2022 STAR Educator Recipient: Nehman Andry, MD
Nehman M. Andry, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Family and Community Medicine
Nomination Submission:
Since 2016 Dr. Nehman Andry has dedicated his talent, expertise, and service to teaching medical students at the LSOM. As the Family Medicine Clerkship Director, he develops and implements curricula that promotes the value of primary care in our health system and connects students with patients across their life’s span. He is clear in the goal of the clerkship: giving students a solid understanding of the principles and philosophy of family medicine and awakening compassion and interest helping the communities we serve.
Most recently, Dr. Andry collaborated with faculty and a student on the creation and implementation of Health Disparities Activities into the clerkship curriculum. During the 6-week clerkship, students are assigned a patient who is experiencing health inequities related to their social circumstances. Students are tasked with learning about their assigned patient in a holistic fashion, working interprofessionally with a Community Health Worker (Promotor) as they identify and address their patient’s needs and work to understand what would be needed to decrease their patient’s uncertainty about their health. The goal of the curriculum is to advance the student’s professional commitment to eliminate inequities in health and accept responsibility in their role in eliminating health care disparities. The implementation of this innovative teaching methodology into the clerkship encourages curiosity, humanism, equity, inclusion, and excellence in learning beyond the clinic setting. This new element of the curriculum exposes students to a vulnerable patient population and community that transforms and further develops their clinical skills and compassion in a way that would not be possible in any other clinical rotation.
Dr. Andry is a compassionate role model for medical students and family medicine residents who teaches in synthesis sessions, and clinic and hospital service locations. This example highlights Dr. Andry’s talent as a mentor, collaborator, innovator and transformative teacher in our institution.