Dr. Christie L. Elliott, January 2017

Each day our community faculty illustrate their commitment to educating future physicians through their passion for teaching and examples of excellence. The Office for Community Faculty would like to shine a spotlight on one of the greatest assets of the School of Medicine, our community faculty. You are making a difference.

This month's Community Faculty Spotlight is Dr. Christie Elliott, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Pathology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. Her nominators report that Dr. Elliott, "is an excellent teacher/mentor who gives the students a detailed perception of what it is like to practice Pathology in a busy hospital laboratory." And, "She is an excellent role model, very easy to work with and we believe she is responsible for bringing new colleagues to the specialty through her enthusiasm and excitement." Thank you for your service Dr. Elliott, we appreciate you.

How long have you been serving as a community faculty member?

Not exactly sure, but I have taken students for shadowing and formal rotations since about 2007. The number of students rotating through on formal rotations has increased a lot over the last three years.

How do you serve as a Community Faculty Member?

I have served the medical school in various ways since my return to Reno after training in 2002. I sat on the admissions committee in 2003-2004 and I used to give formal didactic lectures in the 2nd year pathology course. I have served as a mentor for the CIAG vertical mentoring program and I currently have multiple UNR Med students rotate in their fourth years for various periods. In the past year I have had several internal medicine residents rotate with us to gain a better understanding of how they can optimize the lab/pathology services that are available.

What is your favorite part about being a community faculty member?

I love pathology! It is very challenging but fun at the same time. Being able to share that with students and have some of them see it too is great! Medical school does very little to give students any clue as to what the practice of pathology is like. Actually most of medical education does a bad job at it. There are so many facets to pathology that people don't even realize. It is so fun to see students recognize this and to make the lab less intimidating. I want them to leave seeing what the lab can do for them and their patients. It's not just a windowless hole in the basement! A lot happens there that drives patient care.

Why do you continue serving as a community faculty member with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine?

It is my way of giving back to the School that gave a lot to me. It is also a great way to educate people about pathology. It is a very exciting field and being able to get others excited about it too, is fun. I call it "taking pathology to the people