Bilal Rehman, M.D., M.T.S.

What this award means: This award is meaningful because it was decided by my peers. Medical school involves constant assessment by oneself and others. I tried to stay authentic in my clinical work and leadership, leaning on my convictions in moments of doubt. That my classmates chose to recognize this was surprising and affirming.

Class of 2026 student comments: This student is a role model in every sense, and I would trust him to be a doctor to any of my loved ones. … He carries himself with utmost grace and treats everyone around him graciously. … He is an exceptionally supportive classmate whose compassion and humanism consistently elevate our learning environment. He also demonstrates quiet but impactful leadership, fostering unity and confidence among his peers. … Beyond the classroom, he is deeply committed to advocacy – particularly for the surrounding Dallas community and for human rights. He exemplifies service, integrity, and dedication, making him truly deserving of this recognition. 

Background and family: My parents are from Karachi, Pakistan, and immigrated to the U.S. about 35 years ago. I grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas, just 20 minutes southwest of campus, in a diverse community that instilled in me a commitment to the poor, oppressed, and marginalized. My older sister, Sarah, is a dentist. I thank her for leading by example and for filling my cavities. 

College: I studied philosophy at Rice University, where I also pursued medical humanities research and volunteered at Houston’s first AIDS hospice. Not quite ready to leave the humanities behind, I went to Harvard Divinity School, where I primarily researched coloniality in medicine and graduated with a master’s in theological studies. While at Harvard, I also worked as a hospital chaplain, served in Student Association leadership, and worked with the Prison Divestment Campaign, which advocated for the rights of incarcerated individuals. 

What led to your career path: Like many diasporic desi youth, I grew up believing that medicine was one of the only career paths. In high school, I fell in love with the humanities but later realized I am most animated by work that is embodied and relational. Working as a hospital chaplain in divinity school taught me how words could heal. I then began medical school interested in primary care so I could care for underserved communities, but my inpatient psychiatry rotation at Parkland Memorial Hospital helped me understand that uninsured patients with severe mental illness are some of the most systematically neglected people in society. Psychiatry also resonates with my chaplaincy background. These realizations, alongside the examples of my faculty mentors, led me to psychiatry. 

UTSW activities: Since my first year, I directed an elective on the intersection of health and human rights that connected local community organizations with our student body. I was awarded an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and piloted a health screening program for Muslim refugees. Similarly, I conducted qualitative research with Burmese refugees, exploring their attitudes about being asked religious or spiritual background questions during a medical history in the clinic. Finally, as a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society in my fourth year, I led ethics sessions for students in the internal medicine, surgery, and psychiatry clerkships. 

What words describe your UTSW experience: Challenging, clarifying, and formative. 

A tip for medical school success: Find the friends, mentors, clinical spaces, etc. that affirm you and make you feel like the person you want to be. 

Favorite way to relieve stress: I love playing basketball and dragging my friends to the Texas Theatre to watch esoteric films. 

Surprising fact: I peaked in freshman year of high school when I set a record of 14 three-pointers in a varsity basketball game. The school closed the next year, so it’s a record that can never be broken! 

Future plans: I will begin psychiatry residency this summer at UT Southwestern, caring for the community I’m from in a department I have come to cherish. I hope to one day practice as a community psychiatrist who empowers patients (particularly unhoused individuals and migrants) with severe mental illness to live meaningful, dignified lives. I also want to teach and write about the intersection of mental illness and society/culture. 

About the award: The Iatros Award was established by the UT Southwestern Medical School Class of 1984 to honor a graduate who most emulates the complete qualities of a physician. The Iatros Award carries a cash prize provided by the Alumni Association.