The move from student to resident can be a difficult transition for some medical matriculants. Yet Wayne State University School of Medicine academic staff member Anthony Gaynier aims to make it smooth, earning him national recognition for his efforts. 

Gaynier, the integrated curriculum coordinator for School of Medicine, was nominated for and received the Coordinator of the Year award given by the National Transition to Residency Course Educators group.

“Anthony is an amazing coordinator who is deeply committed to our students’ success,” said Professor of Medicine Diane Levine, M.D., in her nomination letter.

“I get to work with amazing educators that full-heartedly serve our students,” Gaynier said. “They have servant hearts, and it is just amazing to see how far everyone will go to benefit our students. The students are amazing, so professional, and care deeply about the mission of the School of Medicine. I love seeing them grow and transition to the next level of their training.”

He received the award during the Transition to Residency Symposium, held virtually Nov. 2. “It was announced during the conference and was a complete surprise,” he said. “I knew Dr. Levine was planning to nominate me, but I had no inkling that I was going to win. This is a great honor, as this is a group of dedicated educators across the nation and I know for a fact there were many other worthy candidates.”

Gaynier has managed the Transition to Residency Course directed by Dr. Levine since 2019, the first year the school offered a non-procedural version of the course. A surgical course had been in place for 15 years and focused on surgical topics and surgical skills.

“We were able to design, adapt, improve and deliver this course three years in a row and will deliver the course again this March and April of 2022,” he said.

The course addresses numerous skills, including managing patients at night, nurse calls, crucial conversation, performing procedures on lightly-preserved cadavers, as well as managing family life and social media presence. Students who matched into Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine participated.

“Anthony managed the schedule, the students and, most challengingly, the faculty. Anthony did an outstanding job. He made everything go smoothly, including getting final evaluations from all students,” Dr. Levine said.

Gaynier started at WSU in 2017 as the Internal Medicine Clerkship coordinator, then transitioned to his current role in November 2020.

He is also studying for his doctorate in the WSU College of Education’s Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program, and expects to graduate in 2022.