Notable Alums

Robert

Specialty: Emergency Medicine

Graduation Year: 1987

Robert Wahl

Robert Wahl, M.D. ’87, Res. ’87, F.A.C.E.P., serves on the American Board of Emergency Medicine in several capacities. The associate professor (clinician-educator) of Emergency Medicine for the Wayne State University School of Medicine was named to the board of directors of the American Board of Emergency Medicine for a term from 2012 to 2020.

He serves as co-editor of the ConCert Examination, and is a member of the Credentials Committee and a member of the Research Committee. He has impacted certification credentialing, test development, administration and leadership for the Emergency Medicine specialty.

He served as residency program director for the WSU Department of Emergency Medicine and Detroit Receiving Hospital for 22 years. In that role, he was responsible for curriculum development and implementation, education and evaluation of hundreds of residents. He focused on defining measureable criteria for residents’ core competencies and developed deliberate practice methodology. He encouraged skills advancement by adding a rotation in ultrasound. As testament to his dedication to teaching young physicians, he served as senior student advisor for the department and as a medical student mentor for 22 years.

The Emergency Medicine residents elected him Distinguished Teacher of the Year in 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2011 and 2012. He received the Wayne State University College Teaching Award in 1997 and the ACEP National Teaching Award in 1999. In addition, he received the Munuswaymy Dayanandan Humanitarian Award in 2001. In 2006, residents elected him the Emergency Residents Association of Michigan Teacher of the Year. He received the WSU School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Science Teaching in October 2015 and the WSU School of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.