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| 6 Nov 2025 | |
| IAFP Awards |
Family Medicine Teacher of the Year Employed Faculty:
Craig G Griebel MD, FAAFP
University of Illinois College of Medicine – Peoria Family Medicine Residency Program
Before Illinois, Griebel was in solo practice in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin followed by three years as an Urgent Care Physician in Fond du Lac, Wisc. He found a home at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria Family Medicine Residency Program in 2002 and has served as the medical school’s third-year clerkship preceptor ever since.
According to residents and faculty colleagues, he’s best known for always teaching with a pre- and post- quiz. And we do mean always.
Program director Laura Smith, MD says, “Dr. Craig Griebel has also been singled out for the thoughtful, organized, and committed approach he has to be a resident advisor while they are at our program. He is famous for his "pre-tests" that he has prepared for every teaching session. When he was chosen by the residents to be the graduation speaker a few years ago, he even prepared a "pre-test" for the audience about all of the graduates.”
Dr. Griebel has a personal interest in finances and developed a longitudinal financial planning teaching series that he has presented to our residents for the past few years. He made an advisement guide that all faculty follow to attempt to be at his level.
“Dr. Griebel has been a role model for me at every stage of my training. I not only pursued a career in academic family medicine in large part due to his influence, but I’ve also spent the past decade practicing obstetrics. His championing of family medicine-obstetricians, and his quiet, persistent advocacy for women’s health were incredibly inspiring to me,” shared Kari Watts, DO, FAAFP. “As a resident advisor myself, I draw daily on his example as I meet with my advisers, trying to model the thoughtfulness and care with which he walked with me along my training pathway.”
Dr. Watts added, “Dr. Griebel taught me as a student, resident, and peer. He supported me faithfully during each of those seasons, particularly in residency when my husband (also a resident in our program) and I fostered and adopted two children. Dr. Griebel came to the courthouse and sat amongst my family as our first son was adopted—a child that he had known since infancy, when he arrived in our family during my intern year. He was similarly by our side when our daughter underwent major heart surgery. I cannot express my gratitude for his support during each phase of our life. It continues to this day.”
Current resident Terrin Bull, MD wrote, “Dr Griebel has gone out of his way to be a great teacher, mentor, adviser and friend. He has taken time to teach medicine as well as personal training in life. He has been such a great positive support through the hardships of residency.”
Fun Facts:
For five years he served as the faculty coordinator for the UICOM-Peoria Family Medicine Interest Group Tar Wars tobacco prevention efforts at several local schools including teaching the program himself .
Dr. Griebel is the epitome of a lifelong learner -- he is well-known for his organized files about every subject matter possible and the way that he consistently keeps up on the literature and updates his files. He has a file called "Jokes" which has come in handy many times as the other faculty prepare for speaking engagements.
Questions & Answers with Dr. Griebel
What do you enjoy most about teaching family medicine?
What I enjoy most about teaching family medicine is seeing the progress of a learner as they progress through their training. Along the way, there are often times when "light bulb" moments for the learners but most of the time it is a slow, steady, progression to the goal.
What does this award mean to you?
I am deeply honored to receive this award. It was very humbling to be nominated, and I am very thankful for all of the colleagues that I have been able to work with over the years.
What do you see as most important aspect of family medicine education?
There are many primary care needs in our country, including ambulatory care, geriatrics, hospital medicine, women's health, pregnancy care, urgent/emergency care, and sports medicine. It is important that we continue to train full spectrum family medicine physicians to meet those primary care needs. Once a physician has received full-spectrum family medicine training, they will be better able to meet the needs of the community where they serve.
