CME Faculty & Co-Founder
Dr. Anush S. Pillai
Dr. Anush S. Pillai
DO, FAAFP
Board-Certified Family Physician · Founding Residency Program Director
Clinical Professor, University of Houston · President, Harris County AFP
🏥 Houston Methodist Sugar Land
🎓 Univ. of Houston, College of Medicine
📖 McGraw-Hill Author
🏆 SuperDoctors® 2017–2022
👨⚕️ Harris County AFP President
Actively PracticingFamily Medicine Physician
Residency DirectorACGME-Accredited Programs ×2
Academic FacultyClinical Professor, UH Med
AccreditationAMA · AAFP · AOA · ANCC · AANP · AAPA & more
About Dr. Pillai
One of the Most Credentialed Family Physicians in Academic Medicine
Dr. Anush S. Pillai, DO, FAAFP is a board-certified family physician with Fellow status in the American Academy of Family Physicians — one of the most distinguished designations in primary care. He currently serves as Founding Residency Program Director and GME Consultant at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, where he is building a new ACGME-accredited Family Medicine Residency program from the ground up. He also practices full-scope outpatient family medicine at Village Medical.
Dr. Pillai is a Clinical Professor at the University of Houston, College of Medicine and has held academic appointments at Weill Medical College, Cornell University and the University of Houston College of Optometry. He previously founded and directed the Family Medicine Residency Program at HCA Houston Healthcare West, successfully obtaining ACGME accreditation and training 10 residents annually.
A prolific scholar, Dr. Pillai is a co-author of two McGraw-Hill medical textbooks — Case Files Microbiology and Case Files Pharmacology — and has published eight peer-reviewed journal articles in American Family Physician, Journal of Family Practice, Consultant, and other leading journals. He has delivered over 30 invited CME lectures at regional and national levels.
He served as President of the Harris County Academy of Family Physicians in 2024, represents Harris County as a delegate to the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and was named to SuperDoctors® Texas Monthly six consecutive years (2017–2022). He speaks four languages: English, Malayalam, Hindi, and Spanish.
Dr. Pillai co-founded CME Travel Academy to deliver evidence-based, commercially unbiased primary care CME — bringing the same rigor he applies in residency education directly to practicing clinicians.
20+
Years in academic family medicine
2
ACGME residency programs founded
8
Peer-reviewed journal publications
4
Languages spoken
Board Certification & Licensure
- 🏅American Board of Family Practice — Certified 2004, Recertified 2014
- ⭐Fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP)
- 📋Texas Medical License — Active since December 2002
Academic Appointments
- 🎓Clinical Professor (2022–Present)
University of Houston, College of Medicine - 🎓Clinical Associate Professor (2019–2021)
University of Houston, College of Medicine - 🎓Clinical Associate Professor (2013–Present)
University of Houston, College of Optometry - 🎓Academic Vice Chair, Department of Family Medicine (2010–2014)
The Methodist Hospital - 🎓Clinical Associate Professor (2013–2014)
Weill Medical College, Cornell University - 🎓Clinical Assistant Professor (2008–2013)
Weill Medical College, Cornell University - 🎓Clinical Assistant Professor (2008–2013)
University of Houston, College of Optometry
Education
- 🎓Family Medicine Residency & Chief Resident (2001–2004)
University of Texas Houston Medical School — Hermann Hospital & LBJ Hospital - 🎓Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (1997–2001)
Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Sciences Center - 🎓BA Biology, with High Honors — Mathematics, Foreign Language, Chemistry, Astronomy (1994–1996)
University of Texas at Austin - 🎓Combined Undergraduate & High School — Early university admission after 10th grade with scholarship (1992–1994)
Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS)
Professional Memberships
- 🩺American Academy of Family Physicians — Fellow (FAAFP)
- 🩺American Medical Association
- 🩺Texas Academy of Family Physicians — Delegate from Harris County
- 🩺Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD)
- 🩺Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM)
- 🩺Harris County Academy of Family Physicians — President 2024, Past President
Languages
🇺🇸 English — Fluent
🇮🇳 Malayalam — Fluent
🇮🇳 Hindi — Near Fluent
🇪🇸 Spanish — Fair
Books (McGraw-Hill)
- Toy, E, Debord, C., Wanger, A., Castro, G., Kettering J.D., Pillai, A. Case Files Microbiology, 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. 2015.
- Toy, E, Loose, D, Tischkau, S., Pillai, A. Case Files Pharmacology, 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. September 2013.
Book Chapters
- Pillai, A., Karim, N. "Hypokalemia Algorithm." In 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2024, 32nd Edition. Wolters Kluwer. June 12, 2023.
- Pillai, A., Suniega E. "Hyperkalemia Algorithm." In 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2024, 32nd Edition. Wolters Kluwer. June 12, 2023.
- Pillai, A. "Hematuria in Adults." In Toy E, Briscoe D. eds. Case Files – Family Medicine. McGraw-Hill; 2007; Case 14: 131–137.
- Pillai, A. "Prenatal Care." In Toy E, Briscoe D. eds. Case Files – Family Medicine. McGraw-Hill; 2007; Case 4: 41–49.
- Pillai A. "Internal Medicine." In Briscoe D. Lange Q&A: USMLE Step 3, 5th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
- Pillai, A., Bhagat, N. "How would you diagnose this rash on a young woman?" Consultant. Published online September 27, 2021. doi: 10.25270/con.2021.09.00005
- Pillai, Wu, M. "Photo Quiz: Dyspnea in an Older Patient." American Family Physician. August 1, 2013; 88(3): 199–200.
- Pillai, A., Medina, D. "Photo Quiz: Rash in 8-year-old male." American Family Physician. December 15, 2012; 86(12): 1141–42.
- Pillai, A., Kabir, Jahangir. "An Elderly Man with Leg Pain and Chronic Rash." Clinical Geriatrics. June 2011; 19(6).
- Pillai, A. "Photo Quiz: White Opaque Fluid in a Blood Draw." American Family Physician. April 15, 2009: page 699.
- Pillai, AS, Sprockel, PT, Barthmare, S. "Tips for Talking to Teens about STDs." The Journal of Family Practice. February 2009. Vol. 58; No. 2: 76–82.
- Pillai, AS, Bang, H., Green, C. "Metformin and glitazones: Do they really help PCOS patients?" Journal of Family Practice. 2007; 56(6): 444–453.
- Shen, A., Pillai, A. "What's Your Diagnosis – Eruptive Xanthomas." Consultant for Pediatricians. September 2008: pages 382–386.
- Pillai, A. "Dermatology Quiz/Photo Quiz: Lingua Villosa Nigra." Resident and Staff Physician. December 2005, pages 17 and 21.
Online & Educational Content
- Pillai, A. (June 26, 2024). "How to Talk About Mental Health with Your Care Team." Village Medical.
- Pillai, A. (February 9, 2024). "7 Heart Healthy Tips for Aging Adults." Village Medical.
- Pillai, A. (April 4, 2023). "Three Tips for Living with Congestive Heart Failure from a Primary Care Physician." Village Medical.
- Pillai, A. (2021). Bright Futures: Agenda Setting [PowerPoint Slides]. American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures Resource Library.
Selected Poster Presentations
- Pillai, A. "Effective Agenda Setting in the Pediatric Health Supervision Visit." AAFP RLS – 3/2022.
- Suniega, E., Pillai, A. "Joint Injection Workshop: A How-to Toolkit." AAFP RLS – 3/2022.
- Gambrill, C., Pillai, A. "Scoring systems to save time and headaches during the MATCH." 3/2022.
- Bhagat, N., Pillai, A. "Rash in a Young Woman, Would you have missed this?" HCA Gulf Coast Educational Consortium – GME Research Symposium. April 21, 2021.
- Gambrill, C., Nevers, S., Tran, A., Pillai, A. "Implementation of Standardized Protocols for Office Blood Pressure Measurement." STFM Conference on Practice and Quality Improvement – 9/2021.
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SuperDoctors® — Texas Monthly (2017–2022) Six consecutive years of recognition among Texas's top physicians
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AAFP Scholarship — Family Medicine Advocacy Summit (May 2021) American Academy of Family Physicians
-
AAFP Scholarship — Family Medicine Advocacy Summit (February 2020) American Academy of Family Physicians
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NCQA Diabetes Care Recognition (2017) National Committee for Quality Assurance
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NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCM) Recognition (2017) Kelsey Seybold Clinic
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Faculty of the Year — Methodist Family Medicine Residency (2012–2013)
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Faculty of the Year — Methodist Family Medicine Residency (2008–2009)
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National Health Service Corps Award Recipient (2006–2008)
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Chief Resident (2003) University of Texas Houston Medical School, Family Medicine
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Outstanding PGY-2 Resident (2002)
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Award from Prevent Blindness Texas (1996)
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Presidential Scholarship for Scholastic Excellence (1994)
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Awards from Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) & Houston Livestock Rodeo (1993) Research on MRI and NMR Spectroscopy
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TAMS Program Admission — Early University Admission After 10th Grade (1992) Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science — scholarship recipient
Clinical Appointments
Co-Founder & CME Faculty — CME Travel Academy
- Co-leads primary care CME conferences and livestream programs covering evidence-based chronic disease management
Founding Residency Program Director & GME Consultant
- Obtaining ACGME accreditation and developing a new Family Medicine Residency program accepting 8 residents annually
- Curricular development, faculty recruitment, scholarly oversight, resident and medical student supervision
Family Physician
- Full-scope outpatient care including pediatrics, gynecology, adult medicine, geriatrics, and office procedures
Founding Family Medicine Residency Director
- Obtained ACGME accreditation for new Family Medicine Residency program, 10 residents annually
- Curricular development, leadership, scholarly activity, ACGME accreditation oversight
Family Physician
- Outpatient pediatrics, adult medicine, inpatient medicine
Family Physician
- Full-scope family medicine: inpatient, outpatient, pediatrics, prenatal care, office procedures
- Supervised and trained Family Medicine Residents
Full-Time Attending Physician
- Outpatient adults, pediatrics, gynecology, geriatrics, office procedures
- Inpatient medicine and ICU care
- Kelsey Academy Presenter — evidence-based medical topics
- Clinical Standards Committee — voting member
Faculty / Attending Physician
- Full-scope clinical and academic family medicine: ambulatory, inpatient, ICU, procedures, nursery, low-risk obstetrics
- Administrative: CPI committee, HIPAA Compliance Officer, OSHA Officer, didactics supervisor, community medicine & maternity care supervisor, medical student rotation supervisor
- Chair, Clinical Competence Committee
Faculty / Attending Physician
- Geriatrics and inpatient rotation supervisor
- Program transferred to Methodist Hospital 2006
Chief Resident
Consulting & Expert Witness
Hospital Privileges
- 2015–Present: Methodist Sugar Land Hospital (Wards and ICU)
- 2019–2022: HCA Houston Healthcare West (Wards, ICU, Newborn Nursery)
- 2015–2020: CHI St. Luke's Sugar Land Hospital (Wards and ICU) — resigned 2020
- 2015–2018: Pearland Medical Center, HCA — resigned 2019
- 2015–2018: Memorial Hermann, Pearland — resigned 2019
- 2006–2014: Houston Methodist Hospital (full scope: OB, Newborn Nursery, Wards, ICU) — resigned 2014
- 2006–2014: St. Joseph Hospital, Houston TX (full scope: OB, Newborn Nursery, Wards, ICU) — resigned 2014
Selected Invited Lectures & Presentations
- 10/2023: Grand Rounds — Hypertensive Urgency and Resistant Hypertension. University of Houston, College of Medicine
- 9/2023: Hypertensive Urgency and Resistant Hypertension (CME). Harris County Academy of Family Physicians
- 11/2021: Preoperative Examination, An Evidence-Based Approach (CME). Harris County AFP
- 1/2021: Precepting Techniques — Faculty Development Seminar. University of Houston College of Medicine
- 11/2020: NOACs, A Practical and Evidence-Based Approach (CME). Harris County AFP
- 4/2020: Antibiotic Stewardship (CME). Harris County AFP
- 1/2020: Contraceptive Management: Basics and Update (CME). HCA National Grand Rounds Series
- 10/2019: Precepting Techniques. HCA National GME Leadership Meeting, Amelia Island, FL
- 8/2019: HCA National Faculty Development Lecture Series — Precepting Techniques (distributed nationally)
- 5/2013: STFM Lecture Discussion: Assessing, verifying, and tracking competency among FM residents. Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Annual Session, San Antonio TX
- 2019–Present: Core didactics lecturer — weekly presentations to HCA FM Residency; monthly to OB Residency; quarterly to Podiatry Residency
- 2016–2018: Kelsey Academy Presenter — quarterly presentations in medical topics, EBM, and practice management
- 2009–2014: Primary Care Lecture Series — Methodist Ob/GYN Residency Program (monthly)
- 2003–Present: Course Lecturer — University of Houston Optometry School Medical Course (16-hour course for 4th year optometry students)
- 2006–2014: ALSO Course Instructor (also 2019–present)
Research
- 2011–Present: REDI — A step towards an objective competency assessment for ACGME NAS Milestones
- 1996–1997: Binocular Rivalry and Image Recognition in Rhesus Macaques at Baylor College of Medicine, under Dr. Nikos Logothesis (Director of Visual Neuroscience, Max-Planck Institute)
- 1993: Supercolliding Supercollider and NMR/MRI research at Houston Advanced Research Center, The Woodlands TX
Leadership, Committees & Advocacy
- 2024: President — Harris County Academy of Family Physicians, Board of Directors
- 2023: President-Elect — Harris County AFP, Board of Directors
- 2022–2023: Treasurer — Harris County AFP, Board of Directors
- 2020–2022: Delegate from Harris County AFP to Texas Academy of Family Physicians
- 2020–2022: Subcommittee on Clinical Recommendations and Policies (SCRP) — AAFP
- 2020–2022: Commission on Health of the Public and Science — AAFP
- 2020–2022: AAP Bright Futures Training Education Workgroup — AFMRD Representative
- 2021: First Tuesdays at Capitol Hill — Texas Medical Association
- 4/2024: Internal Review Committee for ACGME Accreditation — OBGYN New Program, Houston Methodist Willowbrook
- 2019–2022: Peer Reviewer and Advisory Board Member — HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine
- 2019–2022: HCA Houston Healthcare Gulf Coast Consortium — Graduate Medical Education Committee
- 2011–Present: Article Consultant — National Board of Medical Examiners, Interpretation of the Medical Literature Project
- 2006–Present: Article Reviewer — Journal of Family Practice
- 2006–Present: Sentinel Reader/Reviewer — Evidence-Based Journals Group
- 2007–2014: Peer Reviewer — Journal of Women's Health
- 2006–2014: HIPAA Officer and OSHA Officer
- 2006–2014: Medical Advisor — Advisory Committee for Houston Head Start Program
- 2012–2014: Vice Chair, Department of Family Medicine — Houston Methodist Hospital
- 2012–2014: Texas Academy of Family Physicians — By-Laws & Academic Affairs Committees
Volunteer Activities
- Religion Teacher (Hinduism) & Malayalam Language Teacher — Sri Guruvayoor Temple, Kerala Hindu Society (Jan 2014–May 2016)
- Education Committee Member — Sri Guruvayoor Temple (developed curriculum for religion, language, and cultural programs)
- Food Drive Donations — Hope Clinic & Houston Food Bank (2017–2020)
- Medical Student Roundtable — Harris County AFP, March 2020
- National Youth Leadership Program — Lecturer (2003–2008)
Hobbies & Interests
Billiards (league & tournaments) · Martial Arts — Japanese style (intermediate) · Golf · Weightlifting · Basketball · Table Tennis · Philosophy (Epistemology) · Classical Indian Music · Piano (intermediate)
Learn From Dr. Pillai at Your Next Conference
Evidence-based CME at iconic destinations — zero commercial bias, live certificate, physician-led.