Why Duke?

The faculty members here are just tremendous people—they, more than any other single reason, are the reason I'm here. After medical school, I stayed here for my fellowship because of the people. When we first got here, I promised my wife, who wasn't sure she would like the area, that we'd only stay three years. That was 17 years ago.

Known for:

My office is full of all kinds of candy for visitors—Hershey's Kisses®, M&Ms®, Skittles®, the works. Students and colleagues come by to get a quick snack and we get to know each other—it makes it easier to then work together in a clinical setting. I go through about 15 pounds of candy a week. When I go to the discount store every few months to stock up, kids' eyes widen when they see my shopping cart, like: “Wow, I wish I could go home with you!”

Why teach?

I was chief resident in pediatrics in 1987, and that got me more involved with the residency training program and intensified my interest in education. I found that I thoroughly enjoy it. I love the involvement with students and residents. Their energy level is incredible, the questions they ask keep me on my toes and force me to keep up. It makes for an exciting, fun environment.

What the Duke curriculum offers students

During the first few weeks, the Duke curriculum can seem very intimidating to first-year students. But it helps to remember that they're not really learning all of the basic sciences in just one year; they're continuing to learn them during the second, clinical year. Our faculty members are highly accessible, and our basic science faculty give students excellent learning tools and resources. As a graduate of Duke, I enjoy sharing my own experiences with students, letting them know that the curriculum does work—that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Why he lets his students do some of the teaching

My students all give lectures in pediatrics. I give a list of 25 topics I want covered with a 15- to 20-minute PowerPoint® presentation, plus two multiple choice questions that are incorporated into the final. The students get a lot out of preparing their topic—and they find out how hard it is to make up good test questions, so they don't complain about mine.

Drucker's not-so-secrets of medical school success

Students often struggle with the amount of information they think they need to learn, until they finally realize they cannot learn it all. What's important is knowing what you know and what you don't know, and being willing to ask for help. The residents and faculty are very interested in teaching but they're also very busy, so if they come across a student who seems disinterested, they'll be off doing other things. But students who express a strong desire to learn are going to get what they need. Students shouldn't shut out certain types of information, even if they're certain of their career path and the information doesn't seem relevant. There are always things to learn from other disciplines, and students who come in with their eyes wide open will do very well.