Washington, D.C., November 3, 2001 - At its Annual Meeting today, the Association of American Colleges (AAMC) presented national awards to four medical school faculty members who devote their time and energy to providing medical students with an outstanding educational experience. Established by the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society, the AOA Award is in honor of Robert J. Glaser, M.D., long-time AOA executive secretary. The award recipients are:

Walter J. Bo, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

As a professor of anatomy for over 50 years, Dr. Walter Bo recognizes the importance of gross anatomy to the overall framework of clinical education. His approach to teaching embraces the active participation of students in his anatomy course through a combination of lectures and cadaver lab precepting.

Dr. Bo was a leader in Wake Forest's curriculum reform, amending his teaching style to incorporate the new curriculum changes. He is a proponent of the power of computer technology in the education process, and helped Wake Forest integrate laptop computer-facilitated learning into the curriculum.

In 1996 the medical school alumni established an endowed fund in his name, honoring his exemplary service to the School of Medicine. Dr. Bo has also received the 1995 Medical Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Award, given to a faculty member who has had a long-lasting, positive impact on the alumni's professional knowledge, skills and attitude.

After receiving a master's degree in zoology from Marquette University in 1947, Dr. Bo earned a Ph.D. in anatomy from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine.

He taught at North Dakota School of Medicine for seven years, before coming to the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where he has been a professor for over 40 years.

J. John Cohen, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Immunology
University of Colorado School of Medicine

World-renowned for opening up the field of programmed cell death, Dr. J. John Cohen is also known for his passion for teaching medical students.

Dr. Cohen is the creator of the nationally replicated Mini-Medical School program, a series of free lectures that provide the public with insight into what students learn in their first two years of medical school. The program, now in its 12th year, routinely fills its 300-seat capacity and is simultaneously broadcast to five rural Colorado health care sites.

For his work in designing the sophomore immunology course curriculum, Dr. Cohen has received the University's Excellence in Teaching Award every year for the past 18 years.

Dr. Cohen received his Ph.D. and M.D. at McGill University. He came to the University of Colorado in 1972 and has spent his career there as a professor of microbiology, immunology and medicine.

Douglas S. Paauw, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine

Dr. Douglas Paauw, director of the core medicine clerkship at University of Washington, has helped medical students experience health care in both urban and remote clinical settings. Since taking over the program in 1991, his program has expanded to sites in Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

As lead editor for the Guide to Internal Medicine, a student syllabus for clerkship, Dr. Paauw's program has served as a model that has been incorporated into many medical schools' curricula. He also has developed an interactive internal medicine web site, engaging students on both a local and regional level. A nationally acclaimed speaker, Dr. Paauw gives workshops around the country that address the core teaching skills for clerkship directors and preceptors, as well as workshops for other educators.

Dr. Pauuw received the medical school's Distinguished Teaching Award on four occasions. In 1997 he was elected Teacher of Superior Perpetuity, the school's highest teaching award.

After receiving his medical degree from the University of Michigan School of Medicine, Dr. Paauw began his teaching career in 1988 at the University of Washington Medical School. In addition to his associate professor position, he is the coordinator for student teaching.

Steven E. Weinberger, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine
Harvard Medical School

Dr. Steven Weinberger has been a highly engaged teacher of medical students, house staff and faculty. He is the designer of two innovative electives for medical students: an inter-institutional pulmonary clinical elective and an advanced biomedical sciences course, "Everything You Wanted to Know from Core Medicine but were Afraid to Ask." His textbook, Principles of Pulmonary Medicine, has been translated into several languages and is referred to as one of the best learning tools in medical education.

Dr. Weinberger's tenure at Harvard includes roles as director of the Core Medicine II Clerkship and chair of the Medicine Clerkship Committee. This year, Dr. Weinberger was invited to be a founding member of the newly formed Academy at Harvard Medical School, a community of scholars with demonstrated abilities, commitment and leadership in medical education.

Since 1986, Dr. Weinberger has received numerous teaching awards, including the Preclinical Teaching Award from Harvard's graduating medical class of 2001.

After completing his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, Dr. Weinberger received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1973. He earned a post-doctoral degree in internal medicine with a pulmonary specialty, then joined the Harvard faculty in 1978 as an instructor of medicine.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges represents the 125 accredited U.S. medical schools; the 16 accredited Canadian medical schools; some 400 major teaching hospitals, including 74 Veterans Administration medical centers; 91 academic and professional societies representing nearly 88,000 faculty members; and the nation's 67,000 medical students and 102,000 residents. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. Medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 129 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and 94 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 109,000 faculty members, 67,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

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