Dr. Stephen Barter of Naples, Maine and formerly from Boothbay Harbor was selected by the Tufts University School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine to receive this year’s Dr. Robert “Toby” Wesselhoeft III Teaching Award this past spring. This honor is granted annually to a teacher of Family Medicine who has demonstrated service, integrity, and excellence in teaching. The selection for this award was based on student feedback of his teaching as well as the generosity and commitment he has demonstrated in teaching many Tufts medical students.

“I knew nothing about it,” said Barter, a member of the Boothbay Region High School Class of 1972 and who is in private practice in Naples.

Barter, in an email to the newspaper, said he graduated from Tufts in 1981.

“I have taught med students for many years as they keep me sharp and I owe others who taught me such as Dr. Douglas Long in Boothbay,” said Barter. He is the son of Isabelle Lewis of Boothbay Harbor and the late C. Ross Barter Jr.

The selection for the award was based on student feedback of his teaching. Following is a nomination from students:

“Dr. Stephen Barter is one of the most kind and dedicated teachers I've ever had in my time in any school. He is willing to entertain student ideas, discuss medicine in depth, and is very knowledgeable. He is willing to stay late for student instruction and thoughtfully selects whether an experience will be of value to a student. He is focused on teaching and gives instructions in a way that enhances the learning experience for the student. He teaches by saying what students did well and the suggestions for items that were missed or could be improved. His kind approach to patients, staff, and students, is the reason why he is trusted by his community. I believe he is deserving of an excellence award because of his unrivaled commitment to his students.”