Dr. Joelle Abdallah has been drawn to service and mentoring opportunities involving children since college. During medical school, an organization she co-founded came up with the idea to make radiation therapy easier for young cancer patients by letting them paint the face masks they wear to look like favorite fictional characters. It’s an example of how she wants to put her future pediatric patients’ needs first.

Joelle Abdallah, M.D.

What this award means: I consider myself extremely lucky to have been trained at UT Southwestern surrounded by the most supportive faculty, residents, and peers. I am beyond grateful for this award.

Mentor comment: Joelle’s extracurricular time has been devoted to leadership in community service organizations, basic science research, and mentoring. These activities embody the qualities of altruistic leadership, compassion, and intellectual curiosity so frequently mentioned by her attendings and residents. – Nicole Oakman, M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine

Background and family: I was born in Cleveland, but I grew up in Pflugerville, Texas, with two younger brothers. At a young age, my parents moved from Lebanon to the U.S., where my mom became an optometrist, and my dad worked in finance. Growing up, I spent a lot of time working with my mom and seeing firsthand the impact a clinician has on their community.

What led to your career path: I knew I wanted a field in which relationships with patients were prioritized. I fell in love with both internal medicine and pediatrics during my clerkships and realized that I wanted to pursue training in both fields.

College: At UT Austin, I majored in biochemistry in the Health Science Scholars Honors program. I worked for the nonprofit Girlstart, delivering fun STEM programs to groups of elementary school students. I also volunteered for the nonprofit Girls on the Run, coaching elementary school girls in an exercise program to teach self-empowerment, teamwork, and leadership. In the year before starting medical school, I worked as an AmeriCorps service member with City Year Dallas, providing mentorship and tutoring to elementary school students in Oak Cliff.

UTSW activities: I served as co-President of a student organization working with Café Momentum, a restaurant providing internships to justice-involved youth. The partnership provided interns with health education lessons that I helped develop based on their needs and interests. I also co-founded an organization with the mission to make the process of receiving radiation therapy easier for children. This was achieved by painting the radiation masks that hold their heads still as their favorite fictional characters.

Surprising fact: Growing up, performing arts was my passion: I performed in musicals and plays, competed in speech competitions, and played the piano.

Future plans: After completing my residency at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, I am interested in becoming a combined adult and pediatric hospitalist. I also have interests in critical care and palliative care.

About the award: The award, presented to one or more top medical students in internal medicine, was established by Ross H. and Anne Seymour Hemphill in honor of their son and daughter-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Seymour Hemphill; their daughter and son-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Gojer; and Anne Hemphill’s parents, E. Clyde and Florine Allen Seymour. Drs. Hemphill and Gojer are both UTSW Medical School alumni.