This interview is one in a series of interviews with recipients of the 2022 ACGME Awards. These awardees join an outstanding group of previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference, which will take place virtually March 30-April 1, 2022.
2022 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Awardee Dr. Joann Porter, MD, FACP, is the designated institutional official (DIO) and associate dean for GME at Creighton University School of Medicine.
ACGME: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Dr. Porter: During residency, I really enjoyed teaching clinical decision-making and mentoring medical students and other residents. I received a Golden Apple award as a senior resident, which helped me feel I could attain the status of being a faculty member. Another factor I felt was that staying in academic medicine would be one of the best ways to always stay up to date in my field of internal medicine.
ACGME: What does this award mean to you?
Porter: Helping and supporting program directors to navigate obstacles and to share a common supportive framework has always been the most rewarding part of being a DIO. At the beginning of the pandemic there was so much uncertainty and fear. While there is no perfect outcome in times like these, this reward means the program directors and residents/fellows felt supported by me through this exceedingly difficult time. In addition, the gratitude this has generated for me to be recognized really helped with some needed fortifying of my own resilience.
ACGME: What do you feel is the most important job a designated institutional official has?
Porter: The most important job of a DIO is to create the best training environment possible for residents and fellows to reach their full potential in their practice of medicine. In order to do this a DIO has to function much like a conductor of a symphony. There are so many wonderful and talented people in GME but in order for the talent to be best utilized, the DIO must create a collective understanding and a common vision. The resulting “harmony” creates the best environment for learning and practicing medicine.
ACGME: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Porter: The most rewarding part of my job is mentoring the program directors. If I had any athletic talent (which I most decidedly do not!) I would be a sports coach helping each athlete reach their full potential. I like helping the program directors lead and optimize their programs and seeing the fellows and residents directly benefit from this.
Learn more about the ACGME’s Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award and nominate a deserving DIO for the 2023 Award – nominations are due by April 6, 2022.