Distinguished Teacher Award

This award was created in 1997 to acknowledge an individual's excellence in teaching over the long term in any of the cardiovascular fields. Recipients of this award are applauded for their dedication to teach in this scientific specialty.

Dr. Israel Belenkie, 2009

I Teach Them to Think, Not to Acquire Facts

When asked what he would like the residents to say about him, Dr. Israel Belenkie replies, “That I inspire them to think and synthesize rather than to default to yet another test.”

His teaching methods reflect exactly that. Instead of being told a patient has a heart murmur and agreeing they can hear it—whether they can or not—residents make their own diagnoses (with some deliberate false alerts thrown in) by listening until they are convinced of their own finding. Only when they all agree on the finding is he satisfied the lesson is learned.

“This method keeps them honest and I work harder at teaching them if they can’t hear or find an abnormality,” he says.

Dr. Belenkie revels in the interaction of the small bedside groups, much preferring them to the large, formal talks.

“If I interact,” he says, “I walk away pumped. In fact, I’m still pumped from a talk six weeks ago that was non-stop interaction. There’s so much to be learned from other people. I hope the students feel my passion when I teach. It shows that I care, that I’m not just spending time.”