Empowering patients and learners: Cynthia Kreger, MD

For Cynthia Kreger, MD, relationships in both education and patient care are paramount. She recognizes how crucial it is to understand what each patient values, cares about and fears the most, and, as a clinical professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, she strives to impart this empathetic approach to future health care providers.

Dr. Kreger’s passion for medical education and clinical care stems from her love of asking questions and pursuing answers – an innate curiosity that drew her to medicine in the first place. Having the opportunity to interact and make genuine connections with those she’s helping is what she finds most fulfilling.

“I think the most important gift you can give another person is generous listening and full presence,” Dr. Kreger says. “This is a key ingredient in establishing a trusting and healing relationship with patients, particularly at vulnerable moments in their lives. Moreover, taking the time to explain the ‘why’ behind the diagnostic or therapeutic plan being crafted is vital to patient well-being, comfort, connection and trust.”

Her dedication to compassionate care extends to her patients and also to those she educates, mentors and collaborates with. As Dr. Kreger prepares the next generation of health care professionals for success, she emphasizes the importance of well-being, a concept she’s thankful is gaining more recognition and acceptance in the medical community.

“I firmly believe that self-care is not selfish and that you can only be your very best at serving others when your own well is not tapped dry,” Dr. Kreger says. “With students and residents, I find it is helpful to discuss this topic explicitly and to share my personal experiences with burnout and personal challenges in maintaining habits of well-being. I couple this with strategies, practices and solutions that have worked for me, as well as the personal and professional consequences of not being attentive to one’s own well-being while doing this difficult work. Sharing personal narratives can be a powerful educational tool.”  

Dr. Kreger joined the Ohio State College of Medicine faculty in 1988 and quickly took on multiple leadership roles. Throughout her career, she’s been honored with many prestigious awards and achievements that acknowledge her dedication to patient care and medical education, including her induction into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, the Courage to Teach program and the Mazzaferri-Ellison Society of Master Clinicians.

In 2024, she received the Lifetime Achievement in Education Award as part of the college’s inaugural Dean’s Excellence Awards. Colleagues who nominated her for this distinguished honor noted that she’s an incredible asset to everyone in her division as well as to faculty, staff and learners across the College of Medicine and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as a whole.

“In addition to being an outstanding clinician, Dr. Kreger is a dedicated educator and mentor,” colleagues wrote in her nomination letter. “Her creation of countless programs, workshops and offerings for trainees has not only strengthened the learning experience for trainees but also set up many graduates for successful careers in medicine.”

Her exceptional ability to cultivate sincere, authentic relationships with others consistently places her at the top of patient satisfaction rankings. This same talent makes her an invaluable resource to students and fellow health care professionals.

"Dr. Kreger’s unwavering dedication to patient care, education and the well-being of her colleagues truly sets her apart,” says Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine. “She embodies the very essence of what it means to be a compassionate clinician-educator, and her thoughtfully engaged approach to teaching learners and treating patients has had a profound and inspiring impact on the Ohio State College of Medicine."

“Being a physician is an act of love, one where excellent science and medical knowledge is firmly embedded in the ability to practice with integrity, compassion, altruism, empathy, respect and a sense of service,” Dr. Kreger says. “I personally cannot think of a better way to spend a life than being a physician-educator.”

Learn more about our Dean's Excellence Award winners.