by Jessica Pasley
Joseph Gigante, MD, professor of Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, was recently inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Educators in Pediatrics (NADEP) within the Academic Pediatric Association (APA).
He is the first Monroe Carell faculty member and among the second class of physician educators named to this group.
Gigante first came to Monroe Carell in 1988 for his pediatrics residency. In 1994 he completed his fellowship at the hospital, became a faculty member, and joined the APA.
He has been an educator for nearly 30 years.
Being named to the APA’s honorary service academy as a lifetime member is a highlight to an already stellar educational resume.
“I have been involved in medical education across the continuum, and my efforts have resulted in multiple institutional awards for teaching excellence, including being selected as one of the first Master Clinical Teachers and a founding member of the Academy for Teaching Excellence at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM),” said Gigante, who is also the director of Education in the Office of Faculty Development in the Department of Pediatrics at Monroe Carell.
“I was privileged to have a teaching award in the Vanderbilt Department of Pediatrics named in my honor in 2009. The Joseph Gigante Award is presented to the faculty member who has distinguished themselves as an educator and teacher of both VUSM and Meharry Medical College students and has dedicated themselves to training the next generation of pediatricians,” he said.
Gigante has held numerous local and national leadership positions related to teaching and mentoring including the recent completion of his two-year term as the director of the Vanderbilt Academy for Excellence in Education (AEE) where he is currently serving as past director.
The selection process for this recognition occurs every three years. The rigorous application and peer review process involves a nomination, providing a personal statement, curriculum vitae, two letters of support and an executive summary detailing the educator’s experience/portfolio.
“My passion and commitment throughout my career have been improving the health of children through medical education. I hope to have contributed to the health of children in my work in medical education with learners across the continuum at all levels of the educational spectrum including Undergraduate Medical Education, Graduate Medical Education and Continuing Medical Education,” Gigante said.
“This is a prestigious organization comprised of the best of the best educators in the United States,” said Gigante.
“It is an honor to be selected to this group by my peers in medical education. It’s recognition of the important scholarly contributions, educational excellence and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion I have made on the national level that have advanced the field of medical education.”