Dr. Parker receives Outstanding Teaching Award

Jennifer Parker, M.D., center, is the recipient of one of UNMC’s Outstanding Teaching Awards.

Jennifer Parker, M.D., brought a unique skill set to UNMC when she started in 2003. She was the first faculty member to have clinical appointments in both internal medicine and pediatrics.

“The medicine-pediatrics combination is new to the Midwest,” she said. “It’s more common in other parts of the country. But, I’ve always thought medicine and pediatrics are complimentary, not mutually exclusive.”

Dr. Parker has parlayed her dual training to become one of UNMC’s top teachers. She will be formally recognized along with three other UNMC faculty members on Tuesday at 4 p.m. when she receives the Outstanding Teaching Award at the Annual Faculty Meeting in the Sorrell Center’s Fred Paustian Amphitheater.

The recognition for Dr. Parker is well deserved, said David O’Dell, M.D., the LeeRoy Meyer Professor of Internal Medicine.

“My strongest personal recommendation of her teaching skills is exemplified by my decision to recruit her in 2006 to be a weekly lecturer for the junior internal medicine clerkship and teach the EKG portion of the clerkship,” he said. “She has excelled in both of these areas.”

The clerkship was taught for many years by LeeRoy Meyer, M.D., a legendary UNMC faculty member who died suddenly in 2005. Dr. Meyer’s death left a major void in internal medicine and necessitated some immediate realignment of faculty teaching roles.

More about Dr. Parker “(Despite her very busy schedule) Dr. Parker never seems rushed. She always seems to have time. She is always willing to help, counsel or advise. She has the patience to wait for her students to realize what she already knows. And if they don’t realize … she’s there to give them a push in the right direction.” Beth Rawlings, M.D., who works with Dr. Parker during her residency training “Dr. Parker’s charismatic and affable personality allows her to connect almost immediately with people. Her ability to establish effective rapport is second to none and promotes an environment conducive of learning on all fronts. She is the consummate physician-educator.” John J. Cannella III, M.D., who worked with Dr. Parker during his residency training “She is always available for any need. She exemplifies the best qualities of an academician — she is an excellent and effective teacher, she is a sharp and caring physician and she is a valued mentor. … Her actions have led to the development, in a very short time, of a strong residency program that is competitive nationally.” Marcus Snow, M.D., rheumatology fellow who worked with Dr. Parker during his residency and fellowship training “Dr. Parker does a fantastic job teaching a complicated topic, encouraging active participation from students, and at the same time managing to keep the level of anxiety in the classroom low. Her notable attributes include patience, enthusiasm for medicine and patient care and her impressive knowledge base.” Malachia Trout, fourth-year medical student “We are delighted that Dr. Parker is being recognized as one of this year’s outstanding teachers. Dr. Parker’s energetic and enthusiastic approach to teaching helps her connect well with students and residents. She is an excellent mentor to her residents and her approach to clinical teaching serves as a model for both trainees and her colleagues in the department.” John Sparks, M.D., professor and chairman, department of pediatrics “Dr. Parker has both modeled and taught what it takes to be an evidenced-based, kind and caring physician. Our students, residents and her fellow faculty members have all learned from her attentive and comprehensive approach to patients and her continued activity as a lifelong learner.” Lynell Klassen, M.D., professor and chairman, department of internal medicine

Three UNMC internal medicine physicians — Dr. O’Dell, Scott Neumeister, M.D., and Dr. Parker — were chosen to teach the clerkship, which is considered one of the key classes for third-year students.

Drs. O’Dell and Neumeister each teach the clerkship two days per week, while Dr. Parker teaches the one-hour class on Fridays.

Dr. Parker, who grew up in Kearney, Neb., went to medical school at UNMC and understood the magnitude of replacing Dr. Meyer.

“He was one of my mentors … a great role model,” she said. “His wealth of medical knowledge was a big draw for students. He had a unique way of dealing with students. (On the exterior) he was a hard shell to crack, but he cared so much about student education.”

Rather than give a daily lecture, Dr. Meyer used the Socratic method of teaching, which is much more interactive between students and teacher.

The three clerkship instructors who replaced Dr. Meyer all agreed that it would be best to continue using the Socratic method.

“It’s much easier to just put together a Power Point and deliver a lecture,” Dr. Parker said. “The Socratic method is better for the students because it forces them to be more prepared coming into class. Students learn best when they are engaged in a class, and that’s what happens with the Socratic method. It’s back and forth. We ask the students ‘to tell me about this.’ They have to be prepared.”

Dr. Parker gives patient scenarios to the students and then lets them come up with the possible answers.

“I’m probably a little soft on them,” she said. “I know Dr. Neumeister makes them sweat it out. I’ll give them hints to help them.”

She likes to keep the environment light and fully appreciates the value of a little humor.

“I like to show a funny slide every now and then,” she said. “Often students provide the humor. They’ll make a wrong diagnosis, and I’ll say, ‘You just killed me, but other than that …'”

The students love her style. “She is highly sought after as an adviser,” Dr. O’Dell said. “She personally advises an average of more than 10 students, which is a huge load for any faculty. She has an enthusiastic and upbeat approach. She has very high expectations of her students and spares no effort to help them achieve.”

The oldest of three children, Dr. Parker grew up in an academic family. Her father, Ed Walker, Ed.D., teaches elementary education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Her mother, Cheryl Walker, is an elementary school counselor.

All three children gravitated to medicine, as Dr. Parker’s brother, Jason Walker, is an anesthesiologist in Des Moines, while her sister, Meghan Potthoff, is a nurse practitioner at Creighton University.

Dr. Parker was a chemistry major at Creighton, but never had intentions of becoming a doctor. “There was no ‘ah-ha’ moment,” she said. “I kind of stumbled upon it. One of my teachers said, ‘You’re a chemistry major. You need to either get a medical degree or a Ph.D. to best use it.'”

She earned her medical degree from UNMC in 1999 and then went to the University of Michigan for her joint residency in medicine and pediatrics. “I’ll admit I was a little intimidated going to Michigan,” she said. “It was known as ‘the Harvard of the Midwest,’ but it was a great experience.”

She met her husband, Mike Parker, at Michigan. He was working on his MBA degree. When they started looking for jobs, the search took them to Omaha, as Mike was offered a marketing position with Union Pacific Railroad and Jennifer was extended a position on the UNMC faculty.

Dr. Parker joined the faculty in 2003 as a clinical instructor and was elevated to assistant professor in 2005. Since 2005, she has served as medical director of the Baker Place Clinic for UNMC Physicians and as program director for the internal medicine-pediatrics residency program.

The combined medicine-pediatrics residency program has flourished under Dr. Parker’s direction. Currently, eight resident physicians are enrolled in the program.

Her family is likewise flourishing with the addition of two sons — William, 4, and Samuel, 2.