Three Department faculty named Champions of the Clinical Learning Environment

As a continual knowledge of the work it takes to foster a positive and professional learning atmosphere, the Directors of Learning Environment at McGovern Medical School announced 28 faculty members who have earned the title of 2024 Champions of the Clinical Learning Environment. Three of these are from the Department of Pediatrics:

Alyssa Adams, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hospital Medicine

Christina Fok, MD, Assistant Professor, Community & General Pediatrics

Kimberly Smith, MD, MPH, Professor, Community & General Pediatrics

The accolade celebrates faculty who have significantly influenced McGovern Medical School students during their third-year clerkship rotations by cultivating a professional and stimulating learning environment. The selection of these champions is based on an in-depth review of the Learning Environment Surveys (LES) from Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. The survey invites third-year medical students to highlight faculty who have made a meaningful difference in their educational experience.

Hundreds of faculty members were mentioned across various departments, exemplifying qualities of empathy, compassion, and excellence while maintaining a safe and engaging learning environment. The awardees were chosen based on the volume of student responses they received, with three to four faculty members selected from each clerkship.

“We extend our heartfelt appreciation to these exceptional educators for their enduring positive influence on students, patients, and the clinical learning environment,” said Vineeth John, MD, professor and John S. Dunn Professor in the Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and co-director of the Learning Environment in the Office of Professionalism.

View the full list of the 2024 awardees for the Champions of the Clinical Learning Environment in this post from the McGovern Medical School Office of Communications.