For Seward physician, Van E. Vahle, M.D., tuition money was not enough
to reimburse the University of Nebraska Medical Center for his education.
The UNMC graduate, who was named the College of Medicines Volunteer Faculty
of the Month for October, has spent hours training and mentoring medical
students.
“I feel I have a debt to pay,” Dr. Vahle said. “(Volunteer teaching)
is something I can do for education.”
No matter what field of medicine his students go into, Dr. Vahle enjoys
the time spent with them. He has noticed a trend with many of the residents
he advises, however. “There have been some instances where the students
come back to Seward (Neb.) and practice with us,” he said.
Dr. Vahle attended UNMC from 1966 to 1970 and then interned with a focus
in obstetrics from 1970 to 1971, before moving to Seward to start a family
practice. He has been a volunteer faculty member for UNMC for almost eight
years.
“Dr. Vahle is a much sought after clinical teacher by the UNMC medical
students. He expects high performance from his students and in turn provides
excellent mentorship and teaching,” said Michael Sitorius, M.D., chairman
of the department of family medicine at UNMC.
He currently is chief of medical staff for the Memorial Health Care
Systems and the laboratory director of the Seward Family Medical Center.
He uses every opportunity to teach students about family practice.
“The most exciting thing about small-town family medicine is that the
people we take care of are also the people we live with,” said Dr. Vahle,
who has been in family practice for 30 years. “Theyre our friends. I take
care of the grandparents in a family, and I also deliver their grandchildren.
I like to show the students an all-encompassing family approach. We take
the families from the cradle to the grave.”
Dr. Vahle has no doubts about teaching his students the routine of small-town
family medicine. “I felt it was the right thing to do,” he said.