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Rahul Sharma, M.D., the Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor and Chair of Emergency Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Emergency Physician-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, has been recognized with the 2025 Roger Schenke Award by the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL).

Dr. Rahul Sharma with the 2025 Roger Schenke Award.

AAPL is a professional organization with over 10,000 physician members globally that is dedicated to supporting and developing leadership and management skills, offering insights and perspectives on emerging trends and challenges in health care. The Roger Schenke Award, a prominent annual award named after the founder of AAPL, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to leadership education, management training, and professional development in health care.

Dr. Sharma was recognized for his work in telemedicine and virtual care. He founded Weill Cornell Medicine’s Center for Virtual Care, which has become a national leader in developing core competencies and training curricula in telemedicine. His efforts have been instrumental in creating the "Doctoring in the Digital Age" curriculum, a comprehensive program designed to train first-year residents and fellows in providing high-quality telemedicine care.

He has also made significant contributions through the Healthcare Leadership and Management program. This multi-level curriculum includes a summer program for medical students, an elective for senior medical students, and an Administrative Fellowship in Healthcare Leadership for physicians who have completed their residency and are interested in pursuing emergency medicine and healthcare administration, including operations, quality, patient safety, telehealth, and informatics.

“Dr. Sharma is an inspirational leader whose commitment to building healthcare leaders of the future is unrivaled. I can think of no better person worthy of the Roger Schenke Award,” said Dr. Lauren Wasson, Chief Academic Officer, W. P. Carey Residency Program and Vice President for Graduate Medical Education at NewYork-Presbyterian.

Dr. Sharma is a nationally recognized leader who has been named a Top 25 Innovator in the healthcare industry by Modern Healthcare and a Crain’s New York Business Notable in Healthcare. His dedication to teaching has earned him two previous national awards, including the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association National Excellence in Teaching Award and the American College of Emergency Physicians National Faculty Teaching Award.