Upon entering medical school in 1989, Joel Bessmer, M.D., thought he’d get his degree, finish a residency and head back to central Nebraska to practice medicine. Then, the late LeeRoy Meyer, M.D., told Dr. Bessmer he had a gift for teaching, and that he would best serve his profession by pursuing a career in academic medicine.
A decade after heeding Dr. Meyer’s advice, Dr. Bessmer will be honored for his work in education when he receives an Outstanding Teaching Award at the Annual Faculty Meeting. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday in the Durham Research Center’s Scott Auditorium.
“I believe teaching is a calling,” Dr. Bessmer said. “It certainly was never part of my plans when I arrived here, but I was very fortunate to work around some great mentors – Drs. Jim Armitage, Jim O’Dell, LeeRoy Meyer, Mike Sorrell, Dave O’Dell, and others – during medical school and especially in my residency. I was honored to be a chief resident, and that was kind of a stepping stone to what I’m doing now. It was clearly the right decision for me.”
Most of Dr. Bessmer’s teaching centers around his position as associate program director of the Department of Internal Medicine Residency Program. It’s a position that puts him in daily contact with colleagues, resident physicians and students. Those conversations are mutually beneficial, Dr. Bessmer said.
“Medicine is continually evolving,” Dr. Bessmer said. “If you want to stay on top, you’ve got to learn every day. I certainly hope that I’m teaching them something every day to help them progress in their careers, but I know they teach me something every day.”
Chad Vokoun, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine, has seen Dr. Bessmer from three perspectives – as a student, as an internal medicine resident and currently as a colleague. Dr. Vokoun said Dr. Bessmer’s positive influence on his career is difficult to describe.
“When you are with Dr. Bessmer one on one, he always makes you feel that helping you understand what is being discussed is his only priority at the time,” Dr. Vokoun said. “As I interviewed for academic internal medicine jobs around the Midwest, it was the ability to work closely with Dr. Bessmer that played a huge role in staying here at UNMC.”
Others cite Dr. Bessmer’s passion for continually improving the residency program and his skill, caring and compassion for patients. Unfailingly, they mention his positive demeanor and his energy in approaching his duties.
“Joel’s trademark is the unfailing energy and enthusiasm that he brings to every task that he undertakes,” Dr. O’Dell said in his letter nominating Dr. Bessmer for the teaching award. “If you know Joel, you know that he rarely has merely good days. If you ask Joel how he’s doing, he almost always responds with his trademark ‘fantastic’ and means it.”
Dr. Bessmer, in turn, is quick to praise Dr. O’Dell, who directs the Internal Medicine Residency Program. The program’s board pass rate is at the very top in the nation, with all of the program’s residents having passed their board exams on the first attempt for the past seven years. Dr. Bessmer notes that the average length of service as a residency program director is less than five years. Dr. O’Dell has been in his position for two decades.
“We have very principled ideas of how to educate our residents, and Jim O’Dell is a huge part of that,” Dr. Bessmer said. “He is consistently there to remind people of the commitment that we must have to keep our program strong.”
In his time away from UNMC, Dr. Bessmer enjoys spending time with his wife, Kathy, and their 11 children. He’s a Cub Scout den leader, a youth basketball and baseball coach, and a frequent music recital attendee. Each of his eight oldest kids is learning to play two instruments – the piano and a string instrument. Kathy Bessmer has a master’s degree in music education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Dr. Bessmer credits his wife, his junior high sweetheart, with keeping schedules and tasks in line at home.
“Her commitment to our family allows me to have my commitment here,” he said. “I have a wonderful wife.”