We are delighted to congratulate Rachel McDonald, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, on her election to the WashU Medicine Academy of Educators.
The Academy is the School of Medicine’s community of distinguished teachers. These are faculty who have shown through sustained and documented excellence that they are among the institution’s most committed educators. Membership is earned rather than honorary. Each candidate’s teaching record is independently evaluated by peers against the Academy’s standards. Election is a statement by one’s colleagues that a physician has made teaching central to their career and has done it exceptionally well.
By that measure, Dr. McDonald is a fitting addition. As Program Director of the Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, she led the effort that secured the program’s initial ACGME accreditation and established it as an independent training program. She has built new curricula in areas ranging from point-of-care ultrasound to mechanical circulatory support, all aimed at graduating fellows ready to practice the full breadth of critical care. This past year, the fellows recognized her impact with the Robert Senior Teaching Award, given to the faculty member who has most shaped their education.
Dr. McDonald will be formally welcomed at the Academy Induction Ceremony in October. Please join us in congratulating her on this well-deserved honor.