Teaching Awards

These awards are presented annually during Psychiatry Grand Rounds. Their purpose is to honor excellence in teaching, supervision, mentoring or related instructional activities in a number of categories designated below. Nominees for each award are selected for their ingenuity, clinical skill, innovation, availability, supportiveness, dedication, humanism, respect for diversity, improvement in the teaching process, and introduction of new important subjects.

There are four dates that are critical in receipt of nominations. Announcement for nominations usually occurs in March. Three names (and addresses) will be solicited from each candidate of trainees or faculty (other than the nominator) who are in a position to write an evaluation for the candidate. The nominee will be advised at the time not to contact potential evaluators because of the potential for coercion inherent to any such solicitation or contact. At the time the nominees are listed, additional unsolicited evaluation letters may be written by any faculty member or trainee who wishes. The committee may also reserve the right not to select an awardee in any category in which qualified candidates are not available.

The Departmental Awards Committee is composed of six faculty (chosen as closely as possible to represent, in one or more roles, residency training, psychology training, clinical services, research labs, and the three major divisions of the department) and six trainees (chosen as closely as possible to represent psychiatry residents and fellows, psychology interns, graduate students, and post-doctoral trainees).

Note that, occasionally, sensitive issues may arise when trainees, junior faculty, or friends of nominees feel pressure, directly or indirectly, either to nominate or provide a letter or evaluation for a nominee. Faculty or trainees eligible for teaching awards are reminded that any attempts to solicit their own nominations may place trainees or junior faculty members in an awkward position because of possible coercion inherent in such a relationship and may therefore be detrimental to their selection. On the other hand, chiefs of clinical services, training directors, laboratory coordinators, course directors, chief residents or fellows, or others in administrative positions involving trainees, are encouraged to remind trainees or junior faculty of the deadlines and procedures for Teaching Awards in order to encourage careful deliberation and consideration of all potential nominees in their purview.

For more information or to submit a nomination form, please contact the Office of Education, 37-384 Semel; phone (310) 794-3353; e-mail JNabor@mednet.ucla.edu)