Philippe Zimmern, M.D.

Professor
Department of Urology

First UTSW job: Associate Professor of Urology. 

Best part about my job: It is pursuing my academic mission – namely taking care of patients, teaching and mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists, and conducting research to improve the care of my patients.

How co-workers describe me: They recognize my passion for care, teaching, and research. One of my research coordinators calls me her “unicorn.”

Funniest UTSW memory: One day I was on call and the UTSW operator contacted me about a young patient with a neurological issue. That day, my son, a pediatric neurology resident here at the time, also was on call. So, there were two Dr. Zimmerns on call that night, and because the words “urology” and “neurology” sound so similar, my son got called for some urology patients, and I got called for some pediatric or newborn issues!

My proudest UTSW accomplishment: I started the first fellowship program in the Department of Urology in 1995, and it was in the field of female urology. I also have received three major endowments from the Cain Foundation – the first to train fellows so that more experts can help women with their bladder conditions, another to establish a Distinguished Chair to conduct research, and the third to establish the John and Felecia Cain Center for Bladder Health at UTSW, of which I recently became Director. That’s a lot of blessings!

I’m really good at: Keeping my work/life balance. I learned that from my first Chair of Urology at UTSW, John D. McConnell, M.D. 

Hobbies: I grew up playing tennis and golf, and I still cross-country ski.

Surprising fact: I started medical school in Paris, France, at age 17 and assisted in surgery at age 20. This is unthinkable in the U.S., where everyone goes to college first. But this is when I found my calling. 

Claim to fame: I’ve been happily married for 41 years. We have four children and two grandchildren.

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