By Ron Durham

Dr. Trevor Johnson

Geriatric patients require a special level of care, which can be a daunting proposition for many physicians. It is a challenge Dr. Trevor Johnson embraces.

Because many geriatric patients suffer from chronic illness and may have physical and cognitive impairments, assessment and treatment can be complex. But Dr. Johnson believes the unique challenges come with commensurate rewards.

“On the humanistic side, I appreciate that geriatric medicine is a very relationship-driven area of medicine,” Dr. Johnson said. “The patient encounters are longer, which affords more time to know your patients. I also specifically appreciate their respect toward doctors.

“On the medicine side, I appreciate the complexity of the ways geriatric illnesses present. The illnesses manifest in unique ways in the geriatric population, so you often have to think outside of the box to make the diagnosis.”

Dr. Johnson’s deep interest in geriatrics helped in his selection for the 2016 Lorraine Sulkin-Schein Medical Student Award in Geriatric Medicine. The honor recognizes a medical student who has demonstrated compassion, keen interest, and commitment to the care of older adults.

The award is named in honor of Mrs. Schein, a longtime supporter of UT Southwestern Medical Center who bequeathed funds to promote geriatrics as a career path for medical students. She died in 2007 at the age of 89.

After graduating from Southlake Carroll High School, Dr. Johnson attended UT Austin, where he majored in neurobiology. He then spent three years teaching ninth-grade science in the Rio Grande Valley through Teach For America before entering UT Southwestern Medical School.

Dr. Vivyenne Roche, Director of the Geriatrics Fellowship Program at UT Southwestern, mentored Dr. Johnson, as did Dr. Collin Vas, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. Patricia Bergen, Professor of Surgery.

>“Dr. Roche and her passion for medicine has been encouraging to me,” Dr. Johnson said. “I have also looked up to Drs. Vas and Bergen, and they both have been very supportive throughout medical school.”

Dr. Johnson said some of his most memorable times at UT Southwestern were attending Dr. Roche’s patient presentations. “It was fun in the beginning of medical school to apply the classroom material to the patient presentations from her clinic,” he said.

Dr. Roche said Dr. Johnson is a worthy recipient of the Sulkin-Schein Award and has made time to understand and appreciate the nuances needed to serve elderly patients.

“Trevor was interested in geriatric medicine throughout his four years at medical school and was a regular attendee at our Geriatrics Interest Group meetings,” she said. “During his time at UT Southwestern he has learned a lot about older patients and understands that they are often complicated, and they may have atypical presentations of disease. They also have a story to tell, and they need someone to understand who they are now and what is important to them. He wants to be their advocate, and I have great confidence that he will be a wonderful advocate for them.”

A fluent Spanish speaker, Dr. Johnson has studied in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East, and is also proficient in French, Portuguese, and Arabic. He will soon start his residency at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth in family medicine.

“I enjoy all aspects of medicine, which is why I chose this specialty,” he said. “My dream job would be to work as a hospitalist taking care of particularly geriatric patients, teaching medical students and residents, and also working abroad in some capacity.”