LOUISVILLE, Ky.– A physician for just two years, Paul McKee already knows what it feels like to be named one of America’s top doctors. He was one of only 20 recipients of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education from the American Academy of Family Physicians and has already been singled out as one of the most promising young doctors in the nation.
The award recognizes doctors in the second year of their accredited family medicine residency who have demonstrated leadership, outstanding community involvement and social commitment, exemplary patient care and built solid interpersonal relationships.
McKee credits his interest in medicine to the doctors who cared for him after a junior high football injury left him with four broken vertebrae in his back and neck. Thanks to the care of his doctors, he fully recovered and went on to have a successful high school and college basketball career.
“Dr. McKee wants his patients to have the connection with him that he was lucky enough to experience with his doctors,” says Stephen Wheeler, senior faculty for resident education in the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine.
“Despite his broad list of achievements and community service activities, he keeps the patients at the center of everything he does and provides exemplary patient care to even the most challenging patients,” Wheeler added.
McKee’s list of accomplishments includes being selected Chief Resident for 2008-2009 by an almost unanimous vote of his peers and being one of the first residents to teach Interdisciplinary Clinical Cases to medical students. He also oversees students working in the Hope Clinic, which provides care to underserved women living in group homes. In just two years at UofL, the medical students have honored him with the Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award, the Excellence in Clinical Education Award and the Mentor Award.
McKee has made medical mission trips to Kenya, Swaziland, Ethiopia and Jamaica. Closer to home, he volunteers as a team physician for a local high school, has performed high school sports physicals and been a volunteer doctor at the 2007 Ironman Triathlon, 2007 National Senior Olympics and 2007 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon.