By Debbie Bolles

With both parents working in health care, becoming a doctor was the last thing on Dr. Kristin D’Silva’s mind. But partway through college, she switched her major from psychology to biology. Volunteering at a nearby hospital caused her to rethink that view.

Later, while in UT Southwestern Medical School, Dr. D’Silva returned from work at the student-run Monday Clinic to meet her father, who was visiting.

“He told me I looked so happy and that I had finally found my niche. He was right,” she said.

That memory was bittersweet, as her dad would not see Dr. D’Silva graduate. He died from a cardiac arrest in 2012, during her first year of medical school. The care he received in a San Antonio ICU convinced Dr. D’Silva of her decision to specialize in internal medicine.

 “Watching how the internal medicine doctors interacted with my family and guided us through the process made me want to be like them – they’re both competent and compassionate,” she said.

Dr. D’Silva is the 2015 recipient of the Dr. Richard Mays Smith Award in Internal Medicine. The award is given annually to a graduating medical student who excels academically during clinical rotations and exhibits an interest in and compassion for patients.

Dr. Hari Raja, Professor of Internal Medicine, said Dr. D’Silva will stand out in her residency as a shining star.

“Kristin is an exceptional student who performed at a very high level in all aspects of patient care. She has excellent interpersonal skills and a pleasant personality that truly make it a joy to work with her,” he said.

Following commencement, Dr. D’Silva will head to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston for an internal medicine residency and then potentially a general internal medicine fellowship.

“Internal medicine is a very holistic type of care in which you’re taking care of the whole patient, medical needs as well as emotional needs,” she said.

Dr. D’Silva, who graduated from Trinity University in her hometown of San Antonio, said one of her fondest medical school memories involved working at the Monday Clinic. At this student-run free clinic sponsored by North Dallas Shared Ministries, she worked three of her four years, including as a clinic manager her second year.

“I enjoyed caring for patients who had little access to care and greatly needed our help managing acute and chronic diseases,” she said. “This past year, I enjoyed teaching first-year and second-year medical students how to take a patient history and conduct a physical exam.”

Dr. D’Silva hopes to incorporate teaching and research into her medical career. She envisions a career in general internal medicine at an academic medical center such as UT Southwestern. Her research interests include health care disparities and how social behaviors influence progression of chronic disease, medication adherence, and lifestyle changes. A large part of her career influence relates directly back to personal experience.

“My father’s death made me want to work harder so that I could take care of patients like him and their families,” she said. “I knew that would be the best way to honor his legacy.”