From the Dean’s Desk | Physician Advisors Help Shape Academic and Medical Careers

One of the unique aspects of training to become a physician investigator at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University (CCLCM) is that our students, immediately upon enrollment, are paired with a physician advisor to ensure their success as they move through the five years of the program.

Our trained physician advisors serve a critical role in helping medical students with their personal and professional development, coaching them through CCLCM’s unique approach to student assessment (e.g., no traditional grades, competencies and milestones, formative and summative portfolios, etc.).

Richard Prayson, MD, Professor of Pathology, was my physician advisor, and I distinctly remember our frequent meetings in his office in the LL Building, surrounded by trays of glass pathology slides. During these advising meetings, we discussed his thoughtful (and numerous) penciled comments on my portfolio essay drafts as well as additional resources and opportunities that I could explore to meet my goals.

I’m grateful for the tremendous support and empowerment he provided me in the early stages of my physician-investigator journey, and this appreciation for physician advisors is shared by many CCLCM alumni.

Our current physician advisor team includes:

• Chairperson: Robert Wilson, DO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology
• Marjan Attaran, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Ob-Gyn & Reproductive Biology
• Pelin Batur, MD, Professor of Ob-Gyn & Reproductive Biology
• Pilar Castro, MD, MEd, Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology
• Kendalle Cobb, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine
• Robert Dean, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
• Phillip Hall, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine
• Mohammad Mohmand, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
• Camille Sabella, MD, Professor of Pediatrics
• Heidi Szugye, DO, Associate Professor of Pediatrics
• Vicente Velez, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
• Adele Viguera, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

In addition to serving as clinicians who care for patients, some of our physician advisors hold leadership roles within Cleveland Clinic as well as other educator responsibilities, such as faculty development (ensuring our educators excel in teaching others); educating our residents and fellows; program evaluation; and learner assessment.

Physician advisors are chosen to serve in the role because of not only their stellar reputation as clinicians or educators, but also their mentoring and leadership acumen. In fact, some of our past physician advisors have also gone on to become members of the Cleveland Clinic executive team, including serving as Cleveland Clinic hospital presidents.

The strength of our faculty is one of many hallmarks of CCLCM. Their depth of knowledge, sustained engagement across all phases of training, and thoughtful leadership ensure our students are exceptionally prepared for both the rigor of their academic journey and the demands of their future medical career.

We are deeply grateful to our physician advisors and to all our faculty members, who help students develop the skills, confidence and professionalism essential to becoming physician investigators and medical leaders in their own right.

Christine B. Warren, MD, MS (’09)
Interim Executive Dean