Celebrating a Year of Teaching Excellence in Orthopedic Surgery

This summer, residents at UC San Diego School of Medicine honored three Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty members for demonstrating outstanding dedication to clinical practice and education. 

The honorees recount what the awards mean to them and the influence of mentorship in their own careers. All three are alumni of the department’s residency program.  

Scott Ball, M.D., 2025 Wayne H. Akeson Teaching Award 

The Wayne H. Akeson Teaching Award is named after the department’s late founding chair, Wayne H. Akeson, M.D. The award, which is chosen by fifth-year residents, recognizes faculty members with an outstanding commitment to investing in residents’ professional growth.  

For Scott Ball, M.D., clinical professor in the department and adult joint reconstruction surgeon with UC San Diego Health, receiving this year’s award came as a “total surprise.”  

“Having the residents recognize me like this is inspiring and makes me want to be a better teacher. This is by far the most meaningful award I’ve ever received,” said Ball. This is his first year as the award’s honoree.  

Ball interacts with most trainees in the third year of their five-year program. Residents come to him still learning to put their skills to practice in the operating room.  

It’s a formative time in resident training, and not one that Ball approaches without care. He uses humor to set residents at ease before encouraging them to take an active hand in operations, while balancing patients’ need for the best possible care. By graduation, he says, fifth-year residents have gained enough experience that he feels comfortable letting them take the lead. 

“Universally, the coolest thing about teaching is remembering where residents were when they first came on,” said Ball. “And the most gratifying part is...when you hand [control of a case] over and you think, ‘I could trust this person to take care of me.’ At the end of the day, that’s what we’re trying to do. We're trying to expand our community with well-trained, competent orthopaedists.” 

Ball credits recently retired Clinical Professor R. Scott Meyer, M.D., for setting an example of a mentor who pushed residents. Meyer’s high expectations and intense drive helped shape the trust Ball would someday place in trainees’ hands.  

“Dr. Ball is one of our most dedicated educators,” said recent mentee Jason Pedowitz, M.D., now a fellow in adult joint reconstruction with the Anderson Clinic. “He always takes the time to get to know both patients and residents to connect with them on a personal level. While training with Dr. Ball, I always felt empowered and motivated to grow as a future arthroplasty surgeon. He sets a great example for residents and is a huge asset to the UC San Diego ortho family.” 

“Dr. Ball has been a cornerstone of the UC San Diego Orthopedic Residency Program for years,” said Isabella Wu, M.D., MPH., a recent resident graduate and current fellow in sports medicine at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. “I look up to Dr. Ball [for] his devotion to patient care and his sense of humor. He wants every patient to receive the best possible care from start to finish. He sets the standard by rounding every operative day, sometimes late into the evening. Seeing his attention to detail makes you want to be a better doctor.” 

Ian Foran, M.D., 2025 Whitehill Prize for Clinical Excellence 

Ian Foran, M.D., clinical professor and foot and ankle surgeon, won the Whitehill Prize for Clinical Excellence this year. 

Decided by residents and awarded by the Academy of Clinician Scholars, the Whitehill Prize for Clinical Excellence recognizes faculty for extraordinary clinical care, education, and advances in medical science.  

“We have amazing educators in our department, so it is a real honor to be selected,” said Foran.  

Foran knows all too well the influence of a good mentor. He’s had countless throughout his career, ranging from chief residents to faculty mentors that stressed the importance of autonomy and boosted his confidence when he struggled.  

By his own account, Foran’s focus on ensuring his mentees develop a strong foundation in the basics traces back to his own residency. Solid principles helped him as the complexity of cases climbed.  

Residents report that Foran regularly set aside time for discussion about cases and career development. His focus on essentials like tissue handling helped residents feel more prepared for caring for the community.  

“On behalf of all the residents, we are thrilled to have selected Dr. Foran for this year’s Whitehill Award,” said Garrett Berger, M.D., PGY-5, chief administrative resident. “Residents unanimously report that Dr. Foran plays a pivotal role during the third year as we continue to grow as surgeons. He is deeply passionate about his craft and, more importantly, about teaching it with intention and clarity. Dr. Foran exemplifies what it means to be a well-rounded surgical educator, and we are fortunate to have the privilege of training with him.” 

Foran finds himself benefiting from the relationships with mentees, as well. Residents’ questions keep him thinking about the way he approaches the practice and certain techniques. 

Eric Hentzen, M.D., Ph.D., 2025 Professor of the Year Award (Division of Plastic Surgery) 

Separately, residents of the UC San Diego Division of Plastic Surgery awarded the department’s “Professor of the Year” award to Eric Hentzen, M.D., Ph.D., clinical professor and surgeon specializing in hand and microvascular surgery with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.  

 Hentzen teaches the mechanics of the hand, including how its anatomy allows for daily functioning, to Plastic Surgery residents across the division’s six-year program. Each year, the residents dedicate the Professor of the Year award to an outstanding faculty member from across the School of Medicine.  

 “It’s hard to relate how honored I feel in receiving the Professor of the Year award from the Division of Plastic Surgery,” said Hentzen. “It is extremely satisfying to know that the residents find their time on the hand service with my colleagues and myself useful and enjoyable, as I do, and I am incredibly appreciative of all their hard work and camaraderie. This award inspires my efforts to maintain and further develop a dynamic and engaging learning experience on the hand surgery service.” 

 Hentzen says he is continually impressed by the residents’ energy and intelligence. Teaching allows him to share his excitement about hand surgery and the wide diversity of cases he sees every day with young surgeons who will aid others in regaining their functionality and ability to work, an application that recent graduate Meera Reghunathan, M.D. (left, center photo), says is often rewarding.  

 Reghunathan is specializing in trauma and peripheral nerve hand surgery as a direct result of Hentzen's mentorship.   

“Dr. Hentzen is such a kind person and manages a lot while remaining calm, supportive, and efficient,” said Reghunathan. “We all love working with him. He’s really gifted at balancing autonomy with guidance and reassurance when residents need it, and he instills a quiet confidence in us. If you’re ever struggling, he’s always available to help.”