The UAMS College of Medicine Graduate Medical Education Office awards two Graduate Medical Education (GME) Educator Awards every year:
The GME Educator Award for Program Directors is awarded to an individual that demonstrates significant contributions to the graduate medical education community and proven excellence in leadership skills at departmental or institutional levels, development of an effective learning environment based on the ACGME Core Competencies, program innovation through curriculum, development and/or teaching demonstrating strong role model and mentorship skills, and faculty development related to graduate medical education.
The GME Educator Award for Program Coordinators is awarded to an individual that demonstrates significant contributions to the graduate medical education community and proven excellence in communication and interpersonal skills with internal and external constituents, understanding of and facilitating excellence in program’s ACGME accreditation processes, organizing and coordinating activities needed to promote program excellence, and personal lifelong learning, leadership, and mentorship of others.
The winner of the 2026 GME Educator Award for Program Directors is Lauren E. Gibson-Oliver, MD, MBA, FAAFP. Dr. Gibson-Oliver is the Program Director for the Family Medicine Residency Program.
Dr. Gibson‑Oliver has served as Program Director for three years and currently also serves as the Interim Program Director for the Baptist Health–UAMS Family Medicine Program. In a remarkably short time, her impact has been extraordinary. As one nominator noted, she has transformed programs, strengthened infrastructure across 11 residency programs, exceeded national benchmarks, and emerged as a national leader in family medicine education.
Through her work with rural family medicine programs, Dr. Gibson‑Oliver has helped shape family medicine training across Arkansas. She has led meaningful curriculum reform and created statewide FM program standardization aligned with ACGME core competencies, ensuring both consistency and excellence in training.
This year alone, she has delivered more than 30 presentations, with many more scheduled, and she was selected as one of only four national champions to train family medicine faculty on ACGME procedural requirements.
Equally important is her leadership with residents. As one resident shared, “Dr. Gibson‑Oliver leads with clarity, transparency, and deep respect for residents as partners in education.” She creates an environment where both residents and faculty thrive.
The winner of the 2026 GME Educator Award for Program Coordinators is Melanie Bainter. Melanie is the Program Coordinator for the Neurosurgery Residency Program.
Melanie has served as the program coordinator for the Neurosurgery Residency Program since 2016. As her program director shared, she is not simply a coordinator, but the operational backbone of the Neurosurgery residency program –mastering the complex and demanding landscape of graduate medical education with skill and grace.
For more than a decade, Melanie has supported her residents and faculty through deep expertise in ACGME requirements, strategic communication, and steady leadership. She brings calm, clarity, and consistency to high‑pressure situations, and her impact is tangible. One of the program’s residents noted that Melanie’s support has had a direct and measurable effect on the stability and growth of the program. That impact is evident in the program’s continued accreditation without citations and its recent complement increase.
This year, Melanie earned TAGME certification, the highest national standard for GME professionals—further reflecting her dedication to lifelong learning and excellence. She is a valued mentor to new coordinators and a respected leader within our institutional and national GME communities such as the Association of Resident Administrators in Neurological Surgery.