Dr. Jonathan Crane is one of 10 program directors in the country selected to receive the ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award. 

The group of awards from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education showcases the extraordinary contributions, diversity and strengths of the graduate medical education community, a news release says.

The Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award  recognizes program directors who have fostered innovation and improvement in their programs and served as exemplary role models for residents and fellows, the ACGME says. 

Crane, a board-certified dermatologist, is program director for the dermatology residency program at Campbell University-Sampson Regional Medical Center. Crane, appointed director of Campbell’s residency program in 2014, is also president of Atlantic Dermatology, P.A.

He’ll receive the prestigious honor in February during the 2025 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Annual Educational Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, the ACGME website says, honors program directors who find innovative ways to teach residents and to provide quality health care while remaining connected to the initial impulse to care for others in this environment. 

“I am honored to congratulate each of the remarkable ACGME Award recipients for your outstanding achievements in advancing every level of graduate medical education. Your work has not only elevated the field but set an example for others to strive for as we collectively improve public health,” said ACGME President and CEO Dr. Thomas J. Nasca.

Palmer’s book, “The Courage to Teach,” promotes the concept of “living divided no more,” which, the ACGME says, has proven relevant to teaching in academic health centers.

“I feel like I am just one part of a process — Campbell University, Sampson Regional Medical Center,  dermatologists and dermatopathologists all working together to create an outstanding education,” Crane says.  “More important than all of us, the residents make the residency. Picking the right residents has truly made this a great success. I appreciate the entire village, especially the residents.”

Crane is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. He has taught medical students and residents for more than 20 years and in 2013 founded Campbell University’s first residency program in Wilmington, Campbell’s six dermatology residents write in a letter nominating Crane for the honor.

Crane, the letter says, is an active member of the medical community and has served as a leader on multiple boards, such as the N.C. Osteopathic Medical Association as vice president and president, the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology and a professor at Campbell University School of Medicine. 

“He has published more than 100 articles in dermatology and supports us in our research endeavors by getting us excited about novel treatment modalities and unique pathology,” the letter says..

“This past year he expanded our program to include the Mohs Fellowship, as well as offer an international health rotation to help fulfill residents’ interests.”

“(Dr. Crane) is extremely dedicated to our program; he comes in on weekends and stays late on Friday evenings to do additional hands-on training for his residents, hosts every journal club, staffs every hospital consultation and encourages his residents to seek out new opportunities,” the letter says. 

“His strong ethic and workplace morale has established an inspirational model that residents strive to replicate after residency. He is greatly adored by his staff, coworkers, residents, and most importantly his patients. Many of his residents have chosen to stay on and work at his practice which serves as a testament to how noteworthy of an educational work environment he has created.”

Dr. Rene Bermudez is a colleague of Crane’s and an adjunct professor of Dermatology and Mohs Surgery at Campbell’s Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine. 

In a separate letter, Bermudez writes, “I have had the privilege of witnessing (Dr. Crane’s) tremendous passion for teaching medical students and residents all aspects of dermatology and life.

“He is an extremely caring, generous and professional human being,” Bermudez says of Crane. “His work ethic, passion for dermatology, and empathy towards his patients serves as an exemplary role model for his residents and colleagues.”

The ACGME Blog will feature interviews and more information about this year’s exceptional awardees in the months leading up to the Annual Educational Conference.