Gustavo “Tavo” Heudebert, M.D.Gustavo “Tavo” Heudebert, M.D., interim dean of the UAB School of Medicine Montgomery Regional Medical Campus, is the recipient of the Ellen Gregg Ingalls/UAB National Alumni Society Award for Lifetime Achievement in Teaching, presented annually to a full-time UAB faculty member who, throughout their career at UAB, has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to teaching.
To receive the award — the highest award for teaching presented by UAB — the faculty member must be a former recipient of the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching and have served UAB for 20 or more years as a full-time regular faculty member. Heudebert will be recognized during the annual Faculty Convocation 4 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Hilton Birmingham at UAB.
“Being the recipient of the Ellen Gregg Ingalls/UAB National Alumni Society Award for Lifetime Achievement in Teaching is an incredible honor,” Heudebert said. “This is the most treasured award that I have ever received and certainly hope to be worthy of it in years to come.”
A true Blazer
Heudebert completed his medical training at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru, in 1982 before completing his residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, followed by a general internal medicine fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He joined the faculty at UAB in 1995 after working at both the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Texas Southwestern.
“It is an incredible privilege to do what we do as educators and a great honor to be recognized for what we do for the love of it.” |
Since arriving at UAB, Heudebert has served in countless leadership roles in addition to becoming one of the School of Medicine’s most beloved clinician-educators. Throughout his nearly 25 years on campus, he has held critical roles such as program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, vice chair for education in the Department of Medicine and associate dean for Graduate Medical Education, among others.
“When I think of Dr. Heudebert, I think of someone who is an inspiring leader, a masterful educator, and above all, honest,” a colleague wrote. “He inspires all of us at UAB to be better educators and to be better leaders because he is such a great example of both of those things.”
Heudebert, interim dean of the Montgomery Regional Medical Campus, is widely recognized as a superb diagnostician with an encyclopedic knowledge of internal medicine.
“During a medical student rotation on the internal medicine inpatient ward service, I observed his unrivaled wealth of medical knowledge,” a nominator wrote. “He is one of those rare individuals with an almost photographic memory. He uses this talent to provide excellent care to his patients and excellent learning to his students.”
A deserved honor
“I have a deep appreciation for his longstanding leadership in medical education both on our campus and nationally. The School of Medicine is very fortunate to have been made better by his example.”~ Selwyn Vickers, M.D. |
During his time at UAB, Heudebert has been named a Top 10 Teacher in the Department of Medicine 18 times. He also has received the Tinsley Harrison Award for Best Clinical Teacher seven times and has been named one of the Best Doctors in America 12 times. He won the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, was voted the Best Overall Clinical Instructor and Attending and received the Humanism in Medicine Award.
“I have a deep appreciation for his longstanding leadership in medical education both on our campus and nationally, said Selwyn Vickers, M.D., senior vice president for medicine and dean of the School of Medicine. “The School of Medicine is very fortunate to have been made better by his example. Dr. Heudebert has been a dedicated and thoughtful instructor throughout his career and is extremely deserving of the Ingalls/Alumni Award.”
During his tenure, Heudebert has influenced hundreds of undergraduate medical students, residents and colleagues, many of whom praise him for his compassion, care and commitment to patients.
“Working with Dr. Heudebert was the best experience I had during residency,” one said. “He pays attention to the history and physical examination in a way that I have not seen in any other physician … He is warm, gentle and gracious and has a wonderful bedside manner.”
“He inspires all of us at UAB to be better educators and to be better leaders because he is such a great example of both of those things.” |
“Dr. Heudebert's curiosity was fierce, unapologetic and contagious and was the force that taught each of us what it meant to love learning,” another nominator said. “He was never complacent — always reading and absorbing unique aspects from every patient experience. He was willing to learn from any member of the team, from the medical student to the senior-most resident.”
In honor of Heudebert's contributions to teaching excellence in medical student and resident clinical education, the Department of Medicine established the Gustavo R. Heudebert Professorship in General Internal Medicine, a fully funded endowment that supports a clinician-educator in the Division of General Internal Medicine and the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program; the Department of Medicine has trained more 1,500 residents during the past five decades.
“As an educator, it brings immense joy and pride to believe I have been able to contribute to the growth and development of young individuals,” Heudebert said. “It is an incredible privilege to do what we do as educators and a great honor to be recognized for what we do for the love of it.”
Motivated by personal loss, Baskin became a champion for improving community health
