Hestla wins John P. McGovern Award
Gregory Hestla, MD, assistant professor in the Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, is the 2025 recipient of the John P. McGovern Award as the exceptional clinical teacher.
The John P. McGovern Award is given annually to an outstanding clinical faculty member as chosen by the senior class. The award is made possible by an endowment from the McGovern Foundation.
Hestla said he felt honored that the students appreciated his contributions.
“I was proud to be acknowledged for clinical teaching,” Hestla said. “I am an alum of McGovern and many of the attendings I respect and learned the most from are also awardees, so I had a feeling of joining excellent company. I discovered my interest in teaching much later than my interest in medicine, so recognition from the students helps confirm my efforts have had results.”
For Hestla, winning the award is validation of the work that he is doing, but also as an opportunity to redouble his efforts and continue to provide an experience that is beneficial to McGovern Medical School students.
Hestla said that he believes students do best when they have clearly delineated roles and an expectation to improve. “If they end the day with more knowledge, clinical skills, or information, then the day has been a success,” he said. He added that mistakes are a natural part of the process toward mastery. “A big part of clinical education and training is to provide a safe environment in which to make those mistakes and learn from them,” he said.
Hestla mentioned J. Chase Findley, MD, and Amanda Helminiak, MD, as crucial mentors in his academic medicine career. He said that Findley has taught him how best to teach and give feedback to students, while Helminiak gave him advice in how to supervise other and provide patient care in an inpatient environment.
“I would be completely remiss to not acknowledge Kristi Rowell, the clerkship coordinator for the Psychiatry Clerkship and my exterior brain/memory for all things clerkship,” Hestla said. “She is highly organized and helps keep the clerkship running smoothly.”
Previous recipients of the award include: Michael L. Zhu, MD, 2024, Karthik Bhandari, MD, 2023; Jennifer Swails, MD, 2022, 2017; J. Chase Findley, MD, 2022, 2019; Saher J. Rabadi, MD, 2021; Steven B. Eisenberg, MD, 2020; Gus Krucke, MD, 2018; Rukma Govindu, MD, 2016; Pedro Mancias, MD, 2015, 2013, 2009; Gabriel Aisenberg, MD, 2014, 2012; Eugene Toy, MD, 2011, 2002; Octavio Pinell, MD, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2001, 1999, 1997, 1995; Alberto Puig, MD, PhD, 2007, 2005; Frank Arnett, MD, 2003, 2000; Edward Yeomans, MD, 1998; John F. Donnelly, MD, 1996, 1993, 1990; James T. Willerson, MD, 1994; John M. Passmore, MD, 1992; and Herbert L. DuPont, MD, 1991; Patricia Butler, MD, 1985.