Darwin Brown will receive the Outstanding Teacher Award at the annual faculty meeting on April 20.
- Name: Darwin Brown
- Title: Associate program director, director of clinical education, UNMC Department of Physician Assistant Education
- Joined UNMC: April 1, 1997
- Hometown: Omaha
Dr. Gold to speak at meeting
UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., will give his annual address to the faculty, titled “We Lead the World,” at the annual faculty meeting. A reception will follow the event, hosted by Chancellor Gold. The awards ceremony will also be livestreamed here.
What are the greatest rewards of teaching?
Being allowed to interact with motivated students who are willing to work hard to become excellent PAs. The relationships you develop over the course of the program are my greatest rewards. Each year, you launch another group into the world, and you find out that they, too, are successful. Playing a small part in their development along the way is humbling. In addition, working with such a high-performing, hardworking, committed and professional faculty and staff is what keeps me coming to work every day.
Describe a moment in your career when you realized you had picked the right occupation?
I realized early on that any day you are interacting with students or patients, teaching and communicating with them, is a great day. The interaction, the sharing of information, working toward understanding is what motivates me to stay current.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a teacher?
For me, as I imagine for many faculty, it is time. Time to be creative, develop new materials, learn a new technique, or time to take vacation and reinvigorate yourself. There is always more you wish to do, but with multiple competing priorities, it’s a challenge.
How do you know when you’ve been successful as a teacher?
It is hard to gauge your success as a teacher. Sure, students may perform well on an exam or skill evaluation, but that is just a small piece of the larger clinical role. Success for me is when I hear back from our graduates on their successes and that they are happy in their chosen career. In addition, employers of our graduates consistently rave about the excellent quality of our graduates, their impact on patient care, and their professional behavior. That gives me some input that our program is successful in developing fine clinicians.
Congratulations, Darwin!
Darwin,
Well deserved honor! Congratulations….Pete
Congrats, Darwin! You are one class act!
Way to go! Congrats Darwin!
Congratulations Darwin! You are a great representative for all PA's!
An outstanding contributor to the future of health care! Congratulations, Darwin!
A well-deserved award. I always enjoyed the days Darwin worked with my students (high schoolers). His intelligence, humor, and love of his profession lit a spark in many of those students.
Congratulations, Darwin. You are so deserving of this recognition.
Darwin: this is wonderful! My congratulations.
Congratulations Darwin!
Congrats, Darwin! It takes a special person to be a teacher that can motivate and inspire. You are obviously one of those. It's wonderful that you are receiving this recognition!
Congratulation my friend, what a well deserved honor and recognition. Special only comes along once in awhile, glad it was noticed.
You are a class act and an inspiration! Thank you for all your years of excellent teaching! I feel honored to have been one of the ones who had the privilege to learn from you. Well deserved, DB!
Congratulations! Thank you for being inspiring!
Congrats! It was an honor to be one of your students.
Congrats and well deserved. From green sheet as students together I knew you would make your mark on our profession.
Congratulations! Thanks for all you have done in keeping our program at UNMC one of the tops in the nation! I wouldn't be where I am without your help that's for sure!
Congratulations Darwin! Classmate, clinical partner, friend, gentleman, and one classy man!
Well deserved.
Absolutely well-deserved! I am so grateful to have had you as a teacher, mentor, and now, colleague! Thank you for your integrity, professionalism, and sharing of your talent! I second Christy in that it was truly an honor to be one of your students! You embody excellence! Congrats and THANK YOU!
Congratulations, Darwin! Dave and Lisa Soto
Congrats, Darwin!! Well deserved. Susan MacQuiddy
Congratulations
Darwin, you are a class act! You deserve this honor and many more! Congratulations! Janet Martin
Congratulations Darwin-you've taught 2 Mitchells, dtr. Kelsey and myself. Very deserving!!