Steven Prince, M.D., medical director of the hospitalist program at Laughlin Memorial Hospital in Greenville, Tennessee, was awarded the 2016 Preceptor of the Year award from Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM). The award was announced at LMU-DCOM’s annual awards ceremony on May 13.
The Preceptor of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual who consistently provides outstanding clinical instruction to LMU-DCOM third- and fourth-year students. The award recognizes a preceptor who displays a passion for teaching, a commitment to service and a dedication to the highest ethical standards.
“As a preceptor, I’ve had the opportunity to teach dozens of inspiring, dedicated, motivated and simply wonderful men and women from LMU-DCOM,” Prince said. “I am honored to receive this award.”
Dr. Ava Stanczak, assistant dean of clinical medicine at LMU-DCOM said Prince’s students have always given glowing comments about him on their rotation evaluations. “One student described him as the ‘gold standard’ for preceptors,” Stanczak said. “The students have praised him for being genuine, patient and kind and have said that no one has taken more time to teach them than him. He is an exceptional physician and we are grateful to have him as a preceptor for our students.”
Prince received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech University and his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. When Prince neared the end of his residency training at Eastern Virginia Medical School, he and his wife felt a strong pull to return to their home town of Wise, Virginia, to settle down. Prince, his brother Marty and another local physician eventually started their own practice, Internal Medicine Associates of Southwest Virginia. Prince enjoyed a busy inpatient and outpatient traditional internal medicine practice. In addition to his clinic and hospital work, Prince served as the team physician for J. J. Kelly High School and created the first comprehensive sports medicine clinic in Wise County. After nearly 20 years of practice in Wise County, Prince moved to East Tennessee to become a partner in Summit Medical Group and Statcare. Through this relationship, he became medical director of the hospitalist program at Laughlin Memorial Hospital in Greenville, which serves as a core rotations site for third-year osteopathic medical students at LMU-DCOM. Prince is board certified in internal medicine, with added qualifications in geriatric medicine, critical care medicine and sports medicine. Prince and his wife Shelia have four daughters (one of whom is an osteopathic physician) and one son.
The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is located on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate. LMU-DCOM is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community, and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to provide health care in the often underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DCOM, call 1-800-325-0900, ext. 7108, email dcom@LMUnet.edu, or visit us online at med.LMUnet.edu.