Two former UF College of Medicine students and present faculty members Ryan Nall, M.D. ’09, and Kimberly Merkel, M.D. ’08, were named the 2018 UF College of Medicine Teachers of the Year. The pair was recognized Wednesday evening during the Medical Education Banquet, as part of Medical Education Week.
Patrick Duff, M.D., associate dean for student affairs and recipient of a dozen teaching awards himself, says Nall and Merkel are shining examples of UF College of Medicine graduates who honor their alma maters by shaping the next generation of physicians. Nall, named Clinical Teacher of the Year, serves as an assistant professor and the assistant clerkship director in the division of general internal medicine. Merkel, named Basic Science Teacher of the Year, is an assistant professor in the department of dermatology.
“Both are relatively early in their careers and have already achieved a high level of academic excellence,” Duff says. “In essence, they are the new generation of teaching stars.”
Merkel, who completed an internship in internal medicine, a residency in dermatology and a fellowship in dermatopathology at the UF College of Medicine, provides services for UF Health Dermatology at UF Health — Springhill. She says being named teacher of the year came as a surprise.
“It was unexpected and I’m incredibly grateful,” she says.
Her teaching strategy is to keep things both demanding and pertinent to her students’ future careers.
“I try to take pieces from my own teachers that I’ve found stimulating and challenging and mix that into my course,” she says. “In structuring my curriculum, it was important to me to include information relevant to testing, as well as provide a broad clinical base that will translate as the students enter their third and fourth years.”
She says her course is inspired by the teachings of William Winter, M.D.; William Dunn Jr., Ph.D.; John Aris, Ph.D.; Stanton King Wesson, M.D.; Franklin Flowers, M.D. and Duff. From Duff, Merkel learned the impact of an engaging and engaged teacher.
“He cares about the whole student experience, from learning to supporting your development,” she says. “He’s someone whose lessons I’ll take with me the rest of my career.”
We’re very proud of Dr. Kimberly Merkel for this deserved and high honor!