April 20, 2011

With its commitment to providing top-quality care, Mount Nittany Medical Center has been an active supporter and participant in The Pennsylvania State University’s medical mission in educating students. Three of the Medical Center’s physicians, Angela Hardyk, M.D., James Freije, M.D. and Thomas Covaleski, M.D., were honored with the 2010 Penn State College of Medicine Annual Affiliate Site Teacher of the Year Award for their excellence in education of its students.

Students at the Penn State College of Medicine must complete clerkships—clinical trainings in which students practice medicine under the supervision of a health practitioner. Students rotate through eight core clinical clerkships: family medicine, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, primary care, psychiatry and surgery in the third year, and neurology in the fourth year. Prior to beginning the third year, students must complete a transition to clinical medicine.

Dr. Hardyk, obstetrician and gynecologist with the Mount Nittany Physician Group, has guided students through the obstetrics and gynecology clerkship for the past three years. Hardyk mentors two students every six weeks, totaling 16 students each year. The experience includes meeting with patients, performing pelvic exams and education in labor.

“We need to train physicians and provide them with the skills and education needed to practice medicine,” said Dr. Hardyk. “Our program helps to educate the next generation of doctors while keeping current physicians informed in research and development in our own specialty.”

Since August, Dr. Freije, an ear, nose and throat specialist with the Mount Nittany Physician Group, has given two students each month first-hand experience with the surgery clerkship. Students are able to observe and scrub in on surgeries, as well as see patients and assist them under Dr. Freije’s direction.

Dr. Covaleski, Penn State Hershey, is a hospitalist at Mount Nittany Medical Center. He is the site director for the medicine clerkship.

“This program is the first of many academic programs that we intend to work closely with Penn State Hershey to bring to Mount Nittany Medical Center. This award recognizes the outstanding quality of our community physicians as well as their ability to educate the next generation of doctors,” said Steve Brown, FACHE, President and CEO of Mount Nittany Medical Center.