Congratulations to Rita M. Patel, MD, FASA on her retirement and appointment to the esteemed title of Professor Emeritus in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Dr. Patel first came to our department in 1984 to complete an obstetric anesthesiology fellowship. She joined the staff at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in 1985 and soon began her energetic involvement in graduate medical education (GME). In 1999, she became our Residency Program Director and Director of Anesthesiology Educational Programs and in 2002, she became our Vice Chair for Education. In 2016, she stepped down as Vice Chair for Education and took on the role of Vice Chair for Faculty Development. Over the course of her career, Dr. Patel established the administrative structure that supports our department’s educational mission.
Over the course of her career, Dr. Patel was engaged in GME at the institutional and national levels. In 1998, she was appointed Director of Medical Student Education for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM) and in 2003, she was appointed both Representative to the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Resident Affairs in the UPSOM and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for UPMC. In 2007, she became the National Residency Matching Program DIO for UPMC. In 2015, she was Appointed UPSOM Representative to the Academic Physicians Section of the American Medical Association. In 2006, she was appointed Associate Dean for GME and became a member of the Academy of Master Educators in the UPSOM. Dr. Patel served in these institutional and national leadership positions until her retirement this year.
Dr. Patel has been honored with many prestigious awards in recognition of her meritorious leadership and significant contributions to advancing anesthesiology education, including the Society for Education in Anesthesia Duke Award for Excellence and Innovation in Anesthesia Education; the ACGME Advisory Committee for Educational Outcome Assessment Distinguished Service Award to GME; the ACGME Review Committee Development Course Distinguished Service Award to GME; and the ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award. She received the University of Pittsburgh Office of Technology Management Pitt Innovator Award three times as well as the UPSOM Sheldon Adler Award for Innovation in Education. In 2013, she was appointed to the Association of University Anesthesiologists Educational Advisory Board and was elected to the Foundation for Anesthesiology Education and Research Academy of Education Mentors in 2015.
The University held a reception to commemorate Dr. Patel’s accomplishments and celebrate her retirement, where she received an engraved silver bowl in recognition of her Emeritus status. The UPMC Medical Education GME Committee also adopted a Resolution of Appreciation for Dr. Patel’s service.