Dr. Hayley Williams: Annelle M. Ahmed, M.D. Women's Health Care Award
A love of science coupled with the desire to help others made the medical field a natural choice for Dr. Hayley Williams. Add to these a strong family legacy of community service and a fortuitous rotation, and her path became clear. Dr. Williams is the 2020 recipient of the Annelle M. Ahmed, M.D. Women’s Health Care Award, given to a student who demonstrates exemplary women’s health care and epitomizes the clinician that Dr. Ahmed was – caring, intelligent, and involved in her community. After graduation, she heads to a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Ohio State University Medical Center.
What this award means: “It is an absolute honor to be given this award. I am inspired by the things I have read about Dr. Ahmed’s intelligence, compassion, and service; I hope to be able to be the kind of doctor that she was as I enter the next phase of my career.”
Mentor comment: “Hayley is an extraordinary student and physician. She maintained a 4.0 GPA while also providing compassionate and personalized patient care. Hayley has worked closely with the Dallas community as a United to Serve coordinator and as a researcher with the Moncrief Cancer Institute and the Southwestern Women’s Surgery Center. She is well-respected by her peers and the Ob/Gyn Department as a whole. Hayley’s dedication to women’s health and enthusiastic attitude make her truly exceptional.” – Dr. Alicia Kiszka, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Background and family: “Service to the community was a central tenet of my upbringing. Mom and dad are both retired Dallas Police officers, and we also served as a foster family while I was growing up. My parents emphasized to me and my siblings that it was important to try to make the lives of the people around us a bit better in whatever way we could.”
What led to your career path: “As a former collegiate athlete, I thought that sports medicine or orthopedics might be the way to go, but when I rotated through Labor and Delivery, I knew that was the place I wanted to be. I have always been my best self when I have a team around me, and cheering patients on as they delivered with a whole team of nurses, doctors, and family felt like home.”
College: “I have a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and sports medicine from Rice University. I also served as captain of the varsity soccer team.”
UTSW activities: “I participated in HPREP as a mentor for two years and have been a peer mentor with the Colleges program. This year, I was able to help teach pelvic exams to MS2s.
Surprising fact: “My freshman year at Rice, I played soccer against Alex Morgan, who is now a famous athlete who plays for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. Our team did not win, but I do have a picture of me and Alex next to each other from that game.”
Future plans: “A residency in Ob/Gyn! I would love to be able to teach as part of my career and to share the joy and excitement that has been shared with me by so many wonderful mentors.”
About the award: The award is given in honor of Dr. Annelle M. Ahmed, a UT Southwestern Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology faculty member who died of breast cancer at age 39.