Sigurd Sivertson Medical Education Award

This Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association's Sigurd Sivertson Medical Education Award recognizes the contributions made by hundreds of physicians in communities throughout Wisconsin who provide quality healthcare while offering medical students rich educational opportunities in small communities.

2012 Sigurd Sivertson Medical Education Award

Jeffrey Polzin, MD

Dr. Polzin has been a preceptor for fourth-year medical students at the School of Medicine for 21 years. Volunteer doctors across the state open their offices and practices to students for the required six-week program, which has been in existence since 1926.

Dr. Polzin always goes "above and beyond" his work requirements as a family practice physician at Krohn Clinic in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, to be certain that the medical students have a positive experience. The clinic, which is the major outpatient healthcare center in Jackson County, is staffed by family practitioners, a general surgeon and a psychiatrist.

Students often praise Dr. Polzin for giving them a good deal of responsibility, being extremely helpful and always available for answering their questions and teaching them.

Dr. Polzin has also been deeply involved in the School of Medicine and Public Health's Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM) and the longitudinal rotation in rural medicine, which preceded WARM.

He completed medical school and his family medicine residency at Mayo Clinic. He is board certified in family practice. His special medical interests include sports medicine, dermatology and cardiology. He is very active in his community as a leader in the Friends of the Black River.