Niki Hagen, medical student education program manager for the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, has been recognized by the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine with its 2026 Clerkship Coordinator of the Year Award.
The annual award honors one clerkship coordinator nationwide for outstanding service in emergency medicine undergraduate medical education. Hagen was selected after review by a committee of CDEM education leaders and received the award May 19 in Atlanta during the CDEM Academy Meeting, held as part of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s 2026 Annual Meeting.
SAEM is the primary professional society for academic emergency medicine, with a mission to advance the field through education, research and professional development. CDEM is one of SAEM’s nine academies.
Hagen joined the Department of Emergency Medicine in 2013 and has spent more than a decade supporting medical students, faculty and the department’s medical education mission. In her current role, she provides comprehensive oversight of the emergency medicine medical student program, helping align operational, educational and administrative work with School of Medicine and Public Health standards, national accreditation requirements and departmental goals.
Through the school’s ForWard Curriculum for Doctor of Medicine (MD) candidates, students encounter emergency medicine in required and supplemental clinical experiences, including the Acute Care Block, basic and advanced rotations, electives and selectives. The department also provides dedicated advising for students applying to emergency medicine residency programs, supports visiting clerkship students and helps lead the Emergency Medicine Interest Group and Summer Immersion Program in Emergency Medicine, which help students explore how their interests align with the specialty.
Dr. Corlin Jewell, director of medical student education for the department, said Hagen’s insight and institutional knowledge have been invaluable as the department continues to grow and innovate within its educational programs. He added that what sets Hagen apart is her commitment to students, who often rely on her as a first point of contact and a steady source of support, guidance and reassurance during clinical rotations and the residency application process.
Students echoed that impact, describing Hagen as organized, responsive and deeply supportive. One student wrote that she “made the experience seamless,” while another credited the emergency medicine medical education team with providing an “amazing support network” from early interest in the specialty through the residency application process. Another student said the department’s medical student education program should serve as a model for other blocks and services at the school.
Beyond day-to-day coordination, Hagen has become a trusted collaborator and problem-solver whose impact extends across the department and the School of Medicine and Public Health. From coordinating complex rotation logistics to helping advance innovations in learner assessment and support, her work has strengthened the student experience in meaningful and lasting ways.
“Niki represents the heart of our team,” Jewell wrote. “Her leadership, advocacy and operational excellence make her truly deserving of this national recognition.”