2022 STAR Educator Recipient: Elizabeth Maani, MD
Elizabeth (“Lisa”) Maani, MD
Assistant Professor
Department of Radiation Oncology
Nomination Submission:
Dr. Maani goes above and beyond to teach the residents and medical students who rotate through her service at the VA Radiation Oncology clinic. She regularly dedicates time to teach abstract concepts that are difficult to learn through currently available formal education resources, but that are crucial to becoming a well-rounded and functional radiation oncologist. She does so by breaking complex subjects down into manageable lessons presented in simple-yet-effective “chalk talks” which are emphasized through patient scenarios, both in illustrative examples and in daily real-life practice. She does this all while providing state of the art treatment to our Nation’s Veterans who come from all across South Texas to receive high-quality, timely care.
With regards to academia, she is actively engaged in supporting and mentoring multiple reviews of a vast collection of patient data accumulated through the busy VA clinic. She is a StatPearls editor and is actively working with multiple residents to update and create new content on the platform, helping residents become authors and improving global access to information about a wide range of topics in cancer care management.
While she takes time to invest in the academic health of the radiation oncology program, she is also actively invested in developing our program’s Resident Wellness curriculum. A department’s health is only as good as the health of those who work within it, and Dr. Maani has taken a leading role in creating an environment which is conducive to personal growth. Furthermore, she is working to help residents find and pursue those tasks which enable mental and emotional rejuvenation on a consistent, sustainable basis. She takes a personal interest in each student and resident she works with and fosters a collegial workplace which inspires each learner to achieve their full potential.