HERSHEY, Pa. — Dr. Bettina Aprile, a staff physician at Penn State Health Medical Group — Harrisburg, is featured for April in Penn State College of Medicine’s “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program.
Aprile serves on the review and planning committee of the Family Medicine Education Consortium’s annual Northeast Regional Meeting.
Dr. Bettina Aprile Credit: Penn State College of Medicine / Penn State. Creative Commons
“Dr. Aprile facilitated a comfortable environment to practice self-directed learning,” wrote a current student. “Every day we worked together, and she would ask what my goals were and how I felt I was progressing. This encouraged me to reflect often on the trajectory of my learning as well as my strengths and weaknesses.
“She gave me the opportunity to make my own mistakes and learn from them. She always gave me an appropriate amount of time to collect my thoughts after seeing each patient, which allowed me to develop my own differential and plan — not many preceptors do this. Dr. Aprile has been one of the best preceptors I've had all year. Truly a gem and a joy to work with.”
A Pennsylvania native, Aprile grew up in a small town outside of Pittsburgh. In 2008, she graduated from Penn State College of Medicine. She interned at Stamford Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut, and was a resident at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Connecticut.
The College of Medicine’s Office for a Respectful Learning Environment recognizes exceptional faculty members with the monthly “Exceptional Moments in Teaching” program. College of Medicine students are invited to submit narratives about faculty members, residents, nurses or any other educators who challenge them and provide an exceptional learning experience. Click here for the nomination form.
The Office for a Respectful Learning Environment fosters an educational community at the College of Medicine in which all learners and educators feel supported, challenged, valued and respected. It serves medical students, graduate students, physician assistant students, residents and fellows at the College of Medicine.
Scott Gilbert