The Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award honors program directors who find innovative ways to teach residents and fellows, and to provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment. Parker J. Palmer is the author of the book The Courage to Teach; his promotion of the concept of “living divided no more” has proven relevant to teaching in academic health centers.
Nikhil Hemady, MD, FAAFP
Family Medicine
Pontiac General Hospital
Pontiac, Michigan
Nominators Had This to Say:
“Dr. Hemady believes in teaching by example. He is a very honest and hardworking professional with an excellent work ethic. His enthusiasm is equally inspiring. Over the years, and more recently with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen Dr. Hemady deal with difficult situations with great optimism and strength. Dr. Hemady is always available and constantly checking in on all the residents. He is genuinely invested in helping his residents advance in their careers by guiding and listening to their needs. All the residents look up to him — he is part friend, part parent, and part older sibling all rolled into one wonderful individual. I know we speak for all the residents when we say we completely trust him and know that no matter how tough it sometimes gets during residency, he is always in our corner standing up for our needs and interests. We appreciate that he always listens to his residents and uses our feedback to make the residency program better than it is. Under his leadership we are continuously working on making the curriculum more comprehensive. Dr. Hemady is a fantastic leader to work for and we are proud to admit that a lot of the leadership skills that we have acquired during our residency have been the direct result of working with him and emulating his qualities.”
“There is strong focus on academics and research in Dr. Hemady’s residency program. Residents and students participate in annual research day presentations. Several have been published and recognized at national conferences. Lecture days have been restructured with resident input, allowing for learning methods that work best for them. Residents do not resent the rigor. Rather, to attend the family medicine residency graduation ceremony each year is to experience tangible gratitude from graduates — not just for the medical knowledge gained, but the manner with which to behave,