‘An incredibly skilled and compassionate surgeon’

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Clearing his throat, fourth-year UND medical student Jacob Tupa reviewed his notes before looking into his laptop camera.

“Students consistently described Dr. Timothy Pansegrau as an outstanding preceptor who goes above and beyond in both teaching and mentorship,” read Tupa. The awkwardness of the moment was not lost on him. “Dr. Pansegrau is an incredibly skilled and compassionate surgeon. He fosters critical thinking, provides hands-on surgical opportunities, and encourages growth by treating learners as future colleagues rather than just trainees. He is recognized for his creative teaching methods, such as requiring handwritten patient notes that push students to think independently and reveal areas for improvement beyond the operating room.”

Listening quietly, patiently, on the other end of the video call was the man of the hour. A cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon based at Sanford Health in Bismarck, Dr. Tim Pansegrau had just been designated namesake of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences Preceptor Recognition Student Scholarship by the UND medical student Class of 2026.

“Well, that’s awesome,” smiled Pansegrau, momentarily lost for words, after Tupa had finished. “Thank you.”

 

Preceptor Recognition Student Scholarship Program

Otherwise known as “Preceptor of the Year,” the award, the Preceptor Recognition Student Scholarship Program was established in 2020 following a $100,000 endowment gift to the UND Alumni Association & Foundation (AAF). The “interactive” endowment asks fourth-year medical students to select their favorite preceptor (or clinical instructor) based on their third-year clinical rotations.

In May of the academic year in question, these same graduating medical students reunite with their chosen preceptor when a scholarship is given in the preceptor’s name to the second-year UND medical student who earned the highest scores in the first 20 months (Phase 1) of their four-year curriculum.

The scholarship winner will be announced in May 2026 and the process will begin again during the following academic year with a new batch of fourth-year medical students.

 

Physician-teacher

The son of a cardiologist, Pansegrau was born in Iowa but grew up in Texas, he said, where he completed both medical school and a general surgery residency. After completing fellowships in vascular and cardiothoracic surgery in North Carolina, Pansegrau found his way to Bismarck more than 20 years ago, where he reunited with one of his residency classmates.

“I’ve always worked with students,” Pansegrau said with a nod to the Latin word for doctor – docere – which means “to teach.” “But I like to teach clinically. I’m not one who likes to give a lot of lectures, per se. I’m more a hands-on kind of teacher.”

A trait to which students respond well.

“I worked with Dr. Pansegrau during my third year, and ever since then he’s mentored me to hopefully become another colleague in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery,” said a scrubs-clad Autumn Bertch from the Bismarck hospital where she was just finishing up an anesthesiology rotation. “He’s made a huge impact on my career and my life, and he’s been a big role model and mentor to me.”

Piping into the video call from Fargo, Bertch’s classmate Carson Herbert agreed.

“I didn’t meet Dr. Pansegrau until my surgical clerkship, but I told him about my interest in pediatric surgery and he helped me break into a field that is very difficult to get exposed to,” added Herbert. “I will forever be appreciative of him for helping set up my away rotations and helping me find mentors in that field.”

 

Early and often

Part of what attracts students to Pansegrau is the fact that he gets them directly involved in procedures early and often. Explaining how he “didn’t get to do much as a student,” Pansegrau makes a point of giving his clerkship students as much hands-on training as he safely can.

“When I was in medical school, we’d make attending rounds and there’d be five, six students attending and a bunch of residents,” he explained. “These students here get to sew, they get to handle the saw, they get to handle the cautery. I didn’t get that individual treatment like they get here at UND. So, I think they’re very blessed in the fact that they get that kind of exposure here.”

And not just students. Pansegrau admits that part of what keeps him in North Dakota is North Dakota. “My colleague Dr. Russell, who recruited me, also taught at UND,” he said. “He was from North Dakota and we worked together for 20 years here. For me, it was just a great move and a great place to raise my kids.”

It is for this exact reason that UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences grads typically match so well come graduation time: UND’s reputation among residency programs remains solid 50 years after the School graduated its first M.D. cohort.

“Dr. Pansegrau is an excellent cardiovascular surgeon and outstanding teacher, and it’s not surprising that he has been selected as preceptor of the year by our medical students,” added Dr. Cornelius Dyke, chair of the SMHS Department of Surgery, who also specializes in cardiothoracic surgery. “He teaches every day, in and out of the operating room, and is in great demand as a preceptor. I’ve been told that being on Dr. Pansegrau’s service is one of the best rotations in a student’s or resident’s educational experience.”

Just the kind of preceptor students are looking for.

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Brian James Schill
Director, Office of Alumni & Community Relations
School of Medicine & Health Sciences
University of North Dakota
701.777.6048 direct | 701.777.4305 office
brian.schill@UND.edu  |  med.UND.edu