In March, Washington University School of Medicine presented the 2025 GME Rising Star Award to Katie Fuhs. She serves as a fellowship program coordinator for thoracic surgery and pediatric surgery in the Department of Surgery.
The award was presented to her at the GME Program Administrators Retreat at the Eric P. Newman Education Center. Fuhs was nominated by her colleagues in the Office of Surgical Education, Christa Donald and Leanna Bell.
The Rising Star Award for GME Program Coordinator honors a program coordinator who has shown exceptional growth and potential in the first few years of their role. The award is presented to program coordinators who show a sense of professionalism, good collaboration and reliability.
Fuhs, who joined the Department of Surgery in 2023, has been described as a bridge-builder by her colleagues. “It is a skill that is especially critical to the success of our 4+3 Early Specialization Pathway (ESP) in Cardiothoracic Surgery,” said Donald. “Which provides a unique opportunity for our general surgery residents.”
The level of coordination between the general surgery residency and CT surgery programs requires close attention, in order to run smoothly. Fuhs’s work fosters a sense of confidence for general surgery residents, who will eventually transition into the fellowship program.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to my colleagues who nominated me for this honor,” said Fuhs. “It was a very pleasant surprise.”
“This recognition is well-deserved,” said Donald, manager of medical education programs for the Department of Surgery’s Office of Surgical Education. “Katie is a STAR and we are so glad that she is part of our team.”
The Graduate Medical Education consortium sponsors more than 100 training programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
The Rising Star Award is an accolade given to recognize promising young purveyors of educational services. WashU Medicine’s GME consortium designed this award to recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of program coordinators. Recipients of the Rising Star Award exhibit qualities of leadership, innovation and dedication, making significant strides that suggest they will continue to make impactful contributions to WashU Medicine’s mission.