Two OUWB medical students each recently received the Paul Misch M.D. Doctor of the Future Award for their exceptional work during clerkships at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital.

M3s Felipe Guerrero and Dhun Chauhan were honored on Nov. 11 during a medical staff meeting held in the auditorium of the Moceri Learning Center.

Guerrero received recognition for the family medicine clerkship while Chauhan was awarded the honor for her time on an OB-GYN rotation.

Joseph Love, M.D., president, Medical Staff of Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, addressed the importance of the award — and of medical students like Guerrero and Chauhan to the hospital.

“Students are such a huge part of the fabric of the way we deliver care to our patients here at this hospital,” he said before the meeting. “When people come away with good impressions of our hospital, they often talk about how wonderful a certain person was…and then you realize that person was talking with one of the medical students.”

“Patients talk about how amazing the students are…how knowledgeable, compassionate, and mature,” he added. “Especially the two that we’re honoring tonight.”

The award was established in 2022.

It’s named in honor of Paul Misch, M.D., who worked at the hospital for nearly 40 years. Prior to what he called a “semi-retirement” in 2001, Misch also served as founding chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, had a significant role in establishing OUWB as a member of the school’s planning team, and chaired the OUWB executive committee.

Now living in Indiana, Misch “exemplified what every physician should be, which is to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to our patients,” said Srikala Yedavally, D.O., Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and clerkship director for Family Medicine Undergraduate Medical Education.

Yedavally nominated Guerrero, who said he is considering specializing in family medicine or psychiatry.

“Felipe is the kind of person who walks into the room and connects,” she said. “He did a clinic day with me and the first day he walked in to a busy residency program and was very calm and easily connected with patients and was able to tell me what was going on with them.”

“To me, that says a lot about a student,” she added.

Guerrero said being recognized with a Doctor of the Future Award was “very unexpected.”

“I’m very humbled by this recognition,” he said. "The reason I came into medical school was to become a doctor and make sure that every patient feels at home when they talk to me and when they leave the office, they come out with a smile…that’s what I strive for. It’s nice to be recognized for that.”

Vashali Bhargava, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and OB clerkship director at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, nominated Chauhan.

“We could tell she was special from day one,” she said. “She seamlessly integrated into the team and had great situational awareness. She was motivated, encouraging, and empathetic to patients. And she was so respectful of patient needs and wants in every interaction.”

Chauhan said she was “really surprised” to be recognized with the award.

“The OB-GYN rotation here made me feel like it was something I could do,” she said. “To feel so valued as a medical student…it felt really good.”

“I know all of the lessons I learned during the clerkship are things I’m going to take with me wherever I go,” she added. 

For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].

To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.

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