2025 Champions of Clinical Learning Environment
Vineeth John, MD, director of the Learning Environment, and Abbey Bachmann, MEd, PhD, assistant professor in the Office of Professionalism, announced 27 faculty members recognized as the 2025 Champions of the Clinical Learning Environment at McGovern Medical School. The Office of Professionalism honors the commitment and impact of faculty who help shape a respectful, engaging, and professional atmosphere for McGovern Medical School students.
This recognition highlights educators who have made a lasting impression on third-year medical students during their clerkship rotations by fostering a culture of professionalism, compassion, and academic rigor. The honorees were selected through a comprehensive review of the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 Learning Environment Surveys, which invite students to spotlight faculty who have positively influenced their clinical education experiences.
Faculty across departments are commended for their empathy, excellence, and dedication to creating safe and stimulating learning spaces. From each clerkship, three to four faculty members were chosen based on the volume and quality of student feedback.
The office gave special recognition to three faculty members who have earned the distinction for a minimum of five years since the award’s inception in 2020: Gabriel Aisenberg, MD; Saleem Khan, MD; and Sara Holcombe, DO.
The Office of Professionalism extends their sincere gratitude to all of the 2025 Champions for their enduring contributions to student learning, patient care, and the clinical environment.
2025 Champions of Clinical Learning Environment
Gabriel Aisenberg, MD*, professor, Internal Medicine
Faith Atai, MD, associate professor, Internal Medicine
Dean Atkinson, MD, assistant professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Pedro Balaguera, MD, assistant professor, Neurology
Kawal Bir, MD, assistant professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Karthik Bhandari, MD, assistant professor, Internal Medicine
Sevahn Carril, MD, staff physician, Pediatrics
John Cowling, MD, assistant professor, Surgery
Akshar Dash, MD, assistant professor, Internal Medicine
Renee Flores, MD, associate professor, Internal Medicine
George Golod, MD, staff physician, Family and Community Medicine
Rukma Govindu, MD, associate professor, Internal Medicine
Rajesh Gupta, MD, associate professor, Neurology
Amalia Guardiola, MD, associate professor, Pediatrics
Ansam Hasan, MD, assistant professor, Pediatrics
Ryan Hall, MD, associate professor, Surgery
Sara Holcombe, DO*, associate professor, OBGYN
Jason Holliday, MD, assistant professor, OBGYN
Todd Huzar, MD, professor, Surgery
Brandi Karnes, MD, assistant professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Saleem Khan, MD*, professor, Surgery
John Lincoln, MD, associate professor, Neurology
Behrooz Saffari, MD, staff physician, Family and Community Medicine
Irene Stafford, MD, associate professor, OBGYN
Carol Tran Cao, MD, assistant professor, OBGYN
Angelique Wong, MD, associate professor, Internal Medicine
Elena Zamora, MD, assistant professor, Family and Community Medicine
*Indicates awardees who have been recognized a minimum of five times since 2020