Features

Virginia Medical School Names CMS Medical Director Preceptor of the Year

November 28, 2009
Remember your favorite teacher? The one who inspired you to be where you are today or maybe the one who just gave you that extra nudge when you needed it?

For many physician assistant students in Virginia Beach, VA, that favorite teacher is Dr. Abdul Jamaludeen, Regional Medical Director at the Virginia Beach City Jail. Dr. Jamaludeen was recently named as the Class of 2009 Preceptor of the Year for the MPA program at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.

"Dr. Jamaludeen is the best preceptor I’ve ever had," said Katy Cartwright, a Physician Assistant at Virginia Beach City Jail who graduated in 2006 and precepted with Dr. Jamaludeen. "He doesn’t mind any questions, no matter how basic and takes every opportunity to teach you something. No other preceptor takes the time he does to go over things with you and make sure you understand why things are being done in a certain way. All the students love him."

Dr. Jamaludeen says he tries to be very approachable because he believes it’s important for students to gain a true understanding of medicine, not just for the next test but to better serve their patients in the future.

"Sure, some of the learning involves route memorization, but underlying that should be a solid understanding of knowledge," said Dr. Jamaludeen. "I try to do what I can to make it easier for students to understand the processes behind medicine. It’s sort of like if I tell you to change the oil in your car, you may do it because it just needs to be done, but if you understand why you need to do it and the important role clean oil plays in your car, you’ll be much more likely to take care of it properly."

Dr. Jamaludeen, who has served as a preceptor since 2003 to over 40 students, says he enjoys his work with the students and is honored to have been chosen as preceptor of the year. He works with about half a dozen students a year, with each student shadowing him on the job for six weeks as part of their clinical rotation program.

"It’s wonderful to have been chosen by them as Preceptor of the Year," said Dr. Jamaludeen. "I just try to do the best I can with them. Some people teach by intimidation, I know that’s how I was taught a lot of the time, and you may be able to repeat back all the facts thrown at you, but then you don’t feel you can ask any questions. I don’t think that leads to real learning in the long run. I just try to explain things as best I can to students and let them know they can always come to me with any questions. I try to be there for them. To me, that’s what a teacher should be."