This interview is one in a series of interviews with the 2026 recipients of the ACGME Awards. These awardees join an outstanding group of previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the 2026 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place February 19-21, 2026, in San Diego, California.
2026 David C. Leach Awardee Brannan O’Neill, MD was nominated while a neurological surgery resident at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). She is now a pediatric neurological surgery fellow at Children’s National Hospital.
ACGME: Why did you want to become a physician?
Dr. O’Neill: I was drawn to medicine because it sits at the intersection of science, human connection, and purpose. I wanted a career where technical skill and lifelong learning directly serve people at their most vulnerable moments. Over time, that motivation has deepened to include not only caring for patients, but also caring for the teams who deliver that care.
ACGME: What innovation/improvement did you implement in your program?
O’Neill: I co-founded Vibrancy & Vitality (V&V) Rounds with my co-resident Dominic Siler within the Department of Neurosurgery in partnership with OHSU Well-Being. These rounds occur twice per academic year and center on patient and family stories with a focus on recovery, interprofessional perspectives, and hope. Unlike traditional morbidity-focused conferences, V&V Rounds intentionally highlight positive outcomes and shared purpose. Survey data show increased compassion toward patients, colleagues, and self, as well as a stronger sense of meaning and connection among participants.
ACGME: What does it mean to you to receive this award?
O’Neill: Receiving the David C. Leach Award is deeply meaningful. Dr. Leach’s legacy emphasizes humanism, learning environments, and professional identity formation — values that are central to this work. This award affirms that prioritizing compassion, reflection, and well-being is not separate from excellence in training, but fundamental to it. These rounds were also started to honor Dr. Justin Cetas, a giant within neurosurgery whose compassion and unwavering optimism inspired many, many people. Receiving this award is a further testament to his teachings and humanism.
ACGME: What was the most rewarding part of your residency?
O’Neill: The most rewarding part of residency has been seeing how meaningful patient outcomes extend far beyond the operating room. Through initiatives like V&V Rounds, I’ve been able to witness how reflecting on patient stories, recovery, and hope can re-energize clinicians, strengthen interprofessional collaboration, and remind us why we chose this work in the first place.
ACGME: What was the most challenging?
O’Neill: Residency is demanding both technically and emotionally. One of the greatest challenges has been navigating the cumulative weight of caring for critically ill patients and learning all there is to learn in the vast field of neurosurgery while maintaining compassion, optimism, and connection within the care team. Recognizing and addressing that challenge directly is what ultimately motivated the work behind V&V Rounds.
ACGME: What advice would you give to other residents/fellows who are looking to either replicate your project or implement an original idea of their own in their own program?
O’Neill: Some of the most impactful innovations come from identifying a shared need and bringing together residents, faculty members, patients, and institutional partners to address it. Don’t underestimate the influence residents can have in shaping culture when ideas are grounded in purpose and evidence.
ACGME: Is there anything else you would like to add I haven’t asked about?
O’Neill: I am grateful to the patients and families who shared their stories, as well as to the faculty members, residents, and staff members who helped bring V&V Rounds to life. This work reflects a collective commitment to fostering training environments where clinicians can thrive while delivering compassionate, patient-centered care.
Learn more about the ACGME’s David C. Leach Award here.