For more than two decades, Mukesh Patel, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the UAB Division of Infectious Diseases and thread leader for microbiology, has helped shape the educational experience of medical students at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. Over that time, Patel has become a familiar face to generations of students learning the foundations of microbiology and clinical medicine.
Patel graduated from the UAB School of Medicine, where he initially did not set out to pursue a career in medical education; however, as he progressed through medical training, he discovered that teaching was a natural part of medicine. His initial involvement began more than twenty years ago during his infectious diseases fellowship, where he started working with second-year medical students in microbiology laboratory sessions. During this teaching experience, Patel developed a strong passion for education.
Throughout his years in the classroom, Patel has developed a teaching philosophy centered on understanding where students are in their learning journey. “I try to make sure everybody understands things at the most basic level, and then you build from there. Early medical education involves a lot of memorization but also concept building,” Patel explained. “The goal is to know the basics, then start connecting the dots to bigger ideas, because that’s what clinical medicine is, taking factual knowledge and applying it to things that are conceptual and interrelated.”
A key part of his teaching is helping students make connections between foundational science and clinical decision-making. In microbiology sessions, Patel emphasizes the importance of tying what can feel like isolated factoids to real clinical situations, such as students interpreting lab results that they will see in their training and careers.
Curiosity is at the heart of how Patel thinks about medical education. He believes physicians who keep curiosity at the center of their work long after their formal training prevent learning from becoming routine. “If you cannot retain your curiosity, that is where you not only stop learning, but it’s potentially bad for patient care,” Patel said. “If you’re not curious about what you do, and learning new things, that’s really dangerous for the health of your career.” It isn’t just an academic habit; curiosity, for Patel, is a necessary part of clinical practice that drives physicians to continue asking questions as medicine evolves.
Patel emphasizes the value of working in an environment that fosters continuous growth through collaboration. By engaging with colleagues, he is able to nurture his curiosity while also staying current in the many advances of medicine and education. Having a role in medical education allows Patel to carve out time for teaching while continuing his clinical work. While there are times when educators are moving directly from patient rounds or clinic to lectures and small-group sessions, he notes that educators find ways to make it work because they enjoy it. Patel stresses that learning requires consistent effort, especially during the clinical years. He notes that you should remain active in learning beyond training so that your knowledge does not plateau.