2006 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award

Jeffrey Wiese, M.D.
Tulane University School of Medicine

The Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Awards were established by the AOA medical honor society in 1988 to provide national recognition to faculty members who have distinguished themselves in medical student education. The award is named for long-time AOA executive secretary Robert J. Glaser, M.D.

Just three days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, Jeffrey Wiese, M.D., had established six relief clinics in New Orleans, organized disaster relief teams of medical students and residents in five states, and resumed his teaching duties in three different cities. His efforts didn't stop there. He continued organizing relief efforts in the affected areas and, by February 2006, had logged nearly 27,000 miles, 11,000 cell phone minutes, and 85 nights in hotel rooms.

That Dr. Wiese would dedicate himself to such efforts comes as no surprise to the students of Tulane University School of Medicine (TUSOM) and the community of New Orleans. In his six years at Tulane, his efforts as teacher, physician, and administrator have made him a role model for students and faculty alike. In the words of Paul Whelton, M.D., senior vice president for health sciences and TUSOM dean, "Dr. Wiese has epitomized dedication and innovation in education and this has exponentially improved medical education at Tulane."

Today, Dr. Wiese is an associate professor and associate chairman of medicine at the Tulane University Health Sciences Center. He is also the chief of medicine and president of the medical faculty at the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans and director of the Tulane Internal Medicine Residency Program. In addition, he directs the medical student courses in clinical diagnosis, biostatistics, advanced internal medicine, clinical education, and medical art and observation.

In his educational role at TUSOM, Dr. Wiese has developed and implemented numerous teaching innovations, including the redesign of the clinical diagnosis and biostatistics courses. These changes have resulted in substantial improvements in medical student performance in these areas on nationally standardized examinations.

Dr. Wiese's educational efforts have produced more than improved test scores, however. In the past six years, Tulane medical students, residents, and faculty have honed their own teaching skills in Dr. Wiese's "teaching-how-to-teach" course. The 148 medical students who completed this course have provided more than 2,500 hours of medical education service to their fellow students, and 62 of them received teaching awards in their first year of residency. Of the residents who took his course, 36 later became preceptors for the clinical diagnosis course.

In his clinical role, Dr. Wiese has served on 22 different committees at TUSOM, Charity Hospital, and Tulane University Hospital and Clinic. He has extended his efforts to the national scene, offering workshops and presentations at national meetings, and serving as the director of three regional American College of Physicians meetings. Dr. Wiese also serves on the board of directors for the Society of Hospital Medicine.

In addition to his outstanding contributions as teacher and educational leader, Dr. Wiese is considered one of the world's leading authorities on the physiology of the alcohol-induced "hangover." Much of his work has focused on the inflammatory mechanisms underlying the increased cardiovascular mortality seen following such alcohol abuse.

Dr. Wiese earned his B.A. degree in biology and sociology, summa cum laude, from Drake University, and received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed both his residency and his fellowship in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine. Among his numerous teaching awards is the Society of Hospital Medicine's Excellence in Teaching Award, which he received in 2005.

Nominate a deserving individual for the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award, and view a list of previous award recipients.