Steven Thornton, MD, Wins Golden Apple Award

Steven Thornton, MD, has been named as a winner of the Golden Apple Award, the Duke University School of Medicine’s (SOM) highest teaching honor. The three Golden Apple winners—one each for preclinical faculty, clinical faculty, and house staff—are selected by the SOM student body each year in recognition of outstanding dedication to medical student education.

Dr. Thornton, currently a research resident in the General Surgery Residency Program, won the award for house staff. He serves as an advisor to the SOM General Surgery Interest Group.

As a mark of the importance of teaching excellence for Duke Surgery, several surgical trainees at Duke have won the Golden Apple Award in recent years, including some who went on to join the Duke Surgery faculty. Awardees currently on faculty include Andrew Barbas, MD; Georgia Beasley, MD, MHS; and Brian Gilmore, MD. Golden Apple-winning current trainees include General Surgery residents Kristen Rhodin, MD, MHS and Diego Schaps, MD, MPH and Abdominal Transplant Fellow Brian Shaw, MD.

Jacob Greenberg, MD, EdM, Duke Surgery’s Vice Chair of Education, said, “Steven is tireless in working to give Duke medical students the best possible educational experience, and we’re delighted to see him join the other outstanding Duke Surgery residents and faculty members who have been recognized by SOM students for their commitment to teaching."