The Psychiatry Teaching awards are presented annually during
Psychiatry Grand Rounds. Their purpose is to honor excellence in
teaching, supervision, mentoring or related instructional activities in a
number of categories. Nominees for each award are selected for their
ingenuity, clinical skill, innovation, availability, supportiveness,
dedication, humanism, respect for diversity, improvement in the teaching
process, and introduction of new important subjects.
Outstanding Medical Student Teaching
Eligible candidates are full-time faculty in the department who
lecture, supervise or tutor in any of the courses for first or second
year medical students or in any of the psychiatry clerkship or medical
student electives (include those offered at our V.A. or affiliated
medical programs).
Benjamin Woo, M.D.
Dr. Benjamin Woo is the site director for the third year Psychiatry
clerkship at the Olive View Medical Center and works with the medical
students that rotate through the inpatient psychiatry unit. One student
that had begun their rotation with no particular interest in the field
acknowledged that he had an epiphany about psychiatry while under the
guidance of Dr. Woo, stating “I suppose that is what the truly great
teachers do. They take something that may initially seem so foreign and
unattractive and change it into the most interesting and fascinating
thing in the world. This is indeed what Dr. Woo did for me in
psychiatry. He undoubtedly planted an infectious desire to learn more
about psychiatry and a new found drive to be instrumental in the
treatment of the mentally ill. Subsequently, I have now decided to
pursue a career in psychiatry.” A former student believes that the
traits that Dr. Woo modeled early on have been indispensable in their
development as a clinician and educator, adding that “Dr. Woo has been
an invaluable part of my career, and I look forward to him inspiring
future generations to come”. For his dedication to teaching students,
Dr. Benjamin Woo is truly deserving of the 2012 Outstanding Medical
Student Teaching Award.
