Dorothy S. Lane, M.D., M.P.H., Distinguished Service Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine

STONY BROOK, NY, February 24, 2006 -- In recognition of her leadership in developing the preventive medicine residency program at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Dorothy S. Lane, M.D., M.P.H., Distinguished Service Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine, received the 2006 Parker J. Palmer "Courage to Teach" Award on February 13. The Setauket resident is one of only ten educators nationwide to receive this award. It is given annually by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), a nonprofit council that evaluates and accredits medical residency programs in the United States.

The award recognizes medical residency program directors who find innovative ways to teach residents and their overall dedication to teaching, patient care, leadership and mentorship.

"In receiving the award, I am proud of the work and accomplishments of the entire program faculty and the many dedicated residents that have gone through the preventive medicine residency program," says Dr. Lane, who has directed the program since its inception in 1982 and has been a member of Stony Brook University?s School of Medicine since 1971. "The program has been a trailblazer in competency-based education that focuses not only on increasing knowledge, but also on demonstrating competence in applying that knowledge in practice."

Residents cite Dr. Lane's refreshing openness to new ideas and to creative ways of approaching old problems. She instituted a new course for residents in communication skills, and topics like biomedical ethics and health law are weaved into the curriculum.

The ACGME was established in 1981 from a consensus in the academic community for an independent accrediting organization. There are more than 8,000 ACGME-accredited residency programs in the United States, with 26 specialties and 84 subspecialties.

The "Courage to Teach" Award is in its fifth year. The award is named after Parker J. Palmer, a sociologist and educator who wrote the book The Courage to Teach, which is about many facets of teaching. He dedicates his book to teachers who "love learners, learning, and the teaching life."

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