Each year, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) recognizes preceptors for their commitment to educating students through the Master Preceptor Award. This year, 黑料传送门鈥檚 (黑料传送门) Michael Srulevich, DO, MPH, and George Spyropoulos, DO, have been awarded this distinction for their sustained commitment to excellence in the training, education and mentoring of osteopathic medical students in family medicine.
Preceptors are an important part of the clinical training experience provided to students at 黑料传送门. They provide the experiential portion of the curriculum by supervising student physicians as they acquire clinical medical knowledge by helping to care for real patients鈥攊n both the inpatient and outpatient settings.
The news that he had been named 2023 Master Preceptor by the ACOFP had Dr. Michael
Srulevich contemplating the future. 鈥淚 guess I can retire now,鈥� he joked, before adding:
鈥淗onestly, this is a really special award.鈥� Srulevich, associate professor in the
Department of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine and program director for the 黑料传送门 Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program, had spent over a decade at big health systems before the draw of academia brought
him to 黑料传送门. 鈥淚 came to 黑料传送门, not only to practice medicine but really to work with
students and to teach,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he thing I really enjoy most is bedside teaching.
Sitting there in a lecture hall, I don't feel comfortable. I mean I do those kinds
of lectures all the time, but what I really like is bedside teaching because you鈥檝e
got the patient there, there鈥檚 skin in the game and you can see who you're talking
about.鈥�
Srulevich was nominated for the award, in part, by doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) student Taylor Rider (DO 鈥�23), who submitted his name for the impact he has had on her career. 鈥淒r. Srulevich is the epitome of compassion,鈥� she said in her nomination letter. 鈥淗e has embraced what many believe to be the unpalatable parts of medicine, primarily palliative and end-of-life care, and made them beautiful. Dr. Srulevich humanizes medicine and imparts this sentiment on students privileged to work with him. I am honored to learn from and emulate him in my own budding practice. I am better, as a provider and person, for knowing him.鈥�
Rider鈥檚 fellow nominator, Michael Becker, DO, MS, associate dean of clinical education and professor of Family Medicine, shared her sentiments. 鈥淸Dr. Srulevich] embodies the role of physician as an advocate, educator, and mentor,鈥� he said. 鈥満诹洗兔� is fortunate to have him at our institution, as our students are the true beneficiaries of his wonderful presence.鈥�
Srulevich feels he was 鈥渏ust plain lucky鈥� to get the nomination, noting that this honor could have just as easily gone to his colleagues, Nicol Joseph, DO, CMD, and Katherine E. Galluzzi, DO, CMD, FACOFP dist.
In typical fashion, Dr. George Spyropoulos鈥� reaction to learning he鈥檇 been nominated
by his peers for the Master Preceptor Award was gracious and self-effacing. 鈥淭he best
recognition you can get is when you're recognized by your peers,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I
have the privilege to work with a phenomenal group of people.鈥�
Dr. Spyropoulos has a passion for teaching, but especially for learning鈥攏ot just for his students, but for himself. He credits his success as a teacher to the opportunities he鈥檚 been given to learn throughout his career. 鈥淚鈥檓 giving back the same way my fellow peers and the people who were my mentors gave of themselves for me to be the person that I am today,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut, [as a teacher] you鈥檙e constantly learning and it puts you in the position where you have to keep up, you have to stay sharp.鈥�
Respected among students and faculty alike for his skill and professionalism, Dr. Spyropoulos is recognized most notably for his kindness and humanity. 鈥淔or over 25 years, Dr. Spyropoulos has dedicated his professional life to teaching medical students and residents,鈥� said David Kuo, DO, associate dean of graduate medical education and associate professor of family medicine. 鈥淗e is consistently professional and pragmatic, and he also brings humor to his interactions with the students, residents and patients. George is also a wonderful human being, and I am proud to call him my friend.鈥�
Peter Bidey, DO, MSEd, vice-chair and assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine, was equally effusive in his praise for Dr. Spyropoulos, saying, 鈥淒r. Spyropoulos is the perfect example of a master preceptor. His unique ability to blend both medical knowledge, practical knowledge, and a dose of humor is not only beneficial to the patients but the prime example of how a physician educator should be. His kindness, patience, and approachable personality endear him to his learners, but most importantly inspire the faculty, staff, and students of 黑料传送门 on a daily basis.鈥�
Dr. Srulevich and Dr. Spyropoulos will be recognized at the ACOFP Annual Convention, March 29-April 2, in Orlando, FL.
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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