By Randy Parks
Burns Times-Herald

Dr. Kevin Johnston of the High Desert Medical Center recently received the 2008 Carpenter Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Ambulatory Setting.

The award is presented annually to a community family physician who is a volunteer faculty member of the Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) Department of Family Medicine, actively engaged and committed to teaching. Selection of the recipient is based on student nominations and continuity of service to the Department of Family Medicine.

Johnston joined the High Desert Medical Center in 2002 and since then, has worked with five or six medical students each year.

Johnston said that while students may not end up in a rural setting such as Harney County, the experience usually receives favorable reviews. “This site always receives one of the highest ratings from students,” he said. “The community is very accepting of students, and that’s important.”

Johnston said that students who are enthusiastic and eager to learn are the best to work with. “It brings back the feeling of awe you have at the beginning,” he said. “Sometimes the paperwork and bureaucracy can weight you down, and working with students can help motivate you again.”

In his third year of medical school, Johnston himself worked at the High Desert Medical Center with Dr. Tom Fitzpatrick. “We all remember how frustrating it was at first. It’s like playing doctor, never being the doctor,” Johnston said. “You have to envision ever getting to that position. Then when you get the confidence, you tell yourself, ‘Hey, I can do this.’ ”

Watching students gain that confidence is one of the best parts about teaching Johnston said. “It’s not only seeing them become a better doctor, it’s becoming a doctor, period.”

Johnston was also nominated for the Carpenter Award in 2005 and 2007.