Archive: Four to Receive Exceptional Physician Awards

by Lisa Cisneros Four outstanding doctors will receive Exceptional Physician Awards at UCSF Medical Center's Fifth Annual Honors and Awards Celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, May 12, in Cole Hall in the Medical Sciences Building, 513 Parnassus Ave. These doctors were selected for exemplary demonstration of medical center values in clinical practice and interaction with patients, faculty and staff. The medical center's values are professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity and excellence. On May 12, Chief Medical Officer Ernie Ring and Chief Nursing Officer Catherine Wittenberg will present the awards to:

• • Michael Gropper, MD, PhD, professor of anesthesia and perioperative care and physiology,
• • John Engstrom, MD, professor of neurology,
• • Glenn Rosenbluth, MD, chief resident, Department of Pediatrics, and
• • Sandrijn van Schaik, MD, a clinical fellow in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

A reception will follow the awards celebration at the Nobel Wall in the lobby of the Medical Sciences Building. Michael Gropper San Francisco native Michael Gropper is a professor of anesthesia and physiology and director of Critical Care Medicine. He is also an associate investigator at the Cardiovascular Research Institute and chair of Medical Quality at UCSF Medical Center. "I decided to become a doctor because I wanted a career that was important, challenging and involved lifelong learning," Gropper said via email. "To do those things, and care for people in need, seemed a perfect fit." A graduate of Lowell High School in San Francisco, Gropper earned his BS degree in physiology from UC Davis, a PhD degree in physiology from UCSF and an MD degree from UCLA. "What I enjoy most about my profession is the variety of challenges and rewards," he said. "I have days when I am a clinician, researcher, teacher, and administrator -- all in one day. I can never be bored. It is so satisfying to watch the development of students into clinicians. Most important are the professional relationships that I have developed over my years at UCSF, both in the medical school and medical center. What I enjoy least is that my career path takes me away from my family too much." John Engstrom A professor of neurology, John Engstrom is director of the Neurology Residency Program. Asked why he decided to become a doctor, Engstrom said, "The art of medicine is personally satisfying, the science of medicine is intellectually challenging, and the courage of patients and families in the face of illness is inspiring. I cannot think of another job with this combination of attributes." A native of Carmel Valley, Engstrom received his education at UC Davis, University of Edinburgh and Stanford medical school. He served a residency in internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University and a neurology residency at UCSF. Asked what he enjoys most about his job, Engstrom replied, "The patients and neurology residents teach me something new every day." Glenn Rosenbluth Chief resident in the Department of Pediatrics, Rosenbluth has been at UCSF since 2002, when he started his residency. A native of White Plains, New York, Rosenbluth said he wanted to become a doctor because he "always enjoyed science in school, and medicine seemed like a natural career choice." He entered medical school planning to study geriatric medicine, but then switched to anesthesia. During his fourth year as a medical student, Rosenbluth was preparing to apply for a residency and "realized that he had the most fun doing pediatrics, so that's what I did." Rosenbluth, who earned his BS and MD degrees from Cornell University, says he enjoys "teaching students and residents and developing relationships with patients and their families." Sandrijn van Schaik A clinical fellow in pediatric critical care medicine, Sandrijn van Schaik has been at UCSF for almost three years. "I went to medical school because I was intrigued to find out how the human body works, and I actually hesitated between becoming a writer and becoming a doctor," she said via email. "My parents argued for obvious reasons that I could become a doctor and write in my spare time, whereas the reverse would be a lot more difficult. In medical school, I discovered how fantastic it is to actually be able to make a difference to someone else's life." Van Schaik went to medical school in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and then came to the United States to do research. She served her residency in pediatrics in Boston. "What I like most about my profession is that I get to work in a team, and being in a state of perpetual learning. I also love to teach, and share my enthusiasm for medicine, in particular, pediatric critical care medicine, with people around me." Links: Outstanding Faculty Mentorship Award Goes to Harrington