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In This Issue:
From left: Chair of the Department of Surgery Michael Zinner, Lown Award recipient Elizabeth Breen and Harvard Medical School Dean for Medical Education Jules Dienstag
Elizabeth (Lisa) Breen, MD, described by colleagues as an exceptional educator, was honored on May 5 with the 2014 Bernard Lown Award for Excellence in Teaching during the Daniel Federman Teaching Awards celebration at Harvard Medical School (HMS).
The award was established in 2009 and named after Bernard Lown, MD, to celebrate physicians who are outstanding clinical leaders and recognize the significant role that education plays in BWH's mission. Lown is a renowned senior physician at BWH, professor emeritus at Harvard School of Public Health and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who has devoted more than 50 years to the practice of medicine. Lown has transformed the practice of cardiology and continues to inspire physicians, educators and students today.
A clinician-educator who joined the Department of Surgery at BWH in 1997, Breen received the award during an evening ceremony in the Tosteson Medical Education Center Amphitheater at HMS. She received nominations and letters of support from faculty, residents and students, showcasing her extraordinary ability for training the next generation of clinicians in Surgery and in other areas.
According to one nomination: "Dr. Breen is not only an exceptional teacher but truly cares about each student's growth and pushes us to go beyond our comfort zones."
Another nomination letter detailed Breen's enthusiasm for teaching: "Her education sessions were always thought-provoking and encouraged independent study afterward."
Breen currently runs a clinical practice caring for patients with colon and rectal conditions and has assumed multiple leadership roles in the education of medical students and residents. As the Core Surgery Clerkship director at BWH and HMS, Breen has been involved in all aspects of medical student education, including curriculum reform and faculty development. She has improved student evaluation with clinical assessments and a newly formatted oral examination.