Name: Jennifer Adams, MD
Medical school attended: Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University)
Location of residency/fellowship training: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospitals
What residency program at UNMC are you serving as program director for? UNMC Dermatology Residency Program
Number of trainees: Three trainees per year (will fill our full complement of nine residents in July 2022)
How long have you been the program director: One year
What made you choose to become the program director? Education has been a cornerstone of our department since the beginning. The people recruited to be here have an infectious enthusiasm for teaching, which (thankfully) makes my role all that more fulfilling. I was associate program director prior to taking the PD position, and it was a privilege and honor to take the reins of a program that we have all become so proud of building as a team.
What challenges do you foresee in graduate medical education in the future? Medicine itself has become more personalized, and it makes sense that medical education has followed suit. Individualized education for many different trainees heightens complexity, but our residency mission has always been to design curriculum beyond the foundation of dermatology and ensure that our residents are prepared to care for patients in their chosen medical communities. We are eager to do our part in establishing more personalized residency education.
What are the strengths of your training program?
1.) The people: Everyone here is passionate about all things dermatology. We feed off the palpable energy and it spills over into excellence in all aspects of the program and department
2.) The culture: Collaborative teamwork and "all hands on deck" is at the core of our culture. We support each other to ensure that we rise together and reach our full potential.
3.) Continual reflection and innovation: The residents have played an enormous part in building the residency itself and are constantly "at the table" to help refine it to become the best it can be.
List some accomplishments you are proud of: I am proud of the non-traditional curricula we have added to our program, ensuring that residents are prepared for the practical aspects of dermatology after graduation in addition to ethics, inclusivity, advocacy and beyond. As a mentor, it is also incredibly fulfilling to watch your mentees succeed.
Tell us three things about you that others may not know:
- I have been lucky enough to take care of patients in regions around the Amazon, Mount Kiliminjaro and the Golden Triangle.
- Some of my favorite pastimes: strategy board games, escape rooms and the ropes course at Fontenelle Forest.
- Hansen's Disease (aka leprosy) is my favorite condition to treat. I was able to spend time training at the National Hansen's Disease Program and stay in their old Leprosarium.
Dr. Adams is one of the BEST physicians and teachers I have had the privilege to work with! She is 100% truthful when she says "the people" and "the culture" are what makes the Dermatology program so strong. #passionateaboutlearning