School of Medicine Class of 2017 alumna wins teaching excellence award for clinical skills work with medical students – School of Medicine News

Wayne State University School of Medicine alumna Neha Sykes, M.D. ’17 was selected to receive the inaugural Kado Clinical Skills Center Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding guest faculty.

“I am honored to receive this award. It is a privilege to give back to the Wayne State medical students, because so many outstanding mentors here once guided and shaped me into the physician I am today,” Dr. Sykes said. “To now be in a position where I can contribute to shaping future physicians is deeply meaningful.” 

The award will be given quarterly to guest faculty of the Clinical Skills Center, which provides students and health care professionals with educational resources focused on the development and improvement of clinical performance. The center is located on the second floor of the School of Medicine’s Mazurek Medical Education Commons in Detroit.

Dr. Sykes was nominated by Daniel DeWeert, M.D., an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and director of Clinical Skills Segment 2. The course prepares second-year medical students for clerkships through specialty-specific simulated patient encounters in which they practice history-taking, focused physical exams, bedside ultrasound and select procedures, note writing and oral presentations, often featuring guest faculty like Dr. Sykes from various medical specialties. The center also hosts Clinical Skills Segment 1, 3 and 4.

“Wayne State gave me an incredible foundation for both clinical rotations and residency. The education and resources here are second to none, and I’m proud to see that the school continues to innovate and strengthen programs like the clinical skills course. I feel a special connection and responsibility to give back to the same community that invested so much in me,” Dr. Sykes said.

She completed her Emergency Medicine residency with the Detroit Medical Center in 2020. She is a physician with Henry Ford Health.

“She is an excellent emergency physician and is dedicated to teaching at all levels of medical education,” Dr. DeWeert said. “She has been a long-time guest faculty for multiple physical exam and procedure sessions in Clinical Skills, frequently going above and beyond to help make improvements.”

Dr. Sykes was a key author and teacher for the new ultrasound access sessions in Clinical Skills Segment 2.

“I love working with medical students because they remind me of my own journey and why I chose this profession in the first place,” she said. “Their excitement, curiosity and enthusiasm make teaching not only rewarding but also energizing. Guiding them as they develop into compassionate and skilled physicians is one of the most fulfilling parts of my career.”