USA Health neurologist and educator receives national teaching award
“I am proud of supporting the University of South Alabama’s educational mission for 39 years, during which I contributed to training and graduating over 90 neurologists serving our area and all over the country.”
By Michelle Ryan
mryan@health.southalabama.edu
Bassam Bassam, M.D., FAAN, a professor of neurology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama and a neuromuscular neurologist at USA Health, has once again received a top award that recognizes his commitment and service as an educator.
He recently was presented the 2024 A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) at the organization’s annual meeting in Denver, Colorado.
The AAN, the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with more than 40,000 members, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care, which includes diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system, such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy.
Bassam described the recognition as an appreciation for his teaching contributions and attestation of the neurology department’s dedication to the university’s educational mission.
“I am proud of supporting the University of South Alabama’s educational mission for 39 years, during which I contributed to training and graduating over 90 neurologists serving our area and all over the country,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our medical students’ educational programs and mission for nearly four decades.”
Incorporated in 1948, the AAN recognizes excellent teachers for their contributions to improving neurology now and in the future.
Teaching binds students, residents, faculty, other clinicians, researchers, and even patients together and helps make their daily work more meaningful, notes the organization. The award demonstrates respect and appreciation for neurologic teaching.
Late last year, Bassam unanimously was voted the recipient of the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine’s 2023 Distinguished Physician Award at that organization’s annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. It also honors distinguished service for clinicians and educators.
Bassam attended medical school at Aleppo University College of Medicine in Aleppo, Syria. After an internal medicine residency at Makassed General Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, he completed neurology residency training at Wayne State University (WSU), in Detroit, Michigan, and a neuromuscular disease and electromyography fellowship at WSU and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He served as a faculty member at the University of Michigan from 1982 to 1985, then joined USA Health in the fall of 1985 and served as the director of the Neuromuscular Clinic & EMG Laboratory.
