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The Brodie Medical Education Fund Committee annually recognizes up to five graduating residents from across all UVA medical and surgical residency programs with the Anne L. Brodie Resident Clinician Award.

The recipient of the award is a graduating resident known to:

• provide continuity of care and intentionally develop collaborative, longitudinal doctor-patient relationships;
• demonstrate compassionate, patient-centered care; and
• demonstrate excellence in clinical knowledge, skill, and judgment.

This year’s inspirational awardees are:

Abdullah Abou-Samra, MD | Ophthalmology

“Dr. Abou-Samra is a clinician and surgeon who has excelled during his residency training. In the last few weeks before he left for his final residency rotation at the Salem VA hospital, no less than ten patients ranging in age from 9 to 92 insisted on taking a photo with him — a testament to his ability to bond with patients of all ages. The 92-year-old patient also brought him a celebratory balloon.”

“I have not worked with a trainee as earnestly committed to the wellness of others as Dr. Abou-Samra. He lamented having to say goodbye to his patients before he left for his rotation in Salem, and brought back more than 20 patients in the last week to specifically check on them before he left. His sadness at leaving these patients to the care of another provider was palpable, because he was and is so strongly invested in the lives and well-being of those he sees and treats.”

Nicole Byram, MD | Pediatrics

“Families want to talk with ‘Dr. Nicole.’ SHE is their doctor. One night in particular, Nicole was on call overnight. It was a busy night, and she had been called to the emergency department to assess a patient. She immediately recognized that this patient required care in the NICU. After we talked about the case, she immediately started to work on coordinating this complicated admission. This required MANY phone calls with several sub‐specialties and multiple methods of closed‐loop communication. Nicole was absolutely adamant that her patient was cared for in the very best way and in the appropriate environment. This was about a year ago, and I still vividly recall this night. I remember thinking how lucky that patient/family was to have Nicole in the ED advocating for the highest quality care for her patient.”

Varun Kavuru, MD | Internal Medicine

“As his program director, in addition to Dr. Kavuru’s tremendous reputation, I can personally attest to Dr. Kavuru’s excellence having worked with him on the inpatient wards and seeing these same traits up close daily. We ended up having one of the aforementioned clinic patients admitted to our service. His kindness and [non-judgmental attitude were] inspiring to see up close. His patients have a closer bond with him than any I have seen in years. In all patient encounters, Dr. Kavuru is intellectually curious and seeking to squeeze out wisdom that you can tell he is cataloguing for future patient care. I have seen him catch subtle and nuanced findings in the hospital earlier than many residents (or perhaps attendings) because of this constant thoughtfulness. Dr. Kavuru is an incredible role model for us all and is the true epitome of this award.”

Jamie Osinovsky, MD | Psychiatry

“Dr. Osinovsky embodies the essence of compassionate, patient-centered care. Her commitment to understanding and connecting with patients, even in the most challenging circumstances, sets her apart. Despite facing complex cases and the sickest of patients, Dr. Osinovsky approaches each interaction with empathy, kindness, and a genuine desire to improve the well-being of those under her care. In fact, she has taken a special interest in the critically ill, some of the patients with the least ability to communicate, and her patience and commitment has shown brightly on the service. Her ability to forge meaningful connections with patients not only fosters trust but also facilitates better outcomes and overall patient satisfaction.

Mansi Trivedi, MD | Family Medicine

“Dr. Trivedi’s commitment to her patients and their care continues into her work in the community, where she has been one of our residents involved in ‘Cville Tulips,’ a program that provide social support to Afghan women by providing a space for gathering and sharing, and education. Dr. Trivedi has led development of health curriculum for these sessions and remained engaged with this program throughout her year.”

“Time and again, Dr. Trivedi demonstrates clinical excellence, compassionate and patient-centered care and a commitment to continuity relationships with her patients. She embodies the ideal of a compassionate, skilled physician, who is dedicated to her patients.”