Dr. Priyanka Gaur and Dr. Bethany Werner side by side portraits

Throughout its history, UT Southwestern Medical Center has received distinction based on the extraordinary achievements of its faculty and graduates.  The recipients of The Ho Din Award, likewise, have achieved success in their respective fields. The Ho Din Award, which is presented annually by Southwestern Medical Foundation, represents the ideal qualities embodied by all great physicians: medical wisdom and human understanding. Those who receive The Ho Din Award have a track record of leading exceptional medical progress both as medical students and as compassionate physicians. As we celebrate National Women’s Health Week, we recognize the tremendous contributions that our Ho Din Award winners have made in advancing women’s health.


2020 Ho Din Award – Priyanka Gaur, M.D., M.P.H.

During the UT Southwestern Medical School commencement ceremonies on May 2,  Southwestern Medical Foundation presented the 2020 Ho Din Award to Priyanka Gaur, M.D., M.P.H. Beyond making an impression as an outstanding medical student, Dr. Gaur left her mark at UT Southwestern through her passion for women’s health.

At UT Southwestern, Dr. Gaur was a University of Texas Bill Archer Public Policy Graduate Fellow, a member of the American Medical Association Standing Committee, and a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She also served as President of the Future Residents of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where she organized opportunities for medical students to explore the fields of OB/GYN.

Dr. Gaur played a pivotal role in creating a new childcare facility for parents in need of daycare services while receiving treatment at Parkland Hospital. Her work in developing a survey with the Parkland Center for Health Care Innovations and Clinical Outcomes was instrumental in fine-tuning the details of this important project. The Parkland-based childcare center, called Annie’s Place, is opening in Fall 2020.  Annie’s Place will serve oncology patients who may not have access to childcare services otherwise.

Following graduation, Dr. Gaur will complete her residency in Gynecology and Obstetrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The field of Obstetrics and Gynecology allows the physician to follow women throughout their lifetime. One is able to counsel, educate, empower, and build continuity through both exceptional and routine moments. I don’t think any other specialty allows you to partake in such a rich depth of medicine and in all stages of a patient’s life. With so much potential for human impact, that is stimulating and exciting.

Dr. Priyanka Gaur

Dr. Gaur is grateful for the positive role models and mentors who have surrounded her and provided guidance throughout her academic career. Her mother, who is an internal medicine physician, helped her develop a strong voice for others and instilled the value of giving back.

Watch this video to learn more about Dr. Gaur and the many ways she has progressed women’s health.

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2019 Ho Din Award – Bethany Werner, M.D.

The 2019 Ho Din Award Recipient, Bethany Werner, M.D., has also generously dedicated her time and effort to advance women’s health.

Dr. Werner graduated magna cum laude from The University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology in 2015. She was awarded numerous honors including the Academic Excellence Honors Scholarship, the Kappa Alpha Theta Virginia Bryant Shilstone Scholarship, and induction into Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.

Dr. Werner served as a Director of UT Southwestern’s 2019 “United to Serve Health Fair,” where she managed all components including education, screening, translations, and nutrition. She served as a mentor in the Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program, as a peer mentor for the Academic Colleges, and coordinated the woman’s exam skills clinic.

During medical school, Dr. Werner completed several research projects, including one which investigated cases of cutaneous presentations of metastatic ovarian cancer, and she developed, evaluated, and presented nationally a curriculum module for the Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkship on contraception. Dr. Werner began her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern in fall 2019. Her residency has been full of learning, and she continues to embody the spirit of Ho Din in her daily life.

Knowing that others felt I was worthy of being the Ho Din recipient inspires me to uphold the values of the award in my day-to-day work. For me, it’s about spending the extra minute with a patient to talk about safety at home, barriers to taking medications or coming to appointments, and diet and exercise changes.

Dr. Bethany Werner

Today, Dr. Werner enjoys several aspects of her residency, but the privilege of witnessing the special moment when a mother meets her child for the first time is one of the greatest joys of her career. She remains grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with her intern class, who she describes as a group of powerful, intelligent women.

Women are the anchors of societies around the world, and research has shown that women make the majority of health care decisions for their families. Caring for women means bettering the health of entire families and the future generation.

Dr. Bethany Werner

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We look forward to seeing the ways in which Drs. Gaur and Werner will shape the future of women’s health. Thank you, Drs. Gaur and Werner, for leading progress in women’s health in our nation.