Dr. Monica Broome Receives Exceptional Mentor Award from American Medical Women’s Association

Monica Broome, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and director of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Communications Skills Program, has received the Exceptional Mentor Award from the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA).

Dr. Monica Broome
Dr. Monica Broome

“This award celebrates those who have made an impact on the lives of students in medicine,” said the announcement from AMWA, the largest non-specialty-specific organization of women physicians in the country. “An exceptional mentor goes above and beyond what is required and actively reaches out to those around her to help guide them in their career path.”

Dr. Broome, who has devoted much of her career to mentoring, is thrilled with the award because she was nominated by students. “It’s so meaningful to me because it’s students voting,” she said. “I love my students.”

Alex J. Mechaber, M.D., Bernard J. Fogel Chair in Medical Education and senior associate dean for undergraduate medical education, said, “We are extremely proud of Dr. Broome. She is a valued medical educator and superb role model, particularly for our women physicians in training.”

Dr. Broome, a graduate of the Miller School, said one of the reasons she returned to UM was to “pay forward the mentoring that I received as a student here, which was so valuable to me.”

“Mentoring is transformational. So much of our students’ time is dedicated by necessity to their career, there isn’t a lot of time for personal development. That’s where mentoring can really make a difference, helping them enjoy their time with us and grow as people.”

Third-year medical student Nidhi Patel said Dr. Broome’s mentoring does make a difference, in many significant ways.

“She is so fantastic – you can tell that she’s there for the students,” Patel said. “She is very focused on helping us with our communication skills,” particularly during a second-year bedside experience in which Patel and a few other students went to the emergency department to see patients with Dr. Broome every three or four weeks.

“We work on getting a really thorough history of the patient, and she emphasizes not just the medical issues, but all the things we can do to help them,” Patel said. The students give each other feedback on their interactions with the patients, and then get valuable feedback from Dr. Broome.

Patel is also a member of the Blackwell Academic Society, for which Dr. Broome serves as mentor and advisor. In her office Dr. Broome often points to a picture of herself with former first lady, senator, and secretary of state Hillary Clinton, encouraging students “to dream big and think about our dream job,” Patel said. “It’s so great that she encourages us to do what we like.”

One of Dr. Broome’s main interests is “international and inter-professional education for medicine, law and business.” She presents at international conferences and helps students get opportunities to present as well, to gain important experience.

“She’s very inspiring in that life, too,” Patel said. “Every time we go into her office she has something new she’s doing – and she’s always encouraging us.”