Besides practicing as a family medicine physician, Dr. Jake Player wants to take that one step further to help his patients get healthy and then maintain that fitness. On a broader scale, he is interested in public health issues and is working toward completing his M.P.H. degree to make a larger impact on the community.

Jake Player, M.D.

What this award means: I am honored to have been chosen for this award. To me, this award stands as recognition of the sustained, diligent efforts I have made to address system level challenges and improve the health of underserved populations in Dallas through research, advocacy, and service.

Mentor comment: Jake studied the costs and outcomes of patients on outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT), demonstrating the need to normalize OPAT metrics for duration of therapy. He also examined outcomes for patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities, showing that with adequate support, their outcomes can be comparable to those discharged home. He will no doubt continue to use his skills to improve patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner. – Laila M. Castellino, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine

Background and family: I grew up in the small town of Palmer, Alaska, with my five siblings. After high school I served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years in France. After my mission I went to Brigham Young University, where I met my wife, and we now have two amazing children.

What led to your career path: I’ve wanted to be a doctor ever since I was a child, but it was only once I began my premedical coursework that I started to ask myself what a physician really was and what their responsibilities should be. I reasoned that at the most basic level a physician’s job was to help people get and remain healthy; it followed, therefore, that what made a good physician, well, good, was their ability to help more people get and remain healthy. That’s when I started to get interested in public health and exploring ways to help improve health at the greater community level, which ultimately motivated me to pursue an M.P.H. in addition to my M.D.

College: I graduated summa cum laude from BYU, where I majored in microbiology and minored in chemistry. I was recognized as a Ballard Scholar of Social Innovation for coursework and projects I completed relating to social impact work, received an advanced level French language certificate, and had multiple posters, student grants, and one publication that resulted from disinfection research. I also served as an officer and President of the BYU Anti-Human Trafficking Club and as Secretary for the Utah Trafficking in Persons Subcommittee on Higher Education.

UTSW activities: I volunteered at the Agape Clinic, served as a health screener at the Carnaval de Salud health fair, and mentored students through Southwestern Student Advisors, the SWAL Pal program, and Southwestern Student Connections. I also helped co-found and serve as current co-President of the High-Value Care Student Interest Group.

Surprising fact: Beyond technical writing, I also enjoy creative writing as a hobby. I am currently working with beta readers on an original fantasy novel I hope to publish in the not-so-distant future.

Future plans: I will be starting my residency in the combined family and preventive medicine program at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center and Johns Hopkins in Maryland. I hope in the future to be an excellent clinician and work at a higher level to improve public health through administration, health systems practice, policy, and research.

About the award: Administered by the U.S. Public Health Service Physician Professional Advisory Committee, the Excellence in Public Health Award recognizes medical students who have positively impacted public health in their communities.