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 open in February 2027.
2026 Excellence in Medical Student Education Award Recipient
Ariane Kaplan, MD
Ariane Kaplan, MD, is the Terry J. Bergstrom Legacy Professor of Resident Education in Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center. She completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Michigan, where she has served on the faculty since 2011. Dr. Kaplan has dedicated her career to advancing medical student education, mentorship, and career development in ophthalmology. She has served as Medical Student Educator in her department since 2015, and in 2023, became the Director of Career Advising for the University of Michigan Medical School Office of Medical Student Education.
For more than a decade, Dr. Kaplan has played a transformative role in medical student education at the University of Michigan. As Director and now Co-Director of the ophthalmology clerkship, she has expanded curricular offerings, developed innovative educational experiences, and created opportunities for students to gain meaningful exposure to ophthalmology. Through educational videos and online learning modules, she has reached learners far beyond her institution. She has also contributed significantly to medical education scholarship, publishing, and presenting nationally on topics including competency-based education, specialty choice, mentoring, diversity initiatives, and support for medical students pursuing careers in ophthalmology.
An unwavering advocate for mentorship, Dr. Kaplan has guided countless medical students throughout their training and career exploration. She is particularly proud of her work to increase diversity in ophthalmology. She has founded two programs at the University of Michigan, the Michigan Ophthalmology Pathway Program and the Ophthalmology Summer Program, which provide mentorship, exposure, and support to students from diverse backgrounds interested in the field.
Dr. Kaplan has also proudly served on the AUPO Directors of Medical Student Educators Council since 2019, helping shape medical student education on a national level. Her work reflects her deep commitment to educational excellence, mentorship, and leadership in academic medicine, and she is honored to receive the AUPO Excellence in Medical Student Education Award.
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.
The Awardee will be notified by July.
Past Award Recipients
| Nisha Chadha, MD (2025) | Joann A. Giaconi, MD (2019) |
| Lisa Kelly, MD (2024) | Daniel Knoch, MD (2018) |
| Anju Goyal, MD (2023) | Evan Waxman, MD, PhD (2017) |
| Prithvi S. Sankar, MD (2022) | Rukhsana G. Mirza, MD (2016) |
| Janice Law, MD (2021) | Susan Forster, MD (2015) |
| Jamie Rosenberg, MD (2020) | Linda Lippa, MD (2014) |