Herbert L. and Margaret W. DuPont Master Clinical Teaching Award: Hilary Fairbrother, MD, MPH
Hilary Fairbrother, MD, MPH, associate professor and vice chair of education in the Department of Emergency Medicine, is the winner of the 2023 Herbert L. and Margaret W. DuPont Master Clinical Teaching Award.
Established in 2001 and made possible by a gift from the DuPonts, the award recognizes and preserves the essence and quality of the master clinical teacher, reflecting McGovern Medical School’s top priority of quality clinical medical education.
“I am so honored to receive this award,” Fairbrother said. “I love teaching the medical students and residents at UTHealth Houston, and receiving this award makes me feel so proud of what I have been able to achieve at our school. The McGovern Medical School students, residents, and fellows are extraordinary, and it is truly a gift to be able to spend time with them throughout their educational journey.”
Fairbrother said the award validates the work that she has been able to do at McGovern Medical School and places her among an elite class of physician educators who have won the award.
“Winning this award means that I get to join the incredible group of clinical faculty who have been recognized for their excellence in clinical medical education,” Fairbrother said. “To be associated with this level of expertise and achievement is very humbling. These physicians are truly the top physician educators at our institution, and I am honored to join this list.”
In the classroom, Fairbrother strives to bring the most inspiring, efficient, and accurate education to her students using student-centered learning theory application. She specializes in the clinical translation of foundational knowledge in pre-clinical medical students and is the director of Team Based Learning at the Medical School.
“I believe in educational innovation, and I focus on active learning pedagogies such as team based learning and high-definition simulation,” Fairbrother said. “I have high expectations for myself and my students, starting with bilateral accountability. I teach this way because education research has shown active learning increases knowledge retention and comprehension, improves test scores, and elevates student satisfaction.”
Fairbrother completed medical school at Emory University School of Medicine in 2006 while receiving a master of public health for Health Care Policy from Emory in 2005. She joined the faculty at McGovern in 2019 after serving as director of Undergraduate Medical Education at New York University School of Medicine from 2014-17.
Fairbrother thanked her family, including her husband Sheetal, and her two sons Vikram and Asher, whose love and support allows her to donate so much time to the Medical School. She also thanked her mentors, Ben Bobrow, MD; Samuel Luber, MD; and Jamie McCarthy, MD, as well as her Team Based Learning team and her coworkers in the Office of Educational Programs.
Previous recipients of the DuPont Award are: Sasha Adams, MD, 2022; Katie Normand, MD, 2021; Robby Wesley, DO, 2020; Jennifer L. Swails, MD, 2019; J. Chase Findley, MD, 2018; Don Molony, MD, 2017; Erin Furr Stimming, MD, 2016; Gabriel Aisenberg, MD, 2015; Mark Hormann, MD, 2014; Mark Farnie, MD, 2013; John Foringer, MD, 2012; Pedro Mancias, MD, 2011; Phil Johnson, MD, 2010; Francisco Fuentes, MD, 2009; Cheves Smythe, MD, 2008; Eugene Toy, MD, 2007; John Sparks, MD, 2006; Victor Lavis, MD, 2005; Philip Orlander, MD, 2004; Ian Butler, MD, 2003; Patrick Brosnan, MD, 2002; and Frank Arnett, MD, 2001.