The Minnesota Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP-Minnesota) has given one of its highest honors to Andrew Olson, MD, FACP, FAAP, a University of Minnesota Physicians (M Physicians) internal medicine physician and professor of medicine and pediatrics at the U of M Medical School. Dr. Olson also leads the Medical School’s Division of Hospital Medicine.
At its 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting in Minneapolis on Nov. 1, ACP-Minnesota announced Dr. Olson as the recipient of its 2024 Laureate Award.
With the Laureate Award, ACP-Minnesota honors one member each year who has demonstrated and conducted an abiding commitment to excellence in medical care, education or research, and in service to their community and the ACP.
“This truly describes who Dr. Olson is and what he does for our community,” said Bevan Yueh, MD, MPH, CEO of University of Minnesota Physicians and Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “We are incredibly grateful for his service to our patients, learners and clinical teams.”
In addition to his patient care and teaching roles, Dr. Olson also serves as Hospital Medicine Medical Director for the M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center.
“I was extremely humbled to receive this, as so many people I admire have received it before,” Dr. Olson reflected.
Get to know more about Dr. Olson:
How did you know that you wanted to pursue medicine as a career?
I was always interested in something in the health sciences. I grew up on a farm in rural Iowa and thought that I might want to be a veterinarian, but I was steered toward medicine. I was inspired by the book “King of Hearts” about the pioneers in congenital heart surgery at the University of Minnesota and thought I wanted to be a surgeon. However, I fell in love with the process of diagnosis and chose hospital medicine for children and adults as a career.
Who are your mentors who have inspired you along the way?
There are too many to name, but my first inspiration in medicine was my family doctor in rural Iowa who I also got to work with when I was an EMT in the rural emergency department. (How cool is it that my family doctor wrote me a letter of recommendation for medical school?!). At the University, I have always been inspired and led by Brad Benson, MD. He was my residency program director and always encouraged me to live out my values. Wes Miller, MD, the former Chair of Medicine, was a source of inspiration for me as well, as we discussed challenging cases and evidence based medicine as well as hobbies outside of work. He taught me to cross country ski the first winter we moved back here from California.
What do you like to inspire in future physicians you train?
I hope to share a love of medicine and a deep appreciation for the privilege we have to walk along with our patients during challenging times in their lives. Medicine is always changing and we have a duty to improve it, and in academic medicine we get to lead that improvement.