John McConville, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary/Critical Care), Vice Chair for Education and Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program has been named as a recipient of the ACGME’s 2021 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the educational and training programs in the Department of Medicine.
Dr. McConville earned his MD from Penn State University in 1994 and completed his internal medicine residency, including one year as chief resident, and pulmonary/critical care fellowship training at the University of Chicago. In 2001 he was appointed to the faculty where he currently serves as associate professor of medicine. Prior to his appointment as Director of the Internal Medicine Residency (IMR) Program and Vice Chair for Education in August 2011, Dr. McConville successfully served as the Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship Director for 4 years where he helped redesign the subspecialty training experience into what is now recognized as one of the elite programs in the country.
As the Director of IMR Program and Vice Chair for Education for the Department of Medicine , Dr. McConville oversees the education and training of nearly 300 trainees that comprise the Department’s 4 residency programs (internal medicine, medicine pediatrics, emergency medicine and dermatology) as well 17 ACGME accredited subspecialty fellowships programs. As the IMR Program Director, Dr. McConville has worked tirelessly to enhance residency and MD/PhD recruitment, training, mentorship and satisfaction, and is directly responsible for many significant initiatives. As a leader, Dr. McConville successfully steered the IMR Program through challenging times of ACGME requirements for implementation of an 16 hour shifts for interns and implementation of new competency requirements into the housestaff curriculum. As an educational innovator, Dr. McConville developed and executed a new 4+2 curriculum for the IMR Program that has greatly enhanced the ambulatory educational experience. Dr. McConville’s central oversight of the Department’s ACGME fellowship programs has been vital to successful outcomes for continued accreditation of the sub-specialties. As a role model and mentor, Dr. McConville has mentored 9 years of chief residents, many of whom completed successful medical education fellowships and/ or conducted original biomedical research, and have matched into some of the best fellowship programs in the country. He has also fostered continued recognition of DOM faculty as leaders in medical school education.
The Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award honors program directors who find innovative ways to teach residents and to provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment. Parker J. Palmer’s book The Courage to Teach promotes the concept of “living divided no more,” which has proven relevant to teaching in academic health centers.