Graduate Medical Education
Clinical Learning Environment
Our residents and fellow physicians learn to provide safe, high quality patient care by engagement with our affiliate sites in the domains of health care quality, patient safety, professionalism, well-being, care transitions, and supervision. USF Health MCOM and all accredited GME programs endeavor to create a learning environment that upholds best behaviors and practices in all these areas such that resident and fellow physicians adopt these behaviors and practices today and for their future practice.
CLER Domains
Patient Safety
Diversity & Health Disparities
Quality Improvement
Professionalism
USF Health MCOM GME Culture Champion Award
Award recipients serve as role models to our community for their commitment to professionalism, humanism, and demonstration of USF values of accountability, inter-professionalism, compassion, excellence, respect, and inclusion.
November 2023 Winners
Alaina Mui, MD PRG-2
USF Health MP -Medicine/Pediatrics
- "Alaina not only works to take care of her own patients, but is a true team player. She pays attention even when other residents are presenting their patients and offers her own learning points and experiences."
- "Alaina "makes life better in the USF / TGH community" through her kind soul and light hearted spirit. She is always carries herself with a smile, even on the toughest days. She is always reminding others to be remain positive and going above and beyond to boost team morale. She is very accountable to her team and her patients - she never thought twice about staying late to ensure the team left together, and she always spoke up for her patients best interest."
Rishi Bolla, MD PRG-1
USF Health Internal Medicine
- "I have a close family friend who is admitted at TGH who has metastatic colon cancer and an unfortunate situation where her treatment options are limited due to a chronic infection (due to a bowel to bone fistula). It is a very complex medical situation and very emotionally fraught as she is running out of treatment options and and-of-life discussions are occurring. Dr. Bolla handled this complex situation with aplomb beyond what I would expect for even an attending physician and was able to explain the situation and its complexities in a way my friend could understand and also with kindness, patience and compassion. He took an extraordinary amount of time to talk with us in what I know was a very busy Saturday for him, and it never felt rushed as he answered all of our questions and went over information even multiple times when he saw that my friend needed things repeated or re-explained."
- "Dr. Bolla also subsequently helped arrange a multi-disciplinary team/family meeting with IM, Hospice/Palliative Care, ID, Oncology, Social Work and Hospice and all team members were similarly outstanding so I can see where Dr. Bolla picked up some of his skills from. I wish I had all the doctors' and team members' names because they were truly outstanding but wanted to highlight Dr. Bolla in particular."
April 2023 Winners
Priyanka Atit, DO PRG-2
USF Health Neurology
- "Priyanka carries a reputation for diplomatic interactions with other residents, attendings, and services. She is highly regarded by her patients for her excellent bedside manner and clinical excellence. She is a pleasure to work with on service because she maintains all tenets of professionalism (always on time, considerate, diligent, etc.) and is a phenomenal clinician."
- "Priyanka spear-headed multiple initiatives that have dramatically enhanced the learning environment in neurology."
- "Priyanka's class cohort is one of the most tightly knit residency classes I have ever seen, and this was due in large part to her efforts to keep her class engaged and socially active early on. She frequently hosts her classmates/initiates group plans and is always inclusive of everyone. She is the people's person! There is no doubt that this translates over to the work environment. This class constantly supports each other."
Nathan Brewster, DO FEL 3
USF Health Medicine / Pulmonary & Critical Care
- "Nathan was the first fellow to win our division's ""Fellow of the Month"" award, for going the extra mile during his night shifts to ensure that the care of ICU patients is optimized and expedited."
- "Dr. Brewster is
the model for humanism; he is that physician we all wanted to be when we went
into medicine. He simply puts people first, whether his patients or colleagues,
in everything he does. This drives him to always do what is right, and to go
above and beyond. His unwavering nature persists even on the worst days. His
empathy, commitment to his patients and model professionalism constantly
inspire all of us lucky enough to work with him."
- "He is the type of doctor I want to be when I grow up. He is the kind of doctor I wanted to send my family members to. He is always empathetic and compassionate yet his evaluations are always thorough and comprehensive. He exemplifies the definition of a team player. "
November 2022 Winners
Constance Bindernagel, DO PRG-3
USF Health Pediatrics
- "When she noted a lack of medical knowledge and need for more up to date patient care with the introduction of allergenic foods to pediatric patients, she created and advanced a peanut introduction QI initiative. Starting at USF, she educated faculty and residents alike in the new recommendations. She went beyond the USF community and brought the educational project to the state level. She gave conferences to several residency programs around the state to also enhance their knowledge about the state. This was entirely her initiative and not directed by the program. In addition, she reached out to our local physicians to improve the care of all children in the Tampa Bay area."
- "She is always inclusive of all persons on the team (students, other trainees, RNs, pharmacy, parents, other caregivers, etc.) and makes sure each feels welcome and empowered in their roles. She has received numerous patient/caregiver positive comments, positive comments from students and other trainees, consistently advances medical knowledge with research and quality improvement, and is always ahead of schedule in completing even mundane tasks within medicine and residency life. She is a resident we never need to remind to complete her modules!"
Jameson Kuang, MD PRG-4
USF Health Medicine/Pediatrics
- "Despite clinical excellence, Dr. Kuang maintains humility and exudes a calming demeanor at all times. He provides a really strong platform to allow his juniors to shine. He goes out of his way to advocate for his patients and his junior learners. He is an exemplary physician, a compassionate human, and a quiet leader with a servant heart."
- "Dr. Kuang spends his free time working in free clinics, where he will go above and beyond to provide care for the underserved. He role models the true physician who cares deeply for his patients. I am so proud to have him as one our trainees."
- "Jameson makes sure everyone is included and feels seen and heard. He is a wonderful role model and multiple residents have commented on how he has positively impacted their learning experience."
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