Creighton Psychiatrists Receive APA Awards

Two Creighton University School of Medicine professors, Daniel R. Wilson, M.D., Ph.D., and Shashi Bhatia, M.D., received awards at the recent annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in Atlanta.

Dr. Wilson received the Irma Bland, M.D., Award for outstanding and sustaining contributions to excellence to resident education in psychiatry. The late Dr. Irma Bland was a pioneer in cultural psychiatry.

Dr. Wilson is professor and chair in the Department of Psychiatry at Creighton University. He is listed in the "Best Doctors in America® database." He has been instrumental in a thorough re-design of courses for resident physicians, and spearheaded an initiative by which they become better teachers and another by which they gain early educational experience in clinical research. Dr. Wilson has also been active in state mental health reform efforts, including advances in multi-disciplinary mental health training across Nebraska.

At the same meeting, Dr. Bhatia, Creighton associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, was awarded the Nancy C.A. Roeske, M.D. Certificate for outstanding and sustaining contributions to excellence to medical student education in psychiatry.” The award is a tribute to Dr. Roeske’s uniquely creative contributions as a pioneer of educational novel experiences for medical students including a special curriculum emphasizing social issues.

In the past year, Dr. Bhatia has also received the Creighton University Master Clinician Award, and three times previously she has won the local Menolascino Award for excellence in teaching. Dr. Bhatia’s scholarly work emphasizes clinical pediatric psychiatry, women’s health, primary care and psychopharmacology as well as mental health education but further encompasses psychotherapy and cultural psychiatry.

Creighton University’s Department of Psychiatry was also awarded the Distinguished Visiting Professorship from the American Association of Academic Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry (AACDP). This is a national award to promote excellence in psychopharmacological research, and will be used to fund a two-day visiting professorship.