Dr. Linda Chang Receives Distinguished Teaching Award
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford presented its 2019 Distinguished Teaching Award to Linda Chang, PharmD, MPH, during its May convocation ceremony.
“Dr. Chang has demonstrated a longstanding history of outstanding interest in our medical students and a strong commitment to medical education,” says Alex Stagnaro-Green, UICOMR dean.
Chang received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1997 and a master’s degree in public health in 2005. She joined the UICOMR faculty as a clinical assistant professor and assistant director of the Department of Family and Community Medicine in 1998.
During her first years on campus, she developed and taught the pharmacotherapy, chronic disease management and quality improvement curricula to family medicine residents and was involved with direct patient care activities. In addition, she taught in multiple pharmacy courses for the UIC College of Pharmacy. From 2012 to 2016, she was assistant dean for medical education with responsibility for oversight of the full medical curriculum, recruitment of teaching faculty, and faculty development. She also served as a faculty and administrative resource for curricular policy and development all while continuing her teaching roles. Further, she has continued to obtain grant support and to present and publish on curricular issues.
In 2014 she was promoted to clinical associate professor and, since leaving the assistant dean position, has been intimately involved in the development, implementation and delivery of Phase 1 of the College of Medicine’s new curriculum. She is course director of Essentials of Patient Care, director of foundational synthesis and endocrine/reproductive blocks, and heads curriculum development for interprofessional education and an entrustable professional activity. Chang also continues to teach as part of the pharmacology faculty and Family Medicine Residency faculty.
Chang serves on multiple College of Medicine committees, community programs and advisory boards. Chang was recognized with the L.P. Johnson Program Director’s Award in 2008, YWCA Leadership Mentorship Award in 2016 and the Rockford Chamber of Commerce Confluence Award in 2018.
The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, located at 1601 Parkview Ave., currently has about 240 medical students enrolled in its Doctor of Medicine Program.