CCLCM Shines at Midwest SGIM, Showcasing Innovation and Leadership

Faculty and students from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University (CCLCM) demonstrated a remarkable presence at the 2025 Midwest Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) meeting, held in Cleveland, Oct. 20-21. Our faculty and students were at the forefront, leading workshops, delivering oral presentations and sharing cutting-edge research that spanned from generative AI in medical education to the core principles of physician leadership and well-being.

Leadership transition highlights CCLCM’s impact

A major highlight of the conference was the presidential transition within the Midwest SGIM, underscoring CCLCM's profound influence in the region. We extend our deepest gratitude to Stacey Jolly, MD, MAS, Associate Professor of Medicine, for her exceptional service as the outgoing president and offer our warmest congratulations to Richard Cartabuke, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, as he steps into the role of incoming president. Their leadership is a testament to the respect our faculty commands within the academic medicine community.

Pioneering the future of medical education with AI

A dominant theme of CCLCM's contributions was the thoughtful and innovative integration of generative AI into medical education.

• Neil Mehta, MBBS, MS, Associate Dean of Curricular Affairs and Professor of Medicine, alongside students Anika Sonig (’29) and Seysha Mehta (’27), led a highly practical workshop titled, “Look Ma No Code! Learn how to create Virtual Tutors and Virtual Standardized Patients using Generative AI.” The session empowered attendees to build their own AI-driven educational tools, demonstrating how technology can provide scalable, personalized learning.
• This work was further detailed in an oral presentation, “Personalized AI-Powered Virtual Tutors and Course Notebooks for Precision Medical Education,” delivered by students Mehta and Sonig. The presentation showcased a successful pilot in the Year 1 Immunology course, where custom AI tutors received overwhelmingly positive feedback and high engagement from students.
• Zeeyong Kwong (’29) and Dr. Mehta presented a poster on the “Instructive Implementation of AI Scribes in Medical Student Clinical Training Experiences,” which explored another practical application of AI in clinical learning environments.

Eric Yudelevich, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, alongside residents Sharan Jhaveri, MD (PGY-2, Internal Medicine), and Andrew Young, MD (PGY-3, Internal Medicine), led a workshop titled, “Training Academic Primary Care Faculty to Build Custom GPTs for Resident Education.” The highly interactive session helped participants learn to design and implement custom GPTs for primary care education.

Fostering leadership and physician well-being

CCLCM faculty led crucial conversations beyond technology — conversations focused on the human side of medicine, nurturing the skills necessary for a sustainable and impactful career.

• Moises Auron, MD, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, and Christopher Whinney, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, co-led “Leadership in Healthcare: Understanding & Evolving,” an interactive workshop designed to equip physicians with adaptable leadership strategies. Dr. Auron also presented a poster with Dr. Whinney on “Mentoring in Medical Education.”
• Sajal Akhtar, MD, with former CCLCM faculty Nicole Frerichs, MD, addressed a critical issue in modern practice with their workshop, “Clear Lines, Healthy Minds: Mastering Boundaries in Medicine,” providing physicians with tools to navigate the challenges of outpatient care and prevent burnout.
• Dr. Jolly guided a session on “Building Relationships for Mutual Growth,” helping attendees develop meaningful professional engagement within SGIM.
• Ana Yepes-Rios, MD, Assistant Dean of Student Engagement and Wellbeing, and Associate Professor of Medicine; Tim Gilligan, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; and Rachel King, JD, led a vital workshop titled “Feedback for the Whole Learner: Introducing Identity in the Feedback Relationship,” which provided a framework for navigating feedback with sensitivity and awareness.

Dr. Whinney provided attendees with essential clinical knowledge in his “Updates in Hospital Medicine” presentation, and Steven Masiano, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine, presented “Health-related Social Needs, Treatment Changes, and Post-discharge Outcomes in Recently Discharged Older Adults with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes.”

Student research takes center stage

Our students distinguished themselves by presenting impressive scholarly work, highlighting the rigorous research training embedded in the CCLCM curriculum.

• Sameed Khan (’27), working with Dr. Mehta, presented a poster on “Automating the Longitudinal Tracking of Scholarly Productivity in a Research-Oriented Medical School Program Using Open-Source Tools.” The research offered an innovative solution to a common administrative challenge.

Jeffrey Shu, MSc (’26), and colleagues from across Cleveland Clinic shared findings from a multicenter cohort study in a poster titled, “Repeat Multiplex PCR Gastrointestinal Panel Testing Within 14 Days Yields Minimal Additional Diagnostic Information,” contributing valuable data to guide clinical practice.

For his and his team’s work, Shu tied with another presenter for Top Scientific Abstract.

The breadth and depth of these contributions underscore CCLCM's commitment to advancing medicine on all fronts — through technological innovation, educational excellence and a deep investment in the professional development of our community. Congratulations to all our faculty and student presenters for representing CCLCM with such distinction.