Cory Rohlfsen, MD, assistant professor in the UNMC Division of General Internal Medicine, has been selected as a 2026-27 National Academy of Medicine Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence.
He is one of 10 individuals selected by the National Academy of Medicine for the 2026 class of the NAM Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence program. The scholars were chosen based on their professional qualifications and accomplishments, demonstrated leadership in the field and potential to advance diagnostic excellence.
“As someone who is passionate about raising the bar in clinical diagnosis, I am thrilled to be included in this national initiative,” Dr. Rohlfsen said. “Being able to engage with a diversity of patients, multi-disciplinary experts, national leaders and cutting-edge innovators will provide me with broader perspectives, more refined tools, and a larger network of mentorship to advance the discipline of diagnostic excellence.”
This collaborative program in partnership with the Council of Medical Specialty Societies offers a one-year, part-time experience for exceptional health professionals to advance their diagnostic skills, make significant contributions to improve clinical diagnosis at the national level and accelerate their career development as national leaders in the field.
The scholars will engage part time over a one-year period in developing an implementation plan for their proposals. Dr. Rohlfsen’s proposal, titled “Can Diagnostic Excellence Be Measured?”, seeks to create more durable feedback loops to better predict, measure and study diagnostic uncertainty. By exploring quantitative measures of information gain, his research project seeks to establish reasoning traces of diagnostic excellence. If these digital traces are reproducible across contexts, the approach could become a standardized tool for education, assessment, gap analysis and diagnostic forecasting for individuals and systems of care.
In addition, the scholars will participate in monthly educational sessions, cohort learning activities, and professional networking opportunities through the NAM and CMSS. Each scholar will be matched with a mentor or mentors and will be awarded a flexible research grant.
Learn more at National Academy of Medicine Names 10 Scholars in Diagnostic Excellence for 2026 – NAM