Bennett named UF College of Medicine’s Clinical Science Teacher of the Year

Dr. Barbara B. Bennett, an associate professor in the University of Florida College of Medicine’s department of obstetrics and gynecology, has been selected by the medical students as Clinical Science Teacher of the Year for 1999-2000.

Bennett, who works with third-year medical students during their obstetrics/gynecology clinical rotation and serves as faculty mentor to first- and second-year medical students, said she most enjoys teaching practical skills and concepts in the operating room setting.

“I think that the students’ experiences during the clinical rotations play a large role in their decision-making about what field they ultimately choose to enter,” Bennett said. “I want to be sure that the medical students get a good idea of what obstetrics/gynecology is really like, how much fun it can be, and how their own practice can be tailored to fit their goals.”

Bennett added, “If we, as educators, greet the students with enthusiasm about our specialty, they’ll see what a great opportunity it can be for them.”

As a medical student, Bennett had an experience that parallels the one she tries to ensure for her students. “I vividly remember being a third-year medical student and thinking that ob/gyn would be the last thing I’d ever enjoy doing,” she said. “But I had an enthusiastic senior resident who took me under his wing and spent a great deal of time teaching me in labor and delivery. It was the first time since elementary school that a teacher made a major difference in my life. I selected this specialty based on that two-week experience and I’ve been grateful ever since.”

Bennett, who joined the UF faculty in 1992, has received numerous teaching honors including the department of obstetrics and gynecology’s J. Lee Dockery Teaching Award, the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Excellence in Teaching Award and the Hugh M. Hill Award for Outstanding Housestaff Teacher, which was awarded by the class of 1993. She also is a seven-time recipient of the department of obstetrics and gynecology’s Award for Outstanding Medical Student Teaching. She currently serves as a member of the College of Medicine’s medical selection committee.