Pay it Forward: The Path to the Education & Innovation Grant
In September 2023, the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine launched the Education & Innovation Grant. The grant offers funding to faculty with viable proposals or research focusing on how the department can transform its education and training initiatives.
The official launch came two years after a commitment made by Dr. Salvatore Spadafora (MD’90), who generously offered to match faculty’s gifts to the grant up to a maximum of $20,000. Spadafora, who saw philanthropy as a way for many to “pay it forward” appreciated the subsequent outpouring of support from all areas of the department.
“We were all residents once, and we all relied on faculty to step forward and go the extra mile, whether it was clinically, helping with exam questions, or staying late to provide more support.
“As students, we benefited from our teachers stepping up and doing extra. Now, we can inspire others to do the same,” says Spadafora.
For Spadafora, the idea of giving back resonates strongly. He has dedicated much of his decades-long career as an anesthesiologist and educator to improving the educational experience of residents throughout the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, but notes that this passion for education originated during his time as a medical student.
“Without inspirational educators, I wouldn’t have ended up in anesthesia. As a young student, I had people invest a bit in me, and these were excellent educators, like Drs. John Desmond, Mary-Ellen Cook, Ann Grise, and Christina Benedict, who helped me find my career in anesthesia.
“That experience led me to a career based on the hypothesis that if we can improve our education programs, then we can improve the product of those programs and ultimately the care that we give patients.”
Spadafora hopes that the recipients can use the grant to not only find ways of improving resident education but also to inspire career educators to try different things in their teaching.
“There are a lot of great ideas out there, but if people don’t give a small amount of support or seed money, it is difficult to get them off the ground. Innovation happens when people give their time, talent, and tithes. Those are the three ‘Ts’ that created an education system for me from which I benefitted and I wanted to help inspire others to do that as well.”
All faculty appointed to the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine can apply for the Education & Innovation Grant. Applications close on Thursday, November 2, 2023. The department will announce the final decision in December. Learn more.
