiastic preceptor. He really created an environment where you could freely ask questions and not feel judged.
Dr. Domenica Garcia Dumler, Faculty, Neonatology - Children's National Hospital
I’d like to recognize Dr. Domenica Garcia Dumler for the time and care she took to teach and support me. Throughout the day, she was consistently patient and supportive, even when I made mistakes. She took the time to turn those moments into opportunities for learning, which made a big difference. Her teaching, both formal and informal, helped make the day an exceptionally valuable experience.
Dr. William Gravley, Neonatal & Perinatal Medicine Fellow - Children's National Hospital
I’d like to recognize Dr. Gravley for the time and care he took to support medical student learning. He carved out time to sit with us, encouraging us to ask questions and guiding an interactive discussion on levels of respiratory support. He struck a rare balance—eliciting what we knew while building on it, making the conversation both high-yield and approachable. He was also warm and welcoming from the start of the day and modeled deep respect in his interactions with families. His presence contributes meaningfully to a positive and professional learning environment.
Dr. Anisha Apte, Resident, Surgery - GWU Hospital
Dr. Anisha Apte was such an amazing senior. She provided so much education, guidance, and support that I wanted to do better every day so that I could be a better member of the team. She trusted us to contribute, all while making sure we had proper support to carry out our tasks. She was the perfect mix of warm and serious, smart and funny, stern and loving. She answered all our questions and did not make us feel stupid for asking.
Dr. Susan Ceryak, Faculty, Pharmacology and Physiology - GW SMHS
Dr. Ceryak is clearly invested in our growth. She puts a lot of time into simplifying the material, so it's easy for us to understand. She also helped me to figure out how to study for certain tests. I really enjoy learning from her.
Previous Accolade Recipients
- July 2025
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Dr. Benedicto Borja, Faculty, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health - GWU Hospital
Dr. Borja is a phenomenal PD and leader. The environment he fosters has clearly created happy residents at GW, which translates to a positive environment for the students rotating there. He also spends time with the students directly, getting to know us, having us do fun exercises to teach us how to assess capacity.
Dr. Paula M. Latortue Albino, Faculty, OB/GYN - GW MFA
Dr. Latortue did an excellent job of making me feel like a valuable member of the team in clinic. She allowed me the perfect amount of autonomy so that I pushed myself to improve but felt supported the entire time. She was incredibly supportive and gave me real time feedback so that I was able to make improvements each day in clinic. Her feedback was always very supportive, constructive, and well thought out. She modeled excellent patient care and I am very glad I was able to work with her.
Dr. Mira Tanenbaum, Resident, Surgery - GWU Hospital
Dr. Mira Tanenbaum made me feel like I was a valuable member of the team from our 2nd day. I made a correction to the plan of a patient I had presented on, and she praised me for my catch. The pride I felt in my work is what motivated me to be better every day.
Dr. Heather Lanier-Diaz, Resident, Surgery - GWU Hospital
Dr. Heather Lanier-Diaz put so much effort into taking the medical students under her wing and making us feel valued, which is not easy to do especially in such a high acuity team. Her calm and caring demeanor is going to make so many patients understand she is on their side, and I know she will restore trust in the medical field for those lucky enough to have her as a surgeon.
Dr. Samita Sharma, Faculty, OB/GYN
Dr. Sharma is clearly a very dedicated and intentional preceptor and I valued my time working with her deeply. She always took the time to find a teaching point for each patient, allowed me to have more autonomy overtime, and diligently reviewed each of my notes to give me real time feedback. She was also great at making sure we had time for lunch daily. She deserves recognition for all her effort, intentionality, and positive impact on students!
Dr. Nima Fatehi, Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellow - GWU Hospital
Dr. Nima Fatehi is an amazing physician and teacher. He works tirelessly for his patients while also creating a positive and educational environment for his students. He was a joy to work with and made my experience on the rotation enjoyable as I felt like a valued member of the team.
Dr. Desiree D'Souza, Pediatric Neurology - Children's National Hospital
Desiree D'Souza was great at giving feedback, taking care of our mental wellbeing, and making us feel like contributing members.
- June 2025
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Dr. Marissa Potenza, Faculty, Emergency Medicine - GWU Hospital
Dr. Marissa Potenza was an excellent facilitator who created a welcoming atmosphere where my group felt open to contribute ideas without hesitation.
Dr. Natasha Powell, Faculty, Emergency Medicine - GWU Hospital
Dr. Powell was an amazing instructor and facilitated and incredibly supportive and productive learning environment. She encouraged our ideas, offered guidance and encouraged us to develop our clinical thinking skills, as well as providing encouragement and support as we built more intangible skills like how to handle difficult topics that arise in patient interviews. On multiple occasions, she thoughtfully responded to student concerns. I know my entire group is very grateful we were fortunate enough to have Dr. Powell as our group leader.
Dr. Colin Bashaw, US Army Resident, Internal Medicine - Walter Reed National Military Medical Center/VA
Dr. Colin Bashaw was an excellent senior resident. He provided teaching to us every single day, which greatly enhanced my learning throughout internal medicine.
Dr. Rahul Mishra, Resident, Internal Medicine - Anne Arundel Medical Center
Dr. Rahul Mishra: a senior resident who helped students learn and develop their skills.
Dr. Janeni Nayagan, Fellow, Pschiatry - Children’s National Hospital
Dr. Janeni Nayagan, Child Psych Fellow, was amazing! She maintained a consistently inclusive environment, provided detailed and effective feedback, and was herself a phenomenal role model.
Dr. Austin Cohen, Resident, Internal Medicine - GWU Hospital
Dr. Austin Cohen was fantastic - always encouraging and built a positive environment. He took time to teach us some important skills in internal medicine.
Dr. Maryssa Miller, Resident, Internal Medicine and Primary Care - GW Hospital
Maryssa Miller was an excellent senior resident. She took time to talk to us about difficult situations during patient care. She touched base on how we are feeling after a difficult patient encounter. We need more of this in healthcare to prevent burnout. It is clear that she prioritizes her patients and always goes above and beyond. I hope to be the kind of physician she is.
- May 2025
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Angel Dixon, Clerkship Coordinator, Surgery - GW Medicine
I would like to formally recognize Angel Dixon for her outstanding professionalism, compassion, and dedication in her role as the Surgery Clerkship Coordinator. She was instrumental in ensuring the success of my rotation and went far beyond what is typically expected of a coordinator. Angel communicates promptly, often even outside of working hours, and consistently shows genuine care for the students she supports. She is responsive, kind, no-nonsense when needed, and always ready to help. Her ability to balance efficiency with empathy makes a huge difference in the student experience. I’m incredibly grateful for everything she’s done and hope this accolade helps highlight the positive impact she makes every day.
Dr. Sonal Batra, Faculty, Emergency Medicine - GW Medicine
Dr. Batra is an outstanding mentor, and her approach to teaching significantly enhanced the learning experience! I truly appreciated her effort to engage with each small group individually during the breakout sessions, taking the time to discuss questions and cases. Her ability to create a supportive and interactive learning environment made the sessions more engaging and meaningful.
Dr. Ann Wang, Faculty, Pulmonology - GW Medicine
I would like to highlight my POMI, Dr. Ann Wang. She is so encouraging, kind and genuine. She challenges us to try new skills, fosters a safe space to share our ideas and teaches us how to be practical, honest, and relatable physicians. Dr. Wang helped me become much more confident with interviewing and presenting patients- I felt like she created an environment where I could feel comfortable to just try, even if I made mistakes, and she gave great constructive feedback.
Dr. Janice Blanchard, Faculty, Emergency Medicine - GW Medicine
Dr. Blanchard really encouraged us to share our diverse opinions without feeling like any one opinion was right or wrong. She encouraged thoughtful discourse. She made a significant difference in my career.
Dr. Rishi Gautam, Faculty, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health - Lifebridge Health/Sinai
Dr. Gautam really cares about his students, their well-being, and their overall education. He takes the time to teach and answer any questions.
Dr. Laura Robinette, Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics - Alexandria, VA
Dr. Robinette is an incredible instructor and her enthusiasm shows in her work. I think she is an excellent primary care role model and gave me a solid foundation in how primary care operates within the broader healthcare system. She went out of her way to make sure I had a positive learning experience, and she tailored my experience to include both important concepts and personal interests.
Dr. Jenny Ren, Resident, Pediatrics - Children's National Hospital
Dr. Jenny Ren is AMAZING. Jenny Ren was an amazing senior resident who constantly taught and provided opportunities to succeed and showcase our knowledge to the attendings.
Dr. Afsoon Roberts, Faculty, Infectious Diseases - GW Medicine
I really loved Dr. Roberts. She was so engaging with her lectures, and they were always presented in ways that were easy to follow and understand. She was also very kind when I would ask her questions after a lecture. I only wish she could have taught more of the lectures!
Dr. Patrick Conway, Faculty, Hospitalist Medicine - GW Medicine
Patrick Conway was such a wonderful attending to have on our last week of the rotation. He has a very warm bedside manner, and I admired how he prioritized teamwork and holistic patient care while also helping us build on medical knowledge.
- April 2025
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Dr. Pavan Vemulakonda, Resident, Internal Medicine & Primary Care - GW Medicine
Pavan is very caring and compassionate with everyone, starting with his patients and including his fellow interns and med students. He’s really selfless, which I noticed specifically when he was working with an intern who seemed to be struggling, he was always present to assist with many questions and did so with enthusiasm. Pavan also was unafraid to take on more patients and demonstrated special attention to detail for each of them, which directly translated to a better patient experience for all of them. From the perspective of educating medical students, Pavan always took time to coach students on their assessment and plan for a patient, and he did so in a way that was super encouraging and really made you want to keep learning! He’s a huge asset to the GW medicine team and deserves the recognition for it!
Dr. Bruce Liberi, Resident, Emergency Medicine - GW Medicine
Dr. Liberi was very welcoming and took time to orient students to a new rotation. He was encouraging and allowed students to have hands-on learning opportunities while creating a safe environment for real-time feedback!
Dr. Mrudula Bandaru, Resident, Internal Medicine and Primary Care - GW Medicine
Mrudula is very patient, helpful, and knowledgeable. Obviously, an incredible asset to any team she is on. She allowed all of us to have appropriate independence, but also ensured we were learning from any mistakes.
Dr. Chase Houghton, Resident, Internal Medicine and Primary Care - GW Medicine
I really appreciated Dr. Houghton's dedication to patient care. He would incorporate teaching throughout, and I thought it was great to learn from him directly by observing how he cares for the patients.
Dr. Jason Robart, Resident, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine - GW Medicine
Resident Jason Robart did a wonderful job answering questions I had throughout the day, finding teaching points for each patient/section of anesthesia care and empowering me to be the best student and doctor I could be.
Dr. Bradford Ralston, Resident, Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine - GW Medicine
I really enjoyed my time working with Dr. Bradford Ralston during my time on OB anesthesia. He was a great educator and spent a lot of time talking to me about topics related to anesthesia to prepare me for the exam. He also spoke to me at length about his own career and training to that point in order for me to grow as a learner. He was extremely friendly and was clearly engaged in the experience that I had working with him.
- March 2025
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Dr. Mei Bou Nasif, Chief Resident, Neurology - GWU Hospital
Mei Bou Nasif was an incredible role model -- she created a welcoming, positive learning environment, provided ongoing teaching and education and provided incredibly compassionate patient care!
Dr. Yamane Makke, Faculty, Neurology - GWU Hospital
Dr. Makke was wonderful to work with. His demeanor with patients and myself as a student was admirable.
Dr. Misky Sharif, Resident, Pediatrics - Children's National Hospital
Misky Sharif was an excellent and kind resident who always made sure we were feeling well, getting good learning and checking in on student's overall well-being.
Dr. Garry Ruben, Faculty, Surgery - Holy Cross Hospital
Dr. Ruben was really invested in education, gave us mini-lectures in the library and clinic, and the opportunity to give student presentations. This was very valuable to our learning.
- February 2025
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Dr. Nicholas Shworak, Faculty, Pharmacology and Physiology - GW SMHS
I want to personally commend Dr. Nick Shworak. For some reason unbeknownst to me, the system stopped recognizing our poll slides. In the middle of the session, there's not much you can do, so my colleague and I kept presenting. About 20 min later, Dr. Shworak gave me a thumb drive with updated and corrected slides. He figured out that there was some type of code wrong that prevented the polls from displaying correctly. He personally fixed 10 poll slides for me and offered to upload them during the presentation. Dr. Shworak also emailed my slides to me so I could have a copy for next year. If that wasn't enough, I saw him coaching the MS1 student techs about how to fix slides. This is the epitome of a collaborative learning environment!
Dr. Victoria Haney, Resident, Surgery - GWU Hospital
Dr. Haney has gone above and beyond to help coach me through my surgery rotation, while boosting my confidence along the way. The amount of care Dr. Haney has for her patients and students is inspiring and someday I hope to be able to have even half as much a positive impact on my students as she does.
Dr. Matthew Taglieri, Faculty, Medicine - GWU Hospital
Dr. Taglieri was the best attending I worked with throughout my 8 weeks of the medicine rotation. He created a positive and welcoming learning environment for everyone on the team and demonstrated exemplary patient care.
Dr. Anne Lesburg, Faculty, Medicine - GW MFA
Dr. Lesberg was simply wonderful. She fostered a team dynamic that was peaceful and personable and allowed for growth of the students. She also modeled compassionate patient care that I wish to take to my future practice.
Dr. Ryan Salemme, Resident, Medicine - GWU Hospital
Ryan Salemme is a star chief resident! He is a great educator and created a supportive learning environment for residents and medical students alike.
Dr. Omar Yaghi, Resident, Internal Medicine - GWU Hospital
Dr. Omar Yaghi was one of the best residents and role models that I have had during my experience at GW. He was extremely kind and always took the time to help the students. It was lovely to see the care he had for his patients and I'm so grateful to have learned from him!
- January 2025
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Dr. Sarah Cigna, Faculty, Obstetrics & Gynecology - GW MFA
Dr. Cigna was an amazing physician and instructor to work with. She made me feel like an important member of her team and pushed me to think of the pathophysiology behind the conditions her patients were facing. She was passionate about her work, which translated into an extremely positive learning environment where I was excited to come back each session.
Drs. Bryttany McClendon-Weary and Matthew Rohn, Residents, Obstetrics and Gynecology - GWU Hospital
Dr. McClendon-Weary made my experience on the OB PM shift the most positive possible. Dr. McClendon is talented, kind and extremely compassionate. She is a model example of a provider and offers a sterling role model that I hope to mirror some day. She and her chief, Dr. Matthew Rohn, are true standouts in my experience and I thank them sincerely for their clinical teaching, care and dedication to their patients and students.
Dr. Jaclyn M. Phillips, Faculty, Obstetrics and Gynecology - GW MFA
Dr. Phillips was exceptional to say the least. Being a med student in Maternal fetal medicine clinic in the first half of the rotation can be challenging given the complexity of cases but she facilitated that transition so well and encouraged me to learn and grow every single session. Any medical student would be lucky to have her as a preceptor.
Dr. Charles Baron, Faculty, Internal Medicine - GW MFA
Dr. Baron constantly made sure he provided me with productive feedback on all aspects of my work- notes, presentations, physical exam. I appreciated this so much.
- December 2024
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Dr. Julia Frank, Faculty, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences - The George Washington University
Dr. Frank delivered a lecture to the MS2 students, sharing her family's experiences. As preclinical students, it’s easy to focus solely on symptoms and treatments without considering the humanistic aspects of these conditions. It takes bravery for an instructor to share their own experiences, and we appreciate Dr. Frank's candid approach in presenting the course content. She effectively integrated her personal insights while teaching us the DSM criteria and treatment for patients with eating disorders.
Dr. Silvi Pomeroy, Resident, Emergency Medicine - The George Washington University
Dr. Pomeroy was an enthusiastic teacher that was consistently willing to provide specific detail. While she worked to figure out her own duties and role she actively made sure the medical students had the necessary tools and opportunities to succeed. Additionally, she made it a point to allow me to assist her in procedures like lac repairs that I otherwise did not have the chance to do.
Dr. Amer Al-Damouk, Faculty, Internal Medicine - Anne Arundel Medical Center
Dr. Al-Damouk is a wonderful mentor and the attending who not only taught me the most on my rotation, but also provided the most detailed feedback and enhanced my professional development.
- November 2024
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November 2024
Dr. Gavin Truong, Attending Physician, Internal Medicine - The George Washington University
Dr. Gavin Truong in primary care was extremely encouraging and showed clear passion about both working with patients and student education.
Dr. Danielle Lefebvre, Resident, Internal Medicine & Primary Care - The George Washington University
Dr. Danielle Lefebvre was my senior during my time at GW. She took the time during her already busy day and workload to make sure all team members were doing okay and had solid plans to present to our attending. She also made sure that her juniors/students did not get faulted for plans that she suggested. For example, she recommended I do X but my attending would say Y is better. Danielle would own up and let the attending know that this plan was her idea and that it was not my or the juniors' fault. She definitely is a great role model that I aspire to be when I become a resident and attending!
Dr. Sarah Conway, Attending Physician, Internal Medicine - The George Washington University
Dr. Sarah Conway was an excellent educator and was extremely impactful in helping me to take significant strides in my short amount of time with her. She encourages students to be proactive, and she allows students to execute plans that they formulate while also helping students to see why certain changes may be more beneficial to the patient. She also provides great feedback and is a wonderful educator overall.
Dr. Vinithra Varadarajan, Resident, Internal Medicine - Anne Arundel Medical Center
Vinithra was an incredible senior resident who taught me so much in the week I worked with her and made me feel comfortable starting my first rotation.
Drs. Aisha Barber, Attending Physician and Courtney Horton, Resident Physician - Children's National Hospital
Dr. Aisha Barber and Dr. Courtney Horton were excellent role models. They showed me how to effectively communicate with families and practice shared decision-making with every patient. As a student, I very much enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to work with them on the team. They provided many opportunities for students to take responsibility for patients and to lead the conversation.
- October 2024
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Dr. Alessandro Albano, Resident, Anesthesiology - The George Washington University
Dr. Albano has been an excellent teacher and is extremely kind and considerate. His care in both teaching and being a phenomenal and empathetic anesthesiologist shows on the OB unit and makes him stand out. My hope is he takes a position where he can continue to inspire the next generation of doctors to be kind, patient, and compassionate.
- September 2024
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Dr. Ramsin Yadgar, Resident, Psychiatry - GWU Hospital
Dr. Ramsin Yadgar was the resident I worked with during my psych rotation at children’s. He was such a helpful mentor, always looked out for the medical students, and treated everyone with the upmost respect. My time at Children’s was very positive because of his presence and I am very grateful for his PEARLS about rotations and guidance for study material.
Dr. Fatima Naqvi, Attending, Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine - GWU Hospital
Your openness to mentoring also made me feel like it was a safe, nonjudgmental environment to ask questions and learn. I liked how you asked me to write down things that made me uncomfortable about geriatric care to help guide my educational experience from the beginning.
Dr. Farhad Jamali, Attending, Primary Care - Glendale, MD
Dr. Jamali's empathetic approach and his method of practicing medicine have profoundly shaped my medical career. The teaching environment he fosters is one where I feel safe to learn and ask questions without fear of judgment.