WESTON, W.Va. – Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital Obstetrician/Gynecologist Robert Harris, MD, was honored on Friday, September 17, with a Specialty Outstanding Preceptor Award in the Central East Region from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), in Lewisburg.
The Outstanding Preceptor Awards are presented to physicians who exhibit professionalism and demonstrate service to students including a commitment to teaching, mentoring, and giving back to the education process. They also serve as a positive role model by reflecting their commitment to the Osteopathic Tenets or Hippocratic Oath and their commitment to patient care. Preceptors assist and provide guidance to WVSOM medical students in their third- and fourth-year clinical rotations.
Students in each region nominate and vote on the preceptors for the awards. The Central East Region, includes the central part of WV including Elkins, Buckhannon, Weston, Bridgeport, and Morgantown.
Dr. Harris attained his undergraduate degree at Quinnipiac College in Connecticut before receiving his medical degree at St. Georges University in the West Indies. He completed his residency at Staten Island University Hospital, New York. He is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a Fellow with the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
“Dr. Harris is an excellent preceptor. He challenges you as a student so that you realize your potential. He allows us to do procedures and have a very hands-on experience in the OB/GYN rotation. I went into the rotation with little interest in OB/GYN but after working with Dr. Harris, I appreciate the field a lot more,” one student wrote.
Other nominators wrote, “Dr. Harris goes above and beyond for his students. He is a great teacher and really helps students prepare for rotation post-test and boards.” Others wrote that Dr. Harris was one of the best preceptors they had worked with, and that his ability to teach and work with patients was ‘top-tier.’
In an interview several years ago, Dr. Harris had thoughtful reasoning for choosing women’s health as his specialty.
“I chose women’s health because I enjoy the opportunity for providing both short and long-term care. For example, an emergency room department cannot cultivate a long-term relationship with the patient. This field provides me with the ability to do both surgical and medical care,” He explained. “But perhaps one of the most important aspects of my practice is the opportunity to be a part of childbirth. It is a unique and exceptional experience to be a part of bringing a baby into the world. It is so moving unlike any other experience in the medical field.”
Other Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memoria Hospital physicians who have received the award in the past include Dr. Robert Snuffer and Dr. Brian Hornsby.
Approximately 50 hospitals, clinics and medical centers across West Virginia participate in WVSOM’s Statewide Campus program. Outstanding Primary Care and Specialty Preceptor Awards were given to physicians in each campus region including central (split into two), eastern, northern, south central, southeast and southwest.
To learn more about Mon Health Obstetrics & Gynecology go to MonHealth.com/OBGYN, or call 304-269-3108 in Weston.
