Providing national recognition for an outstanding medical student educator.
The Excellence in Medical Student Education Award will provide national recognition for an outstanding medical student educator on an annual basis. It is established through funding from the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The award will be presented annually at the AUPO Annual Meeting and includes a cash prize.
Nominations will reopen in February 2026.
2025 Excellence in Medical Student Education Award Recipient
Nisha Chadha, MD
Dr. Chadha is an Associate Professor at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai/Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), where she has served as faculty since 2015. She completed her ophthalmology residency at The George Washington University, followed by a glaucoma fellowship at the Yale Eye Center. Since 2017, she has served as the Director of Medical Student Education (DMSE) in Ophthalmology and was elected to the DMSE Council in 2022.
In addition to being actively involved in medical education across all levels of training, Dr. Chadha has a strong interest in curricular innovation and educational scholarship. In 2020, she co-founded “20/20 SIM” (2020SIM.com), a free, online, case-based ophthalmology learning tool designed for healthcare providers. This resource has been formally integrated into the ISMMS undergraduate medical curriculum, enhancing ophthalmology education at the medical student level.
Beyond her leadership in ophthalmology, Dr. Chadha has made notable contributions to undergraduate medical education (UME). She served as a course leader in the school’s clinical skills course from 2019 to 2024, where she developed and implemented a range of innovative curricula in ophthalmology and general medical education. In 2024, she was appointed the inaugural Director of a school-wide shadowing program within the Office of Curricular Affairs.
A strong advocate for gender equity in medicine, Dr. Chadha served as President of the Women in Ophthalmology New York City Group (WIO NYC) from 2021 to 2024. Her leadership and contributions were recognized nationally with the 2024 Emerging Leader Award from Women in Ophthalmology. She was also inducted as a fellow of the ISMMS’s Institute for Medical Education in 2020, and has received multiple nominations for institution-wide Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Dr. Chadha's work reflects a deep commitment to educational excellence, innovation, and leadership in academic medicine. Through her multi-faceted roles, she continues to advance the future of ophthalmology and medical education.
Award Information
Nominees for the Excellence in Medical Student Education Award must fulfill the following criteria:
Be a Member of AUPO and a Member or Fellow of the AAO
Have served as a Medical Student Educator at an ACGME, LCME, COCA or RCPSC-accredited AUPO member program for a minimum of two years
Currently serve as the Medical Student Educator
Embody the qualities of:
commitment to medical student education
dedication to the medical student education training process
active engagement in medical student education program leadership
innovation in and/or advancement of medical student education in Ophthalmology at the Regional, National or AUPO level
a consummate teacher/mentor/advisor
Special consideration in the selection process will be given to:
current activities, not simply to length of service or to contributions made many years previously
nominees who have published in peer-reviewed literature on subjects related to medical student education
innovative work
those who have achieved a leadership role in medical education
achievement in mentoring other educators/future educators
Candidates must be nominated by their Department Chair
The Application Packet must include the following items (10 pt. font or greater)
A letter (not to exceed three pages) from the Chair summarizing the Nominee’s special qualifications for the Award and verifying that, if awarded
the Awardee will attend the AUPO Annual Meeting to receive the award
the cash prize will be awarded directly to the Awardee and not counted against normal compensation or deposited in department accounts
Two supporting letters (each not to exceed two pages) from faculty, current medical students, or past medical students who trained under the Nominee
A copy of the Nominee’s current Curriculum Vitae
A signed letter from the Nominee (not to exceed two pages) summarizing the Nominee’s accomplishments as Medical Student Educator and plans for future activities. The Nominee must also agree in the letter to provide a presentation at the Annual Meetings of AUPO on a topic related to medical student education training if chosen as the Awardee.
The application packet must be compiled by the Department Chair and submitted electronically by April 15.
All completed applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee and a recommendation forwarded to the AUPO Board of Trustees and the AAO Board of Trustee for approval.
