It didn’t take Dr. R. George Williams long to zero in on a specialty. For him, internal medicine offered the perfect blend of intellectual challenge and patient-centered holistic care that aligned with his goals to relieve human suffering and empower patients to actively participate in their own medical decisions.

Robert George Williams, M.D.

What this award means: This award is meaningful to me because it serves as a reminder of the impact that my service as a tutor has had on my fellow students. The award further motivates me to pursue medical education and work toward enriching the education of future medical students and other health professions trainees.

Mentor comment: George’s can-do attitude helps students feel at ease. They have mentioned that he often ties course material to new concepts, helping them see the larger picture. He brings enthusiasm to his tutoring sessions. – Rosemary Meredith, Ed.D., Associate Director, Student Academic Support Services

Background and family: I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, by a loving and supportive family. I grew up alongside my sister, brother, many hilarious cousins and friends, and extended family who helped mold me into the person I am today.

What led to your career path: Observing my uncle’s battle with schizophrenia marked my initial discovery of the interconnected relationship between organ dysfunction and symptoms that debilitate people’s lives. Understanding this prompted a desire to learn how to reduce his suffering and that of humanity as a whole. I discovered my lifelong calling to become a physician and took my initial step on the path to medicine. Internal medicine emerged as my passion during clerkships, where I saw the value of holistic patient care and the internist’s central role in coordinating complex diagnostic workups and treatment plans for a vast breadth of diseases. Each day was filled with patients’ life stories, psychosocial complexities, and my essential role as a bedside educator, empowering patients with knowledge about their hospital course, diagnoses, consultant recommendations, and next steps in their care.

College: I graduated with magna cum laude honors from the University of Washington with a major in neuroscience and a minor in bioethics. While there, I served as an emergency medical technician, medical scribe in the ER, evening supervisor at a young adult homeless shelter, and as an undergraduate researcher in pharmacology and neurosurgery.

UTSW activities: In addition to my tutoring for Student Academic Support Services, I conducted research in otolaryngology, pulmonary/critical care medical education, and hematology, which resulted in a co-first-author publication. I also served as an officer for the Wilson Surgical Society, hospice volunteer, and a volunteer for REACH, a program that tutors children staying at a local homeless shelter.

Surprising fact: People would be most surprised by the fact that I am a huge mixed martial arts fan and previously competed in wrestling in high school.

Future plans: Next, I am headed to my internal medicine residency at the University of Washington in Seattle. My dream is to become a hospitalist at an academic medical center or community hospital where I can continue to contribute to the medical education of future generations of physicians.

About the award: The award recognizes graduating medical students who have made outstanding contributions to serve fellow medical students in need of academic assistance.