By Kat Procyk
Photography by Rayni Shiring/University of Pittsburgh
With artificial intelligence (AI) shaping the future of medical education, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine 30th annual Curriculum Colloquium brought together faculty in Alan Magee Scaife Hall’s West Wing Auditorium to determine best practices for utilizing AI in both classroom and clinical settings to position Pitt as an institutional leader in the field.
Hooman H. Rashidi, associate dean of AI in medicine and professor of pathology at Pitt, said in his keynote speech that education for both users and administrators is necessary for successful implementation of AI. He emphasized that faculty could grasp the technology and its functionality without a background in coding, computer science or data science.
For those planning to use AI in their classrooms, he suggested following an unofficial approach called “DVP,” which was previously introduced to medical students by Jason Rosenstock, associate dean of medical education and professor of psychiatry, through the AI curriculum. “DVP” means “disclosing” any use of AI, “verifying” the information it curated and “protecting” the content created for presentations and assignments.
Faculty then participated in breakout sessions exploring a range of AI-focused topics. These included a student-led presentation on how their peers are leveraging AI to excel in medical education, strategies for using AI to enhance learning objectives and test questions, as well as discussions on data transparency, privacy and the potential pitfalls of AI implementation.
At the conclusion of the colloquium, outstanding faculty members received awards for their contributions to the school. See below for photos of the event and this year’s winners.
Caption: The PalPITTations performance at the SOM Curriculum Colloquium in Scaife Hall’s West Wing Auditorium on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
Pitt’s School of Medicine 30th Curriculum Colloquium Award Recipients
Excellence in Education Awards:
Class of 2027
Outstanding Longitudinal Educator: William McIvor, MD; Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Outstanding Clinical Skills Preceptor: Emily Geramita, MD, PhD; Assistant Professor of Medicine
Outstanding Course Lead: Jenifer Lee, MD; Professor of Medicine
Outstanding Course Lead: Bill Yates, PhD; Professor of Otolaryngology and of Neuroscience
Carl R. Fuhrman Clinical Educator of the Year Award:
Rachel Vanderberg, MD; Associate Professor of Medicine
Michael Simonson, MD, MS; Assistant Professor of Medicine
Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award
Anthony Cyr, MD, PhD; Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery
Jessica Berger, MD; Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Kathryn Leyens, MD; Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Maria Baldwin, MD; Associate Professor of Neurology
Sarah Jones, MD; Clinical Instructor of Medicine
Stacy Bartlett, MD; Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Tejal Bhojak, MD; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Vildan Tas, MD, FAAP; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Award for Excellence in Clinical Precepting
Jamie Wright, MD; Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Luan Pham, MD; Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Award for Foundational Science Education
Lisa Borghesi, PhD; Assistant Dean for Foundations
Lydia Strattan, PhD; Assistant Professor of Pathology
Pritha Workman, MD; Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Award for Outstanding Staff Contributions to the Curriculum
Alida O’Neill; Office of Medical Education
Dee Dee Greenawalt; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences
Award for Outstanding Medical Student Contributions to the Curriculum
Lauren Stumpp, Class of 2025
Alfred Shoukry, MD; Assistant Professor of Medicine
Carolyn De La Cruz, MD; Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery
Orquidia Torres, MD, MS; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
William I. Cohen Award for Excellence in Clinical Skills Instruction
Ben Sprague, MD, MS; Assistant Professor of Medicine
Danielle Heffner, MD; Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
Donald S. Fraley Award for Medical Student Mentoring
Evelyn Reis, MD; Associate Dean for the Learning Environment
Kenneth E. Schuit Award, Recognizing the Dean's Master Educators
Robin Maier, MD, MA; Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Caption of first photo: From left, Social Justice Educator Award recipients Carolyn De La Cruz, Alfred Shoukry, and Orquidia Torres with associate Dean for Medical Education Jason Rosenstock.
Caption of second photo: From left, Clerkship Preceptor of the Year Award recipients Vildan Tas, Tejal Bhojak, Stacy Bartlett, Maria Baldwin, Jessica Berger, Anthony Cyr, and Sarah Jones with associate Dean for Medical Education Jason Rosenstock