Kaur recognized for Exceptional Moments in Teaching

Dr. Gurwant Kaur of the Division of Nephrology is featured for July in the “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.

“Dr. Kaur was great at educating both medical students and residents at the bedside,” a current student wrote. “She went through an entire dialysis lecture literally standing in front of the patient’s room, and it was superb. I felt super comfortable around her asking questions, and I learned a great amount of information with her.”

Kaur was born in Punjab, India. She is the first physician in her family and first among her family members to move to United States for further medical education. Her medical training began at the Government Medical College, Patiala, India. There, she was involved in the National Leprosy Eradication Program, Pulse Polio Program and Directly Observed Treatment, Short course (DOTS) strategy for tuberculosis. She has served as a medical officer in underserved rural and district tertiary care hospitals in India.

Kaur completed her internal medicine residency at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, Paterson, N.J., and her nephrology fellowship at the University of Missouri. Board-certified in nephrology and hypertension, Kaur joined Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center as an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology in 2017. She was appointed associate program director for the nephrology fellowship in 2019, is the director for medical students’ and residents’ nephrology rotation and academic coach for internal medicine residents.

Kaur leads the regional Kidney Transplant Symposium as a course co-director on an annual basis and has been a speaker at regional and national meetings. She is active in the community, volunteering for Bethesda Mission in Harrisburg and delivering kidney health awareness talks among the African American community. Kaur made educational videos for the Punjabi community during the COVID-19 pandemic and worked in collaboration with the South Asian Association of Lancaster to promote the COVID-19 vaccination among the underserved population.

Penn State College of Medicine’s Office for a Respectful Learning Environment recognizes exceptional faculty, residents and fellows with the monthly “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program. Each month, one faculty member and one resident/fellow are highlighted for their contributions. College of Medicine students are invited to submit narratives about faculty members, residents, nurses or any other educators who challenge them and provide an exceptional learning experience using the online nomination form.

The Office for a Respectful Learning Environment fosters an educational community at Penn State College of Medicine in which all learners and educators feel supported, challenged, valued and respected. It serves all learners at the College of Medicine: medical students, graduate students, physician assistant students, residents and fellows.

See previous faculty and resident/fellow honorees here.

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