Dr. Jennifer Nwankwo Ukwu – William F. Ross, M.D., Scholarship Award in Family Medicine

By Patrick Wascovich

Growing up in Mesquite, Dr. Jennifer Nwankwo Ukwu learned to give back from her community. Once she started her medical education and outreach, she began to appreciate the scope of need, locally and internationally.

“I went to John Horn High School, where my activities included the Health Occupations Student’s Association. I enjoyed visiting hospitals and nursing homes through my volunteer efforts. I was surrounded by strong cultural values growing up in my Nigerian community, so I learned at an early age how important it is to give generously to those around me. It has continued to be my mantra for my career,” she said.

After graduating from the University of Houston, her medical education took her view to another level.

“While training at UT Southwestern I was deeply moved by the Parkland Memorial Hospital population and the overwhelming need for basic primary care,” she said. “On the wards, by the time the patient makes it to the emergency room there are so many things could have been prevented. I believe my role is to make this service more available to them. Serving the urban underserved population is my calling.

“I also hope to participate in global outreach in Nigeria. In 2010, I was able to conduct a small needs assessment in my village with blood pressure, blood sugar, and vision screenings, as well as a site check at the General Hospital Amachara in Abia State, Nigeria. The hospital needed so much – more surgical equipment, better infant incubators, and laboratory equipment.”

Dr. Nwankwo Ukwu is the recipient of the 2015 William F. Ross, M.D., Scholarship Award in Family Medicine. Caring for others, especially those in dire need, has become a lifelong ambition.

The Ross Award, named after the Chair of Family and Community Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center from 1984 to 1993, includes a $1,000 scholarship from the Dallas chapter of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.

“I cannot think of a more deserving recipient than this remarkable young woman who has demonstrated extraordinary resilience and keen determination along the way to her chosen career as a family physician,” said Dr. Belinda Vicioso, Professor of Internal Medicine. “Over the years, this inquisitive student has become a compassionate, warm, and mature clinician with wisdom beyond her years of clinical experience. I cannot wait to see what the future will bring, for I believe that these virtues, this strength of character, will take her far.”

Dr. Nwankwo Ukwu, who matched in family medicine at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, graduated cum laude in three years from the University of Houston with a degree in biology and a minor in health. As an undergraduate, she was heavily involved with the Nigerian Student’s Association. Upon returning home, she helped facilitate a health fair with the Igbo Community Association of Nigeria for blood pressure checks, general screenings, and education on heart health. Due to its overwhelming success, the health fair is now an annual event in Garland.

At UT Southwestern, she served as a Student National Medical Association co-president and worked alongside Dr. Shawna Nesbitt, Associate Dean of Minority Student Affairs. She also has been involved in the Annual Pre-Medical Conference, the annual United to Serve event, and “mini-homeschooling for my 2-year-old son, Elijah.”

###

Dr. Vicioso holds the Jose Garcia, M.D., Professorship in Internal Medicine.