Consuela Cruden-Parham, MD, MBA, MPH, has been named the 2025-2026 Eastern Campus Educator of the Year by students on the West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Eastern Campus.
Students cited Cruden’s infectious compassion for her patients, her approachability and excitement for the teaching process and her strong commitment to improving outcomes for both students and patients alike.
“Dr. Cruden’s patience, strong work ethic and commitment to excellence create a supportive learning environment that models the highest standard of patient-centered care,” said one student in their nomination. “She exemplifies all of the qualities I hope to embody in my own career, and she is deeply deserving of this recognition.”
Cruden said she is honored not only to receive this award, but also to know that she is helping make a positive impact on the lives of the next generation of medical doctors.
“I am very grateful to receive this award from our students and to be able to play a small role in their journey to becoming physicians,” she said. “It is such a privilege to meet and interact with so many students, who continue to inspire me with their passion for learning daily.”
Dr. Cruden joined the Eastern Campus faculty as an assistant professor in 2007 and has been practicing obstetrics and gynecology in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle for nearly 20 years.
Cruden completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center in 2007 and earned her medical degree from the Ross University School of Medicine in 2003. Additionally, Cruden earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1999 and her Master of Business Administration from West Virginia University in 2022.
Cruden began her career as a staff physician at Shenandoah Community Health Center in Martinsburg in 2007, before joining the faculty of the WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center the following year. In her role as an assistant professor for the University, Cruden provides crucial support to the Rural Family Medicine Residency Program and Maternal Child Health Fellowship Program in Harpers Ferry.
At the conclusion of each academic year, third-year medical students on the Eastern Campus anonymously vote for a faculty member whom they believe exemplifies the ideal teaching physician and possesses all of the qualities of an outstanding educator in a clinical setting.
Other Eastern Campus faculty members nominated by students for this award include Leslie Foster, DO; Kevin Hurtt, MD; William Lewis, MD; Verne Rochford, MD; and Eleanor Smith, MD.
To stay updated with everything at the Eastern Campus, follow us on Facebook and visit our website.