The Department of Medicine's Master Clinicians are in the news.

Virtually every academic medical center has a group of physicians who are considered superior, those who are distinguished from their peers by an unusual depth of knowledge in their field and a willingness to acquire and share new knowledge, by outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, by a commitment to professionalism, by experience with and ability to use the full resources available to provide care that is of optimal value, and by a proven ability to provide compassionate, appropriate, and effective care to all patients.

These superior faculty or master clinicians are well known within the walls of their institutions and are frequently asked to care for other faculty and family members of their medical community. Master clinicians are often emulated by medical students, residents, and fellows who find these clinicians to be emblematic of the reasons why they chose medical careers. Master clinicians typically have large referral practices and devote a substantial proportion of their time to the practice of medicine, and their practices are a magnet for their medical center.

Furthermore, master clinicians are opinion leaders who set standards for quality, improvements in patient care practices, and technologic advances. They take pride in offering their patients treatment based on epidemiologic and translational research.