COM resident program director of the month

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.