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Orthopaedic surgery resident Lewis honored for exceptional teaching

Dr. Kirsten Lewis, an orthopaedic surgery resident at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, was honored in July 2021 as part of the Exceptional Moments in Teaching program of Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.

“Dr. Lewis contacted me prior to starting my rotation, and we discussed my goals,” a current student wrote. “She established an improvement plan with me, which she stuck to throughout the month. Every day on service, I graduated to a new level of responsibility, which Dr. Lewis would teach me about and then oversee my progress.

“Dr. Lewis took time out each day to ask what questions I had, how I was faring with my new responsibilities and what she could be doing to better support my development. Nobody in all of my medical education has taken this much individual time to improve and hone my clinical skills. I am much more confident about entering into residency because of the time and effort Dr. Lewis invested in me during my rotation.”

Lewis is a PGY-1 orthopaedic surgery resident who is originally from Wrightsville Beach, N.C. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology and German literature from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University before moving to Pennsylvania for her residency training. In her free time, Lewis enjoys biking, hiking and cooking.

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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