Kimberly S. Pedram, M.D., SFHM, FACP
Enrique Gerszten, M.D. Faculty Teaching Excellence Award
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Department: School of Medicine
For more than 20 years, Dr. Kimberly Pedram has had a profound and expanding impact at VCU. Beginning as a student and rising to an acclaimed leader and innovator, she continues to be an influencer in medical education. Dr. Pedram graduated from the VCU School of Medicine in 2004, and even then, her talent was evident. A former professor, Dr. Linda Costanzo, Professor Emerita of Physiology & Biophysics and Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine, recalled Dr. Pedram as “that special student who excelled academically, but never lost her perspective as a human being,” adding, “I adored teaching her and advising her in M1 and M2, as she brought spark, sincerity, and commitment to every interaction.” Dr. Pedram completed her Internal Medicine residency in 2007, after which she joined the VCU faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine’s Division of Hospital Medicine as a Clinical Instructor, earning the rank of Assistant Professor in 2009 and Associate Professor in 2021. Her commitment to education was further solidified by a Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate in Medical Education from VCU in 2022.
From her early days as a small group leader in Foundations of Clinical Medicine to her current role as an attending physician on inpatient services, Dr. Pedram has guided countless aspiring doctors, stimulating intellectual achievement and fostering deep understanding among her students, who praise her ability to make complex concepts “both accessible and meaningful.” She has the ability to lead effectively while providing autonomy and to foster collaboration that reinforces learning. One student noted, “Dr. Pedram is an amazing attending. She is brilliant, humble, and a model clinician.” She's known for her patience and for providing honest, constructive feedback, empowering students to feel prepared and confident in their developing clinical skills.
Dr. Pedram is also a visionary educator, widely recognized for her educational leadership and instructional innovation, as evidenced by receiving the VCU J. David Markham Award for Excellence in Teaching (2018), the VCU Department of Internal Medicine Excellence as a Clinician Educator Award (2019), and the VCU SOM Educational Innovation/Educational Research Award (2022). As a Course Director for the Practice of Clinical Medicine (PCM), a role she assumed in 2021 after serving as Physician Coordinator and Associate Course Director since 2011, Dr. Pedram continuously restructures and modernizes the curriculum, implementing self-directed learning, increasing simulation-based skill sessions, and creating unique remediation strategies aligned with competency-based assessment. She successfully maintained PCM continuity during the challenging COVID disruption and overhauled the course to eliminate traditional lectures in favor of asynchronous learning modules and spaced repetition, always prioritizing student feedback.
Beyond her direct teaching and curriculum development, Dr. Pedram demonstrates a steadfast commitment to mentorship and faculty development. As Associate Chair of Education for the Division of Hospital Medicine, a position she has held since 2018, Dr. Pedram leads the Peer Observation program, which enables faculty to observe one another and provide feedback using the Stanford Clinical Teaching framework. Through this program, faculty enhance clinical teaching skills for both observers and those being observed. This program has engaged over 70 hospitalist physicians and has been published in peer-reviewed literature and presented nationally. Dr. Pedram has advised, coached, or formally mentored over 75 students and trainees, inspiring them to achieve their professional goals and even contribute to improving the curriculum themselves. She also co-leads the M4 elective on teaching, helping to cultivate the next generation of medical educators.
Dr. Pedram’s legacy is defined by excellence, innovation, mentorship, and integrity. As Alan Dow, M.D., Division Chief, Division of Hospital Medicine notes, “Dr. Pedram elevates all around her.” He further states, “Dr. Pedram is a transformative teacher, mentor, collaborator, and leader who we are fortunate to count among our faculty. The Gerszten Award is overdue to her…”