Roberto Silva, MD, Received the 2024-2025 Golden Stethoscope Preceptorship Award
Roberto Silva, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Assistant Director of the Department's Rural Program, has been awarded the Golden Stethoscope Preceptorship Award in the category of Outstanding Patient/Provider Communication.
Each year, the University of Colorado School of Medicine hosts the Golden Stethoscope Awards to provide medical students an opportunity to thank preceptors for their time and dedication. Sponsored by Developing Our Clinical Skills (DOCS) and the Office of Community Based Medical Education, all DOCS students are allowed to nominate a preceptor.
Corinne Manley—nominator for this award and Dr. Silva’s first-year DOCS student from 2024—explained how Dr. Silva’s patient/provider communication tactics demonstrate dignity, respect, and nonjudgment. “He is a fantastic educator, as myself and the rural students can attest…regardless of what [his patients] came in for, Dr. Silva would take the time necessary to explain exactly what was going on. The visit wouldn’t end until it seemed that the patient fully understood their condition.”
Dr. Silva, lovingly referred to as “Doctorcito,” is a doctor and educator with a thoughtful and compassionate communication style, one that his students admire.
“It is unfortunate that the DOCS preceptorship program is so short, because I really valued the time I got to work with Dr. Silva.” Corinne Manley wrote in her nomination letter, "I feel grateful to have met many of his patients and to have observed his practice of medicine. I believe that so much of the impact of medicine comes from how we listen and speak to patients. Dr. Silva exemplified effective and compassionate communication, and I hope to someday care for patients in a similar manner.”
Receiving this award means a great deal to Dr. Silva, “I am extremely honored to receive an award that came from a student nomination. This student's beautiful nomination narrative reminded me that first-year students are very observant and pick up on important subtle verbal and non-verbal interactions with patients that impact the physician-patient relationship and care planning.”
When asked about his motivation for teaching, he said, “Working with medical students is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. It is definitely one of my anti-burnout remedies. I encourage our faculty to participate in the DOCS preceptorship so that our first-semester ‘stem cell’ medical students' very first patient interactions are with our amazing Family Medicine clinicians.”
Congratulations Dr. Silva, on this well-deserved honor!