USDLA Awards ATP with the Silver Award for Excellence in Distance Learning in 2007

Dr. Paul Gordon and Dr. Tejal Parikh from the Department of Family and Community Medicine (FCM) in the University of Arizona College of Medicine won the 2007 Silver Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning Programming from the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA). Drs. Gordon and Parikh received their award Monday at the USDLA annual meeting in Kansas City.

This award acknowledges their unique efforts of coordinating the Rural Faculty Development Fellowship and it is truly an honor bestowed by their peers in higher education distance learning. The Rural Faculty Development Fellowship Series was designed for rural preceptors in the state of Arizona who are involved with the FCM clerkship, fourth year electives, and Rural Health Professions Program using the telemedicine network. This has enabled faculty who were previously unable to participate to improve their teaching skills and it has also enabled the College of Medicine to further expand our network of rural teachers.

Monthly speakers on a wide variety of topics help accomplish many of the goals of the College of Medicine from minority recruitment to enhancing the desire of graduating physicians to practice medicine in the rural corners of our state. The program has been supported for the past 6 years through a federal training grant from HRSA and by the Arizona Telemedicine Program and many of its network affiliates including the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Northern Arizona Regional Behavioral Health Authority (NARBHA). Technically, the program is produced by Janet Major, Technical Coordinator for the Arizona Telemedicine Program and Distance Program Coordinator for Biomedical Communications.