Dr. Maricela Moffitt Receives Stuart Flynn, MD, Master Educator Teaching Excellence Award

Maricela Moffitt, MD, MPH, has been awarded the Stuart D. Flynn, MD, Master Educator teaching excellence award, which recognizes extraordinary accomplishments in all aspects of education over all four years of medical school. This is her fourth time receiving the award, which is given by the fourth-year medical students in the College of Medicine − Phoenix.

“It is humbling to be recognized by the graduating class,” Dr. Moffitt said after being recognized at the college’s virtual commencement ceremony. “Let me say, it does not get old; it’s truly an honor. The tears in my eyes can’t be seen virtually, but they are there.”

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During the selection process, one student wrote, “Dr. Moffitt taught us the building blocks of what being a physician is like, including medical knowledge, compassion and how to succeed.”

“In 20 years, she will be the educator I look back on as someone who had the greatest impact on my education,” said another graduating student.

Dr. Moffitt, director of the doctoring course and professor of internal medicine, has continuously demonstrated commitment to ensuring medical students are prepared in their future careers as physicians. Dr. Moffitt joined the college in 2007 as a founding faculty member, and founded the two-year doctoring course, which teaches students to connect with their patients on a deeper level.

Dr. Moffitt has been teaching her entire career. She said that if she hadn’t pursued medicine, she would’ve been a schoolteacher — and points out that she expresses her interest in teaching as a physician, whose role is to educate patients.

“I am truly blessed to be a physician-educator,” Dr. Moffitt said. “I love teaching in the doctoring course, but my highest joy comes when I get to teach at the bedside, with a real patient in the hospital. The skills that I teach, I do model.”