This interview is one in a series of interviews with recipients of the 2024 ACGME Awards. The awardees join an outstanding group of previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference March 7-9 in Orlando, Florida.
2024 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Awardee Michael Malone, MD, FAAFP, is the program director for family medicine and the designated institutional official (DIO) at Tidelands Health with MUSC Health in South Carolina.
ACGME: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Dr. Malone: There are many reasons I pursued a career in medicine. For example, the human body is fascinating to me and there is always something to learn in the medical field. The most concise answer for why I pursued medicine, however, is that I was inspired by my interaction with physicians and their ability to improve the health and lives of their patients. I pursued academic medicine because I wanted to pass along the knowledge and skills I’ve been taught to the physicians of the future. I desired to give back to others the way so many great mentors have given time, knowledge, and mentorship to me.
ACGME: What does this award mean to you?
Malone: First, this award means a lot to our residency program team. No program director can accomplish anything on his or her own and we have come a long way since the program started in 2017. As the director of a new residency program, I remember wondering if the program was even going to exist in a few years. This award recognizes the dedication and endless hours spent by the faculty, residents, and administration to build and maintain what I believe is now an exceptional GME [graduate medical education] program.
Personally, I am honored to be able to receive an award for doing something that I love and enjoy. Receiving this award also makes me grateful for the wonderful mentors who have invested in me over the years. It is humbling to receive the same award as such distinguished and accomplished program directors. Furthermore, this award is an encouragement and inspires me to strive each day to be the best teacher, mentor, and leader I can be.
ACGME: What do you feel is the most important job the program director has?
Malone: I think the most important job a program director has is to create a supportive learning environment that promotes resident growth and focuses on providing exceptional patient care. To me, this means facilitating an innovative culture of continuous improvement where residents and faculty members feel empowered and can explore their medical interests or passions.
ACGME: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Malone: The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the growth and development of the residents over time. Each year at graduation, I think back upon the graduating residents’ first day and am always amazed by their progress. New residents often start residency with significant gaps in their medical knowledge and may have minimal experience or confidence applying the knowledge they have. When I see how all the hard work from the residents, faculty members, and administrative team has come to fruition after three years, it is truly inspiring. It gives me a sense of satisfaction when I observe the exceptional care the graduating residents are now able to provide for their patients.
ACGME: What is the most challenging?
Malone: I think one of the most challenging parts of being a program director is trying to understand and meet the myriad of expectations from different stakeholders. There are expectations from residents, faculty members, clinical administration, senior leaders, specialty groups, and accreditation bodies.
ACGME: What advice do you have to residents or fellows who may be interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine?
Malone: I would encourage residents and fellows interested in academic medicine to seek out mentors who can challenge and encourage them along the course of their careers.
Learn more about the ACGME’s Courage to Teach Award and nominate a deserving program director for the 2025 Award – nominations are due by March 27, 2024.