HARRISBURG, May 19 - Jeffrey N. Verzella, MD, (Williamsport) is the 2007 recipient of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) Exemplary Teaching Award for Full- or Part-Time Faculty.
A Senior Associate Director of the Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program, Dr. Verzella, is being recognized for his commitment to the success of his students and endless enthusiasm for family medicine that he passes on to them, said Jane Corson, MD, (Hershey) President of the PAFP, who presented the award at the PAFP's recent annual membership meeting in Gettysburg.
"In the words of his residents," she said, "Dr. Verzella exemplifies the drive and enthusiasm that every teacher needs."
Dr. Verzella is a graduate of Dartmouth College, earned his M.D. at the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse and completed his residency in family medicine at the Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. After serving in the military, where he earned awards and commendations for his leadership and service, Dr. Verzella joined the Williamsport Family Medicine Residency Program in 1989 and became Senior Associate Director in 1996. He holds academic appointments of Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine for Penn State University College of Medicine, SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse and Temple University School of Medicine.
One of the things setting him apart, according to Dr. Verzella's residents, is his ability and patience to work with each student, no matter the time of day or night and no matter if he has to tailor his teaching method to a student's individual learning style-diagramming for visual learners, collecting extra articles for independent learners or making models for hands-on learners.
"It is clear he has dedicated his life to caring for his patients and teaching young physicians, seeking the reward of his students developing a love of learning and the skills to become caring physicians themselves," Dr. Corson continued. "His residents feel lucky to have been taught by Dr. Verzella, benefiting from someone they see as the culmination of all traits desired in a teacher: knowledge, enthusiasm, understanding, thoroughness and patience."
The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians was founded in 1948 and represents more than 4,700 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students. Learn more about family medicine in Pennsylvania at www.pafp.com/FMinPA.