This interview is one in a series of interviews with the 2025 recipients of the 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 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place February 20-22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.
2025 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Awardee Marcie Feinman, MD, MEHP, FACS is the vice chair in the Department of Surgery; division chief for Acute Care Surgery; and program director of the general surgery residency at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
ACGME: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Dr. Feinman: No one in my family is in medicine or medicine adjacent. I got involved in athletic training at a young age, followed by emergency medical services (EMS). Medical school was my goal from before I entered college, and I went in knowing I had an interest in trauma surgery. I liked other fields, but never anything more than trauma, so I applied for general surgery and then proceeded with fellowship. I started teaching college EMS courses while I was still in undergrad, and briefly taught for the US Secret Service.
I knew I wanted to run a residency program as part of my career, so when I finished my educational and training program and was looking for jobs, an independent residency program was a requirement. I did my master’s in education in the health professions to make sure I was facile with curriculum development and program assessment, as well as mentoring and leadership. The program director job opened at my current institution five-and-a-half years ago and I was able to take over the role.
ACGME: What does this award mean to you?
Feinman: It means the world that my residents look up to me as a leader and felt I deserved this nomination.
ACGME: What do you feel is the most important job the program director has?
Feinman: Creating and supporting an environment that allows each resident to thrive as an individual.
ACGME: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Feinman: Watching the residents grow as people and not just surgeons. I love seeing them develop their emotional intelligence, leadership skills, and nurture the environment we’ve created.
ACGME: What is the most challenging?
Feinman: Remediating lapses in professionalism, especially when the resident lacks insight into how their actions are perceived by others.
ACGME: What advice do you have for residents or fellows who may be interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine?
Feinman: Academic medicine is more than NIH [National Institutes of Health] grants and publishing. The “old fashioned” idea of academic medicine solely equaling research output is outdated. Find your passion, lean into it, and you can turn it into a career. It can be research, advocacy, education/teaching… the sky is the limit.
ACGME: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Feinman: In 2018, I completed a yearlong professional coaching certification course. It was one of the best things I have ever done for my personal and professional development, and I use the skills every day as I lead my program.
Learn more about the ACGME’s Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award and nominate a deserving program director for the 2026 Award – nominations are due by March 12, 2025.