Dr. Tyler Couch: Dr. Richard Mays Smith Award
Dr. Tyler Couch grew up captivated by the stories his grandfather – a general practitioner in rural Oklahoma – told about caring for patients with medical and social challenges. At UT Southwestern, Dr. Couch discovered internal medicine as a field in which he can care for complex problems across diverse organ systems and disciplines. He is one of this year’s recipients of the Dr. Richard Mays Smith Award. His next challenge is to complete an internal medicine residency at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.
What this award means: “I am unbelievably grateful to be one of the recipients of the Dr. Richard Mays Smith Award. The qualities that this award recognizes – clinical excellence and compassion – are two of the characteristics that I most admire in the physician role models that I have had here at UT Southwestern.”
Mentor comment: “Tyler is one of the most impressive students I have ever met. He has a humble and authentic approach to addressing the human spirit in responding to the physical needs of patients. Tyler is curious, genuinely kind, and ‘wicked smart.’ It’s been a true honor to serve as his mentor. He embodies all the best characteristics that physicians aspire to.” – Dr. Shawna Nesbitt, Professor of Internal Medicine and Associate Dean of Student Affairs in the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion
Background and family: “I grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, where my father worked as a high school educator and my mother worked for a sports-based nonprofit organization. My sister works in finance in Dallas. I met my wife of two years, Ashley, as a sophomore at Baylor University, and she is now a dietitian at William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.”
What led to your career path: “When I rotated on the internal medicine wards as a third-year student, I discovered teams of internists addressing complex obstacles to patient health, all while demonstrating a commitment to the compassionate presence that had been prevalent throughout my grandfather’s stories that I loved as a child. I was hooked and decided to pursue a career in internal medicine as a way to put down roots at this intersection of medical complexity and compassionate patient care.”
College: “As a biochemistry major at Baylor, I served as student director for the Steppin’ Out community engagement program and the Baylor Hospital Chaplaincy Outreach program. I was part of the William Carey Crane Scholars, a program designed to investigate the relationship between faith and reason in higher education, and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and the Honors College.”
UTSW activities: “I worked to develop a session for preclinical students on coping with patient death and co-created and led an elective course on medicine and religion. I have also participated in global health trips to Peru, served on the school’s LCME Educational Standards Self-Study Subcommittee, and am a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. Additionally, I spent a year between my third and fourth years of medical school exploring the relationship between faith and medicine as a Theology, Medicine, and Culture Fellow at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina.”
Surprising fact: “During my free time as a fourth-year medical student, I have stumbled into woodworking in my garage. So far, I’ve managed to build a stool, a bench, and most of a dining room table without getting hurt or having any furniture fall apart.”
Future plans: “My interests are broad and include cardiology, palliative care, and general internal medicine. After residency and possibly fellowship, I hope to practice in an academic setting with a focus on clinical education and a continued exploration of the intersection between religion, medicine, and ethics.”
About the award: The award is given annually to one or more graduating medical students who excel academically during clinical rotations and who exhibit an interest in and compassion for patients.