my Daniel

Time to brag on the man who never, ever brags on himself!

Tonight we went to an awards ceremony at the University of Colorado Medical School and listened to medical students RAVE about Daniel and what an amazing physician, teacher, and mentor he is. They wrote the most beautiful, detailed nomination letters. One student described how his first day in the hospital, a patient waited until Daniel left the room and said, "You're lucky. He's the best there is. And I've seen enough doctors to know." Another student wrote, "He has a knack for walking into a room and throwing a dart at the center of what to me is an invisible target. It's a skill I consider to be more than experience. I've been truly humbled by how often I see both trust and respect in the gaze of his patients." They went on and on, describing interactions in which Daniel, in classic style, used his empathy, intuition, ability to look below the surface, and up-to-date research to care for patients and teach students. 

Daniel works so hard and his patients are often people in truly dire circumstances with very complex medical issues compounded by poverty. It's so wonderful to witness his receiving praise for what he does so quietly and so steadily day by day.

Daniel ended up winning the award for Best Family Practice Preceptor for excellent in clinical education tonight. 

I'm not surprised, but I am awed, again and again, by his incisive mind, steady and caring soul, quiet confidence, and ability to laugh no matter how hard his day has been. This man is a gem.