Why UTSW Psychiatry?

My path to psychiatry at UT Southwestern started with my undergraduate studies at a small liberal arts college in my native central Texas. There I developed a passion for learning about people as an anthropology student. I went on to take two gap years, during which I worked, traveled, and trained to be a medical interpreter in Spanish, before finding myself in Dallas as a medical student at UT Southwestern. I quickly realized my passion for working with underserved populations, and I dove into volunteer opportunities in Spanish interpreting. I knew almost immediately after my first day on my psychiatry clerkship rotation that mental health was the field for me. I appreciated how psychiatrists attended to individuals’ stories, cultures, and language, in a way that other medical specialties did not. Further, I was motivated by the idea of one day providing language concordant mental health care to underserved Spanish speakers. When the time came to apply to psychiatry residency programs, I struggled to look beyond UT Southwestern (though I really tried!). I was familiar with the diversity of clinical sites from my own experience as a medical student, and I had inspiring experiences working with bright and friendly psychiatry residents on my clerkship rotations. When I discovered that Dr. Brenner shared an interest in anthropology and that the program was building its cultural psychiatry curriculum, I knew I had found my intellectual home for training. I was ecstatic when I matched here.

I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to train at UT Southwestern. My clinical experiences have been rich and varied, and I have benefitted so much from the dedication to inquiry and excellence at this institution. I have also grown professionally outside clinical work. I worked alongside my peers in the Diversity & Inclusion Committee to suggest improvements in our cultural psychiatry didactics thread. I also had the opportunity to audit a graduate level seminar in medical anthropology at a local university. Serving as a class representative and now as a chief has taught me a great deal about administration. I have applied many of these administrative lessons as co-chair of a task force that rolled out a pilot program to involve second year residents in longitudinal outpatient care. While challenged intellectually, professionally, and personally during residency, I have always felt supported by my peers and the program leadership. This support and mentorship became even more important when I became a mother as a resident.

Career Goals

I suspect my professional path will continue to take some unexpected turns, but I hope to continue my interest in academics and working with a diverse patient population. I plan to pursue additional psychotherapy training as well.

Education

Undergraduate: B.A. (Majors in anthropology, biology; minor in Spanish), Southwestern University (Georgetown, TX)

Graduate: M.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX)

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Clinical Rotations and Hours