Retirement honor: Laura Zakowski, MD
The Department of Medicine (DOM) is proud to honor Laura Zakowski, MD, professor, General Internal Medicine, and the outgoing DOM Vice Chair of Education, who will retire on May 15, 2026.
Dr. Zakowski received her MD from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UW SMPH) before completing her internal medicine residency and chief residency at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. She has served on the DOM faculty since 1995.
Find out more about Dr. Zakowski in the Q&A below.
What do you consider your most significant accomplishments during your time in the department?
Over my 30 years in the Department of Medicine, my work as a clinician educator has been deeply rewarding.
Early in my career, I helped build and expand the medical school curriculum focused on teaching history-taking and physical examination skills. This was an experience that set me on the path of medical education. I created physical exam teaching videos during that time that remain in use today, which continues to be especially gratifying.
More recently, serving as the DOM Vice Chair for Education allowed me to engage broadly across the department’s educational mission. Highlights from the past decade include developing our annual Education Day, creating and chairing the Education Committee, leading the growth of the Education Innovation Grant program, and creating and growing the Educator Academy.
I have also served as the Acute Care Block Leader since its inception, and I am proud that it is a highly rated clinical experience for students.
Along the way, I have had the opportunity to present educational work through workshops and posters and to publish in outstanding medical education journals, including the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Academic Medicine, and the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the many talented faculty and staff partners who shared in this work—far too many to name, but all deeply appreciated.
What have been the most personally gratifying aspects of your work?
At heart, I have always been a primary care physician, and caring for patients over decades has been one of the most meaningful aspects of my career.
I have had the privilege of caring for some patients for nearly 30 years—including three generations of families—sharing in their joys and supporting them through loss. These are experiences that have sustained me throughout my career.
Dr. Laura Zakowski
I have also found great fulfillment working alongside dedicated faculty and staff who are deeply committed to our clinical, research, and especially our education missions. This commitment starts at the top with leaders like Lynn Schnapp [department chair] and extends to countless others whose inspiration would require another Vital Signs issue to fully acknowledge.
Mentoring faculty, trainees, and students with diverse interests and career paths in education has been another enduring source of satisfaction, as has teaching learners at all levels, whether the topic was creating a positive learning climate, giving effective feedback, or developing a differential diagnosis for a patient with chest pain.
Any particularly fond memories?
I will always cherish the people and daily interactions that make up the dynamic educational community on the 5th floor of MFCB, where conversations about teaching and learning happen constantly, and where treats left in the kitchen reliably disappear within minutes.
I also have especially fond memories of attending in-person award ceremonies, meetings, and educational events. These gatherings, once taken for granted, have taken on new meaning after the pandemic, when seeing colleagues face-to-face again, often after long stretches of virtual-only interaction became both joyful and deeply connecting.
What are you looking forward to in retirement?
In retirement, I am most looking forward to spending more time traveling with my husband, Randy, both within the United States and abroad.
We have a trip to Italy planned shortly after my retirement, which we are very much anticipating. We are also avid national park enthusiasts and have visited 43 of the 63 parks so far, with plans to see the rest. This year, we are especially excited to take on a backpacking trip through Grand Teton National Park.
Retirement feels like a wonderful opportunity to embrace adventure, exploration, and new experiences together.