The Department of Otolaryngology is pleased to announce Erin Buczek, M.D., as one of this year's recipients of the 2022 President's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The award recognizes full-time regular faculty members at UAB who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments in teaching, with a recipient from each of the schools and the Joint Health Sciences. The President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching was initiated in 1990 by Past President Charles McCallum.
Buczek, who completed both her residency and fellowship in UAB’s Department of Otolaryngology, says that teaching offers several rewarding benefits—for both the student and the teacher. “The most exciting part of teaching is being able to help others maximize their potential,” she said. “Whether understanding a concept or achieving a new surgical skill, it's incredibly rewarding as an educator.”
Buczek is an assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and the associate residency program director. She also directs Thyroid and Parathyroid Services. A graduate of Duke University School of Medicine in 2011, Buczek focuses on head and neck oncology and is a head and neck endocrine surgeon. She is an expert on head and neck cancer, thyroid and parathyroid diseases, salivary gland tumors, and skin cancer. She has received several awards and honors for her leadership, especially regarding residency programs.
“I am delighted Dr. Erin Buczek received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching,” says Bradford A. Woodworth, M.D., FACS, James J. Hicks Endowed Professor of Otolaryngology and interim chair. “She is viewed as an outstanding clinician-educator by her peers, colleagues, and mentees.”
Buczek says she stays on her toes by adapting to teach different learning styles. And while there are several ways students learn, there are also several different places students learn. “My favorite place to teach is the operating room. I love seeing medical students, residents, and fellows excited about surgery and the profound difference we make in patients' lives.”
Buczek departs from UAB this fall to assume another role at Kansas University.
When she thinks about teaching in the future, she says, “I hope to inspire others to continue a legacy of teaching and build on their knowledge through lifelong learning.”