Dr. Vietvuong Vo

Where others might shrink from chaos, Dr. Vietvuong Vo is drawn to it. In the frenzy, he finds order, energy, and purpose.

That explains his choice to enter the field of emergency medicine, as well as one of his greatest volunteer achievements – helping with the medical response for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Dr. Vo is this year’s recipient of the Texas College of Emergency Physicians Award, presented to a medical student who demonstrates excellence in emergency medicine, with special dedication to Texans who need emergency care.

He has been active in the Texas emergency medicine community, served as a leader in the Emergency Medicine Interest Group, and taught community members hands-on CPR at the Texas Two Step event. During Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, he worked directly with operations leadership and organized student volunteers at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas – which at the time housed and aided more than 4,000 South Texas hurricane evacuees.

“To be in the middle of the Hurricane Harvey response was overwhelming at first, but always in an exciting way – kind of like the chaos that attracts me to the emergency department,” Dr. Vo said. “Since this was an emergency response, we knew that things wouldn’t go perfectly and we were prepared to be flexible. Although we faced many challenges, we always kept a positive attitude. Working with a small team of dedicated students to coordinate all of the support staffing needs kept tasks manageable and organized.”

His commitment to the effort also had a personal motivation: His parents and many of his extended family live in Houston. “Many of them, if not all, were directly affected by the storm,” he said. “I felt like I needed to take action and help my family and others. I was so glad I did, because I know what we did made a real and lasting impact for these people. I got to talk to them and know their stories. I was inspired by their courage and perseverance.”

Dr. Vo said he’s humbled and honored by the recognition. One of his mentors called him very deserving of the honor.

“He is a superstar medical student, and we were thrilled that he chose to pursue emergency medicine,” said Dr. Lynn Roppolo, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine. “He is bright, takes initiative, is very organized and reliable, and has great people skills. He was very active in our Department, always offering to help and coming through. He did an excellent job on his clinical rotation in the very busy Parkland Emergency Department. I was so excited to hear that he was the recipient of the 2018 Texas College of Emergency Physicians Award.”

Dr. Vo’s first exposure to the medical field – and to emergency medicine – came through his work as a volunteer EMT.

“I see emergency medicine as the front line of medicine and the safety net for those who need it most,” he said. “The specialty welcomes everyone, no matter their race or socioeconomic background. I love that it is the only specialty operating 24/7. Having the opportunity to serve those in what may be their most vulnerable state is extremely humbling yet rewarding, and this is what drives me to pursue it as my lifelong career.”

One of Dr. Vo’s hobbies is something you might not normally associate with an emergency physician: break dancing.

“Having the experience of dancing for two or three hours straight, at least twice a week, gave me an outlet to express myself, bond with others, and also get in a wicked workout,” he said.

When he’s not busting a move, Dr. Vo enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Annie Nguyen. For his residency, he will train at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. His eventual goal is to become an EMS medical director or pursue a fellowship in disaster medicine.