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Doctoring Colleges

Doctoring is a 2-year sequence of learning activities that introduce and refine the critical skills necessary for patient assessment and the concepts necessary to practice medicine in contemporary society.

At the Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM), students are grouped in seven Doctoring Colleges, each of which is named for a distinguished faculty member of LKSOM. Each Doctoring College is an academic community within LKSOM that has a consistent group of faculty and peers for learning activities throughout medical school.

W. Wayne Babcock College

Monica Busuioc, MD, PhD – College Director
Associate Professor, Medicine

Gail Herrine, MD - College Advisor
Associate Professor, Clinical Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science

Janice Yackoski, MD - College Advisor
Assistant Professor. Internal Medicine

W. Wayne Babcock, MD (1872 - 1963), surgical innovator, educator, and author, became Chair of Surgery at Temple in 1903 and taught here for 45 years. 

Dr. Babcock earned worldwide recognition for pioneering the usage of spinal anesthesia and stainless-steel sutures, for developing and popularizing surgical procedures, and for inventing eponymous surgical instruments (e.g., Babcock forceps, Babcock drain).

Babcock's Principles and Practice of Surgery was the authoritative text in surgery through the 1950s and 60s.


Thomas M. Durant College

Jill Allenbaugh, MD – College Director
Associate Professor, Medicine

Oneida Arosarena, MD, FACS – College Advisor
Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Cherie Erkman, MD - College Advisor
Professor, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery

Thomas Durant, MD (1905 – 1977) joined the Temple faculty in 1936 and served as Chair of Medicine from 1956 to 1966. He made notable contributions in electrocardiography, contrast visualization, and the dynamics of circulation and respiration. Dr. Durant was considered a consummate diagnostician.

Dr. Durant held numerous high-level posts in his career. In addition to his service to Temple, Dr. Durant was chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine, president of the American Federation for Clinical Research, and president of the American College of Physicians.


Dawn B. Marks College

Vanetta Hyatt, MD, FACP – College Director
Associate Professor, Clinical Medicine

Anuradha Paranjape, MD - College Advisor
Professor, Medicine

Adam Reese, MD – College Advisor
Associate Professor, Urology

Beloved for her devotion to students and passion for teaching, Dawn B. Marks, PhD (1937 - 2000) joined the Department of Biochemistry at Temple in 1968 and served as Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies from 1984 to 1998. Dr. Marks developed innovative teaching techniques in biochemistry and molecular biology, always grounding concepts in practical applications in clinical medicine.  Dr. Marks was honored with numerous teaching awards during her career.

Dr. Marks’ signature professional achievement was publication of Review of Biochemistry (1990). The textbook was the gold standard in undergraduate and medical school classrooms, and remains the foundation for all contemporary biochemistry texts. Clinical adaptations of Dr. Marks’ texts are still published and edited by Temple faculty. 


Waldo Nelson College

Keith McNellis, MD – College Director
Associate Professor, Medicine

Michael Delvecchio, MD - College Advisor
Professor, Clinical Pediatrics

A true giant in the field of pediatrics, Waldo E. Nelson, MD (1898 - 1997) came to Temple in 1940 and chaired the Department of Pediatrics for 24 years.  He also served as Director of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, bringing it to prominence as a regional referral center. 

Dr. Nelson gained worldwide fame as the editor of the Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, better known as the “Green Bible.” Now in its 19th edition, the text remains the definitive pediatric medicine reference and has been translated into dozens of languages.


Agnes Montier College

Jessica James, MD – College Director
Associate Professor, Clinical Pediatrics

Robert Bettiker, MD – College Advisor
Professor, Medicine

Noah Levinson, MD - College Advisor
Assistant Professor, Clinical Neurology

Agnes Parham Berry Montier, MD was the first African American woman to graduate from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine in 1912.  She practiced General Medicine in Philadelphia for 50 years and was recognized as an accomplished surgeon.  She was an attending physician at Douglas Hospital and Samaritian Hospital which later became Temple University Hospital.  She also served as the medical examiner for the Elks.  Dr. Montier was the founding member of the Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.  She was the first African American female physician to teach nutrition classes in Philadelphia public schools- the only classes open to African Americans in the city of Philadelphia.  Dr. Montier was an accomplished cellist and promoted including musical training as a way to teach future physicians to listen and observe.


Charles Saunders College

David Leh, MD – College Director
Assistant Professor, Medicine

Kathleen Dave, PhD – College Advisor
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, St. Luke’s Campus

Charles D. Saunders, MD, has been a member of the St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network since 1974. He has been an active and outstanding urologist there for over 3 decades.

Dr. Saunders is a skillful and caring physician, known for his compassion. He is widely praised by his patients and deeply respected by his colleagues. Dr. Saunders exemplifies “Doctoring”.

Dr. Saunders has held many positions at St. Luke’s. He was Chief of Urology, Acting Chief of Surgery, Senior Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs, President of the St. Luke’s Medical Staff, a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network, and president Northampton County Medical Society. Dr. Saunders is currently Chair of the St. Luke’s Allentown Hospital Board of Trustees, and Vice Chair of the St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network Board.


Sol Sherry College

Nadia Ali, MD- College Director
Assistant Professor, Medicine
Section of Hematology

Karen Lin, MD - College Advisor
Professor, Medicine

Sam Stern, MD – College Advisor
Associate Professor, Clinical Medicine

A titan in the field of thrombosis, Sol Sherry, MD (1916 - 1993) served as Chair of Medicine at Temple from 1968 to 1984. He was Dean of the School of Medicine from 1984 to 1986, and founded the Thrombosis Research Center which now bears his name. 

Dr. Sherry revolutionized medicine through his pioneering work in thrombolytic therapy. He was personally responsible for developing streptokinase as the first “clot-busting” drug. Similar lytics are now widely used to treat stroke, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism.

Dr. Sherry founded the Council on Thrombosis of the American Heart Association and the International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis.