This interview is one in a series of interviews with the 2026 recipients of the ACGME Awards. These 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 2026 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place February 19-21, 2026, in San Diego, California.
2026 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Awardee Aimee K. Zaas, MD, MHS is the internal medicine residency program director at Duke University Hospital.
ACGME: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Dr. Zaas: Looking back, everything always makes more sense than it probably did starting out! I did recognize how much I enjoyed being in an atmosphere where the people I worked with were smart, curious, and creative and where each day could have different elements (patient care, teaching, mentoring, research, etc.). The role models I had during residency at Johns Hopkins really set the tone that an academic environment was where I wanted to build my career and this was echoed at Duke during my fellowship and my early career. Many program directors are recovering chief residents, and that year did solidify for me how much I enjoyed working with residents and other learners. While I had a productive and meaningful foray into research in the early part of my career, conversations with mentors and some introspection led me to shift my efforts into GME, and specifically program leadership.
ACGME: What does this award mean to you?
Zaas: What an honor. Honestly, it makes me even more grateful for the colleagues and relationships I have been fortunate enough to build over the years.
ACGME: What do you feel is the most important job the program director has?
Zaas: I think that as program directors it is our responsibility to help our residents develop “positive imprinting” on what it means to be a physician, and to help them develop the skills needed to make choices that will provide them the best opportunity to have longevity in their careers. We have a whole team of educators who help us build curriculum, ensure their clinical skills are excellent, etc. We also need to show them that being a physician is a worthwhile way to spend your professional life.
ACGME: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Zaas: Building long-term relationships with residents - seeing them make it through challenging times, seeing them succeed, watching their friendships and bonds with co-residents develop and last long beyond residency.
ACGME: What advice do you have for residents or fellows who may be interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine?
Zaas: Keep seeking mentors across all domains of your life (clinical, research/scholarly work, personal life). Ask them about how they spend their time, how they prioritize, what the pitfalls are to look out for, etc.
Learn more about the ACGME’s Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award here.