Dr. Catherine Scarbrough, associate director of the College of Community Health Sciences’ Family Medicine Residency, received the Degree of Fellow from the American Academy of Family Physicians, a credential that honors one’s commitment to family medicine through community work, research, teaching, professional development and organized medicine.
The degree requires experiences in lifelong learning, practice quality and improvement, volunteer public teaching, public service, publishing and research and service to family medicine, as well as six years of AAFP membership.
Scarbrough, who is also assistant professor and clinic director of Family Medicine for the College, recently completed the University of North Carolina Faculty Development Fellowship in Chapel Hill.
In the past year, she presented at three national conferences. She has conducted and collaborated in a number of research projects, mentored several family medicine residents in their research, and has been published numerous times.
In June 2015, she joined Alabama Academy of Family Physicians’ Board of Directors and advocates for family medicine physicians and for the practice itself in Alabama.
“I am thankful for a supportive faculty and chair who helps encourage young faculty members in scholarly and curricular pursuits,” she says.
Members who receive the degree are able to use the initials “FAAFP” after their name. Scarbrough will be honored at a convocation ceremony at an annual meeting of the Family Medicine Experience.
Prior to joining the College in 2012, Scarbrough had a family medicine practice at St. Vincent’s Family Care in Pell City, Alabama. Before that, she served as a faculty member at St. Vincent’s East Family Medicine Residency Program before going overseas to serve on the faculty of a family medicine training program in Central Asia.