Dr. Mary ‘Catie’ Collins: Pediatric Society of Greater Dallas Award for Excellence in Pediatric Medicine

By Remekca Owens

Dr. Mary “Catie” Collins’ international mission trips have cultivated her love for working with underserved children. However, it was her experiences growing up as the eldest of three siblings that planted the seeds for her future career as a pediatrician.

Dr. Mary 'Catie' Collins
Dr. Mary 'Catie' Collins

“I have been interested in pediatrics for a long time due to the experiences my family had with our pediatrician. Two of my siblings had serious illnesses while I was growing up, and our pediatrician played an instrumental role in diagnosing them and making sure they received the best treatment possible,” said Dr. Collins, a native of Corpus Christi. “Now, I love being able to not only take care of children but to also work with their families.”

Dr. Collins’ mission trips to other countries began during her junior year in high school with visits to Nicaragua and the Bahamas. While attending Baylor University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in international studies, she traveled to serve families in Peru. Most recently, in addition to her coursework at UT Southwestern Medical School, she completed mission trips with Southwestern Christian Fellowship to El Paso and Haiti. “It has been such a privilege working with the children I’ve met on those mission trips,” she said. “I have found it incredibly rewarding.

“One of my favorite memories happened at the end of a clinic day during a trip to El Paso. A mom and her six children came in, and our team was able to see her entire family. One of the little girls had eaten chocolate, which melted all over her face and hands, and then gave everyone on our team chocolatey hugs.”

Dr. Collins’ strong compassion for children and their families is one of the factors that helped her earn the 2015 Pediatric Society of Greater Dallas Award for Excellence in Pediatric Medicine. The award recognizes an outstanding graduate who has the personal character and dedication to serve, along with being an advocate for children.

“Catie is a superb student who has earned a reputation as a caring provider, and who has always given of herself, be it through her church or through school-related activities, to mentor and help others,” said Dr. Soumya Adhikari, Associate Professor of Pediatrics. “She is a worthy recipient of this recognition and I look forward to continuing to work with her.”

Dr. Collins will complete her residency in pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center Dallas. She aspires to work as a primary care pediatrician for an underserved patient population after her training.