Name: Andrew Wahl, MD
Medical school attended: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Location of your residency/fellowship training: Northwestern University, Chicago
What residency/fellowship program at UNMC are you serving as program director for: Department of Radiation Oncology
Number of trainees: 4 residents
How long have you been the program director: 5 years
What made you chose to become the program director:
I had a strong desire to teach and help residents develop and mature in radiation oncology.
What challenges do you foresee in graduate medical education in the future:
The complexity of patient care has increased dramatically, which – coupled with the electronic medical record – places undue stress on residents and faculty. Balancing resident education with the demands of modern clinical medicine is challenging.
What are the strengths of your training program:
We are fortunate to have great residents who care about their patients and education. Our residents are exposed to a broad spectrum of disease sites in clinical radiation oncology and have a high volume of patients. Our program has a culture of continuously seeking different methods to improve the educational experience.
List some accomplishments that you are proud of:
I am proud of our past and current residents, who work hard every day to take care of our patients.
Tell us three things about you that others may not know:
Before starting medical school, I spent two summers working as an orderly in the preoperative holding area at Clarkson Hospital. The nurses taught me a lot about the art of medicine.
I enjoy playing golf.
I have three children and spend my time outside of the hospital driving them to their activities.