SUMMARY
Wojciech Pawlina, M.D. researches anatomy and medical education toward implementing professionalism, leadership, and teamwork curricula in early medical education. He teaches gross anatomy, embryology, and histology to medical students, residents, fellows, and other healthcare professionals.
In addition, he collaborates with gynecological surgeons in exploring the innervation and lymphatic drainage of the pelvic organs.
Focus Areas
- Medical education: Dr. Pawlina's research interests in medical education are directed toward strategies for implementing digital teaching methodologies and teaching professionalism, leadership, teamwork, and professional identity formation processes in early medical curricula.
- Female pelvic research: Dr. Pawlina's interest in the anatomy of the female pelvis is directed toward identifying surgical techniques to improve nerve-sparing gynecological surgeries and lymphadenectomies.
Significance to Patient Care
Teaching anatomy and nontechnical skills to healthcare students improves the quality of patient care. Anatomy is a basic science that provides a roadmap to the human body, teaching students how it is structured and how it works. This nontechnical skill, like communication and professionalism, improves the relationship between a patient and a healthcare professional. Establishing teamwork creates better interactions with other healthcare professionals and results in comprehensive care. Pelvic research provides an anatomical basis for nerve-sparing pelvic surgery and leads to decreased post-surgical complications.
Professional Highlights
- Author, Histology: A Text and Atlas — With Correlated Cell and Molecular Biology, 9th edition, Lippincott and Wilkins, 2023.
- Editor-in-chief, Anatomical Sciences Education, 2008-2023.
- Chair, Department of Anatomy, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, 2005-2019.
- Chair, Federative International Program for Anatomy Education, International Federation of Associations of Anatomists, 2009-2019.
- Medalla, "Dr. José Eleuterio González" for outstanding work in the world of medicine, University of Nuevo Leon, Monterrey, Mexico, 2019.
- Medical director, Procedural Skills Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, 2007-2019.
- Henry Gray Distinguished Educator Award, American Association of Anatomists, 2017.
- Distinguished Mayo Clinic Educator Award, Mayo Clinic, 2015.
- Assistant dean, Curriculum Development and Innovations, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, 2006-2013.
- Chair, Educational Affairs Committee, American Association of Clinical Anatomists, 2003-2005.