Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is a private, autonomous health sciences center in Houston, Texas, that is part of the world’s biggest medical complex, the Texas Medical Center. [2] The School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Health Professions, and the National School of Tropical Medicine are the four academic components of BCM.

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, the flagship hospital of the CHI St. Luke’s Health system, is co-owned by the school and Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI). Harris Health System’s Ben Taub Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, TIRR Memorial Hermann, the Menninger Clinic, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, and the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio are among the affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes. Baylor College of Medicine announced a new connection with Baylor Scott & White Health on November 18, 2020.

Over time, the school has been able to generate individuals who have gone on to impact the world. Some of these names will be revealed in this article.

what is baylor college of medicine known for

Baylor College of Medicine is a health sciences university that creates knowledge and applies science and discoveries to further education, healthcare and community service locally and globally.

Vision

Improving health through science, scholarship and innovation

Values

Respect

• Value others and treat them with courtesy, politeness and kindness
• Promote and support diversity, inclusion and equity
• Encourage civil dialogue that considers diverse opinions and ideas

Integrity

• Interact with honesty, consistency and transparency
• Operate in ways that demonstrate ethical behaviors
• Foster personal accountability to build trust

Innovation

• Cultivate creative ideas and unique talents across the organization
• Embrace a culture of continuous improvement
• Inspire the creation and application of new knowledge

Teamwork

• Sustain a culture that values collaboration
• Communicate openly to enhance understanding
• Establish effective partnerships

Excellence

• Promote the highest standards of safety, quality and service
• Strive to excel in every aspect of our mission
• Support an environment that inspires the best from our people

baylor college of medicine world ranking

Baylor College of Medicine Ranking 2020-21 – Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)

Institution Name	Baylor College of Medicine
Location	USA
World Rank	126
National Rank	57
Quality of Education Rank	69
Alumni Employment Rank	–
Quality of Faculty Rank	201
Research Performance Rank	124
Overall Score	80.8
Domain	bcm.edu

baylor college of medicine acceptance rate

4%Acceptance Rate at Baylor College of MedicineAs one of the Nation’s top med schools, Baylor’s acceptance rate is unsurprisingly low, at 4%. The out of state acceptance rate is even lower, at less than 1%, and the in-state acceptance rate is 13%. Their location near the Gulf Coast allows them to be one of the top bioscience research institutions in the country. Beyond Texas, Baylor College of Medicine is part of the AAMC Global Health Learning Opportunities program, giving students access to about 1,400 clinical rotations in 30 countries.

Baylor College of Medicine is looking to create graduates who give back to both their local and global communities by being innovators, caretakers, and pioneers in the medical field. 

Applying and Getting Admitted

The application process for Baylor College of Medicine can be broken down into five steps. 

1. For the first step of the application, log on to the AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) portal. Just like the Common App is used for undergraduate admissions, the AMCAS application allows you to apply to multiple med schools at once. The AMCAS opens in June, and requires letters of recommendation and MCAT scores to be submitted as well. 

2. Complete the MCAT, and submit the scores on the AMCAS portal.

3. Submit letters of recommendation on the AMCAS portal. These are due with your MCAT score and the AMCAS application. 

4. The supplemental application is due shortly after the AMCAS portion. The largest part of this part of the application is the supplementary essays, which all applicants are expected to complete. This application generally opens in early July. 

5. At Baylor College of Medicine, all applicants are required to take the CASPer Test (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics). This test is an essential part of Baylor’s holistic admissions process, as it is meant as an opportunity for you to prove your real-world skills, beyond grades and test scores. Through a series of questions, many of which are based on real-world scenarios, it judges you on 12 unique categories, from collaboration to professionalism to ethics. While it is difficult to study for this test, you can prepare by familiarizing yourself with the structure and potential content of the test so you are not caught off guard. You can also take a look at our guide on how to prepare for the test.

After you have submitted all components of your application, you may be contacted for an interview. Applicants are notified on a rolling basis from October through June. 

baylor college of medicine leadership

Universities in the health sciences, such as Baylor College of Medicine, are complicated organizations with numerous goals. As a result, many leadership groups concentrate on various parts of the company.

2021 Executive Leadership Organizational Chart

President & CEO
Executive Dean
Dr. Paul Klotman
SVP & Provost
Academic &
Faculty Affairs
Dr. Alicia Monroe
VP
Audit & Compliance
Randy Langenderfer
SVP
Institutional
Advancement
Stephanie Young
Senior Dean and
Deans of Schools
SVP
Chief Operating
Officer
Joe Doty
Chief Scientific
Innovation Officer
Joseph Petrosino, Ph.D.
EVP
Dean of Clinical Affairs
Dr. James McDeavitt
Chief of Staff
Institutional
Effectiveness
Lorie Tabak
SVP
Dean of Research
Dr. Mary Dickinson
Chief of
Academic Integration
Dr. Ashok Balasubramanyam
SVP
Chief Business
Officer
Kimberly David
Chief Financial
Officer
Jamie Bailey
Chief
Communications
Officer
Claire Bassett
SVP
General Counsel
Robert Corrigan
Chairs and
Center Directors

Baylor College Of Medicine Notable Alumni

Richard King, M.D., Ph.D. ’02

Richard King, M.D., Ph.D., Class of 2002, has always been fascinated by the question of why human behavior occurs, how chemical reactions, synaptic signaling, external stimuli and internal motivations influence thoughts and actions. It inspired him to obtain an M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine before completing his Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Fellowship at the University of Utah. Now, as associate professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky, Dr. King seeks to use what he’s learned to unlock the secrets of Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.

When seeking to obtain his M.D./Ph.D., Dr. King wanted a program that would teach him to understand behavior from multiple viewpoints. He wanted to learn to see the human body as a system and discern what was happening in the brain on a molecular level.

While the history of excellence of the Department of Neuroscience was a major draw, the people he met were the deciding factor in Dr. King’s choice to enroll in Baylor’s M.D./ Ph.D. program. He felt assured by Dr. Gayle Slaughter, senior associate dean for Graduate Education and Diversity, an advocate for minority students and diversity initiatives. But it was Dr. James L. Phillips, senior associate dean for Diversity and Community Outreach and professor in the Department of Pediatrics, who made Dr. King feel like he belonged at Baylor.

Robert Atmar, M.D. ’81

Sticking Together for the Battle of a Lifetime

When native Texan Robert Atmar, M.D., began his medical school journey, he did not know that Baylor College of Medicine’s comprehensive, hands-on training would prepare him for the fight against the largest global health crisis of our time – the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Atmar enjoys all aspects of medicine, so it was not until he met Stephen Greenberg, M.D., a respiratory virology specialist at Ben Taub Hospital (a Baylor affiliate) that he decided to work in infectious diseases. Under Dr. Greenberg’s direction, Dr. Atmar conducted research with some of the world’s premier scientists in virology and completed a fellowship. His list of mentors grew from Baylor greats in virology like Robert Couch, M.D., Vernon Knight, M.D., Wendy Keitel, M.D., and Mary Estes, Ph.D. But they were more than teachers – they continued to influence and inspire Dr. Atmar throughout his career.

This family of talent made the transition from Baylor student to faculty member an easy one. When Dr. Atmar finished his training, he jumped at the opportunity to join the staff at Ben Taub. His favorite part about sticking with the Baylor community is seeing his colleagues grow and support each other to make a meaningful difference in medical science and patient care.

Currently, Dr. Atmar plays a huge role in addressing SARS-CoV-2. For years, his colleagues believed the next 1-in-100-year pandemic would originate from an avian flu, not a coronavirus. COVID-19 was a surprise, but Dr. Atmar’s career has been a culmination of experiences in preparation for this moment. As Chief of the Infectious Diseases Service at Ben Taub, he advises the hospital’s Clinical Incident Command Center that plans for infection prevention and other strategic activities and helps Baylor’s Incident Command Center by providing guidance to leadership. That, in addition to helping Baylor’s federally funded Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit (VTEU), has had a huge impact locally and nationally (the VTEU held Phase 3 clinical trials for the Moderna vaccine). He has been exceptionally proud of how Baylor has responded to the pandemic, from conducting testing and research to keeping the community well-informed.

Equally important has been his work on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of healthcare experts from a variety of backgrounds who recommend effective vaccines for distribution and use. One of Dr. Atmar’s Baylor mentors, Dr. Wendy Keitel, nominated him for his background in infectious diseases. Since joining, he has provided guidance on vaccines for influenza, dengue, Japanese encephalitis and others. His term was scheduled to end in June 2020 – then the coronavirus appeared in full force. The CDC requested that Dr. Atmar and his fellow committee members stay on through December 2020 to review vaccine candidates. This resulted in guidance on how to use the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines available today.

To those who are on the fence about getting vaccinated, Dr. Atmar says, “Patients come into the hospital who die or have significant morbidity and don’t return to their baseline health. This happens to people of all ages, not just older persons. Think about protecting your family and loved ones as well as yourself.”

Dr. Atmar’s family extends to his colleagues at Baylor – the incredible mentors, patients and students who have stuck with him and readied him for this moment in time.

“I feel very fortunate to be here and experience this community,” he said.

Stephen Greenberg, M.D. ’72

Stephen Greenberg, M.D.

A book can make a world of difference to an inquisitive young mind, especially when that book chronicles an intriguing topic. Microbiologist Paul de Kruif’s acclaimed “Microbe Hunters” was a thoughtful gift from a father to keep his teenage son, Stephen Greenberg, intellectually engaged during a bout of tonsillitis. But the tome’s impact on Stephen proved unexpectedly immense.

“The book was about the history of physicians who made discoveries in infectious diseases, and it caught my attention,” Dr. Greenberg recalls. Although no one in his family was a physician, he always wanted to be a doctor as far back as he can remember. Upon entering the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he had not yet decided on a specialty, but a seed had been planted. Within a handful of years, this opportune gift from his father inspired his decision to specialize in infectious diseases – the launchpad for Dr. Greenberg’s long and stellar career at Baylor College of Medicine and Ben Taub Hospital.

Dr. Greenberg’s relationship with Baylor began toward the end of his residency at the University of Maryland, when he developed an interest in the new antiviral compound interferon. He wanted to learn more about virology, and with the support of his department chair, he applied and was accepted into the fellowship in infectious diseases at Baylor. Before he and his wife, Lisa, set off on their drive to Houston and a new life in Texas, he promised they would return to Baltimore at the conclusion of his fellowship. Looking back now, he recalls several intervening factors that changed his mind.  

“The idea was for me to go to Baylor, learn respiratory virology and bring it back to the University of Maryland to start a program. But the people I worked with were wonderful from the very beginning,” he explains. In fact, key to his remaining at Baylor were his mentors, renowned acute respiratory diseases experts Drs. Robert Couch and Vernon Knight. “They were doing great work with flu vaccines and antivirals, and I got a chance to work with interferon for the common cold. Every time I tried to look for another position, I always decided I was better off at Baylor.” Regarding that promise to his spouse, he discloses, “My wife’s still waiting!”

While Dr. Greenberg may best be known for his expertise as an educator and his proficiency as a clinician, he concentrated on science for the first 15 years of his tenure at Baylor, working on influenza and the common cold. It was his last research effort, an unsuccessful phase 1 HIV/AIDS vaccine trial, that proved to be a turning point in his career. Out of that experience he embraced a new direction, one that began with his appointment as chief of medicine service and shortly thereafter as Herman Brown Teaching professor, two crucial roles at Ben Taub that he held until his retirement on August 31. He likes to recount this story of failure and renewal to other faculty, in part to share an encouraging message: “Even though things don’t turn out the way you want scientifically, or even regarding patient outcomes, you still have a chance to do good things, whether it’s in education or through practicing medicine.”

Since childhood and throughout his extraordinary career in academic medicine, books and learning have been integral to Dr. Greenberg’s life. These priorities and the desire to build a legacy dedicated to preparing the next generation of physicians remained prominent throughout his calling as one of Baylor’s most steadfast medical educators. Achieving these goals has required countless hours, but to Dr. Greenberg, his efforts have been well worth it. “Teaching the next generation, however well they do, will justify all the years I’ve spent. So I look around and see how well our residents, chief residents and fellows have done, and I think, I’ve contributed to that – that’s my legacy – and every time they do well, I feel good about my participation in their education.”

One of his accomplished trainees, Sagar Lonial, M.D., FACP, chair and professor of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology and chief medical officer of the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University School of Medicine, beautifully describes his thoughts on learning at the side of Dr. Greenberg. “Dr. Greenberg was an amazing teacher and mentor during my time as a resident and chief resident at Ben Taub. He was always able to bring home important lessons on patient care, leadership and science in an effortless manner. As someone who uses Dr. Greenberg as a role model in my current roles, the latter part, the making it look easy, is the hardest, yet he always managed to do this with grace and kindness. He was the heart and soul of the Ben Taub Medicine program.” 

One facet of Dr. Greenberg’s remarkable legacy in medical education took root in the mid-1990s, when he and 11 other faculty members spent nearly a year effecting major changes to Baylor’s undergraduate medical curriculum. The new ideas brought forth and instituted, such as early access to patients by medical students, positioned Baylor as a leader in the approach to revising medical curriculum. Several years later, during his eight-year tenure as dean of medical education, he was instrumental in implementing core competencies and an 80-hour work group for residents. This period also witnessed the completion of new medical student space for education and simulation activities, a 15 percent increase in the medical school class size and greater diversity within the student population. 

Among his numerous contributions to the education area was his leadership in providing local and national CME activities for practicing physicians. He also had a significant hand in the implementation of workshops and training programs over the last two decades, vital steps to ensure residents and faculty acquire the competencies necessary to be effective educators. Today, thanks in large part to Dr. Greenberg’s efforts, Baylor has distinguished itself as a frontrunner in training current and future doctors.

After decades of accruing vast knowledge and wisdom, Dr. Greenberg no doubt can impart some words of advice to those following in his footsteps. To first-year medical students, he offers, “This is a marathon and you have to be prepared to continue to learn and to motivate yourself, to bring in new knowledge and information. You never stop learning. The concept of lifelong learning is real and important, and learning those habits of keeping up and reading is crucial. Also understand that you really do have to like and value taking care of patients, which still is the essence of medicine.” And, for those just beginning their career as a medical educator, he opines, “Being a medical educator generally implies you are good with patients, so being a good physician is halfway there. If you’re a competent physician, then it’s about learning to communicate what you know to your learners.”

When asked what has brought him the most joy during his exceedingly impactful career, he replies, “Interacting with the students and faculty and seeing how best to help them be as successful as possible, in whatever stage of their career. I enjoy patient care, but it’s equally important to ensure the faculty and residents are doing their best. In looking back over the decades, it’s what’s given me the most pleasure.” 

Beyond this personal fulfillment, Baylor has paid homage to Dr. Greenberg’s superior teaching and patient care abilities by bestowing on him three of the institution’s most prestigious awards, the Barbara and Corbin J. Robertson, Jr. Presidential Award for Excellence in Education, the John P. McGovern Outstanding Teaching Award for the Clinical Sciences and the Master Clinician Award for Excellence in Patient Care. He also has been listed among the Best Doctors in America® for more than 23 years, thus cementing his national reputation for clinical excellence.

In talking about his plans for retirement, they may not sound like retirement at all. In fact, one of Dr. Greenberg’s sons has an inside bet on when he’ll return to work. Even so, he’s clear about his goals after August. “I have mixed emotions, but I’m not going to sit on the couch. I plan to stay in the community for a while. I’ve got papers I need to finish over the next several months, and I’ll be meeting regularly with the new chief of medicine to help ease the transition. And, I’ll probably continue to teach at some of the conferences. So, I’ll be around.”  While he expects to miss the daily interaction with students and faculty, he won’t be far from the action – at least for now.

Alumni Spotlight: Christopher Brann, M.D., M.B.A., ’07

One evening in early March 2020, Christopher Brann, M.D., M.B.A., Class of ’07, surveyed the makeshift quarantine he had set up in a tent in his backyard. He hoped he wouldn’t need it. But, as an internal medicine specialist at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, Dr. Brann knew he had to prepare for possibly contracting the COVID-19 virus. Preparation had always been paramount to the former Eagle Scout, from Baylor’s rigorous medical training to starting a family to working on the frontlines as the virus rapidly spread worldwide.

Amidst disturbing early reports about infection rates, asymptomatic carriers and healthcare professionals falling gravely ill, Dr. Brann and his colleagues imposed on themselves travel restrictions, treatment procedures for infected patients and exposure protocols. At home, he used his guest room for changing out of scrubs and showering after work. He focused on his patients and, having prepared for the worst, hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, all those preparations proved necessary when Dr. Brann learned he had been exposed to COVID-19 in mid-March. Despite his good health and lack of risk factors, he immediately quarantined himself in the tent. He was prepared to do whatever it took to protect his family, just feet away inside. He checked his temperature multiple times a day, ate the meals his wife left outside and came inside only to use the guest bathroom. By the time he could be tested for COVID-19, he had developed the trademark symptoms. Upon learning that his results were positive, Dr. Brann found he was not prepared for the uncertainty and anxiety he felt.

And it was impossible to prepare for the long, lonely hours in the tent. He could distract himself only so much by Facetiming with his family, answering concerned texts from friends and listening to podcasts. “You don’t realize how many minutes are in a day when you spend them alone, especially when you’re so physically close to your family. I realized very quickly how easily your defenses can crumble. Like when my two-year-old would escape my wife, run downstairs and bang on the door because he knew I was out in the tent. Emotionally, it’s hard to even talk about. He thinks the tent is the place to play.”

Two and a half weeks after quarantining himself, Dr. Brann tested negative on his second COVID-19 test. After a joyful and emotional reunion with his family, during which his wife handed off the children for a much-needed break, Dr. Brann jumped back in the fight against COVID-19. Armed with his experiences, he augmented his care by focusing on helping isolated COVID-19 patients maintain contact with their families and stay informed. “The human part is just as important as the clinical part,” he explains.

His illness also empowered him to fight COVID-19 on a different front. While quarantined, he learned about convalescent plasma, a potential new treatment that uses antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients to treat high-risk individuals and those with severe symptoms. With Baylor’s help, Dr. Brann donated plasma to four different COVID-19 patients. He plans to donate again. “Those of us who can advance research should actively participate in those efforts. The oath I took is to do everything possible to help a patient. Here, donating blood is the same as prescribing medication. That’s why I’m very proud to be a Baylor alum right now—our research is so strong and pursuing all these different ways to help. This pandemic has given me a newfound respect and pride for our institution.”

Even with all he’s accomplished post-recovery, Dr. Brann doesn’t consider his actions to be heroic. “The hero is my wife. She’s a rock. All the frontline people and their families who are making tough decisions to protect themselves as we did, they’re the ones who deserve the credit. This is as much an emotional fight as it is a physical fight.”

Today, Dr. Brann is happy to care for his patients and to continue donating plasma. Ever the Boy Scout, he plans on replacing his old tent as soon as possible.

Alumni Spotlight: Jorge Coss-Bu, M.D., Fel. ’99, Res. ’01

His dream as a youth was to be a doctor and particularly a pediatrician. Yet, what Dr. Jorge Coss-Bu couldn’t predict was a journey that would span two countries, entail two decades of medical training and require recurring visits to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to secure legal entry into the United States. Undeterred and as driven as ever, this world-class pediatric critical care and nutrition specialist attributes his successful career to a single trait: “lifelong persistence.”

Dr. Coss-Bu’s story began in Monterrey, Mexico, where he grew up the youngest of nine children. His brothers were good at math and became engineers, but he lacked their mathematical aptitude. Instead, he chose medicine, the same path taken by his mother, a nurse, and his maternal grandfather, a physician. “I always thought I wanted to be a pediatrician, so early on I thought that was my calling,” he remembers. “Children are vulnerable, and we want to make them better when they get sick. I also was attracted to the idea of helping kids because they are the future.”

Dr. Coss-Bu obtained his primary medical education in Mexico, where he graduated from medical school and completed a residency in general pediatrics. As a senior medical student in 1985, an inter-institutional agreement with Baylor College of Medicine allowed him to travel to Houston to participate in clinical rotations at Ben Taub and Houston Methodist hospitals. Here, he learned how medicine was practiced in the United States and in the Texas Medical Center. After the program ended, he recalls, “I went back to Monterrey for the pediatrics residency but always with the idea to come back to Houston and to Baylor.”

When he returned to Houston in 1990, he spent his initial six years at Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital pursuing a long-held interest in research. At that time, Texas Children’s owned very specialized equipment and, under the mentorship of pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Larry Jefferson, Dr. Coss-Bu had the unique opportunity to measure metabolism in critically ill children and later to study their nutritional needs. As he explains, “It’s one thing to measure metabolism, but more importantly, how do you nutritionally support these children when they are sick and in the ICU?” Uncovering and applying this new knowledge was his goal.

Persistence remained the central theme of his early career at Baylor. His resolve saw him through a three-year pediatric critical care fellowship followed by a second residency that would ensure his eligibility for certification in pediatrics and pediatric critical care by the American Board of Pediatrics. Despite the numerous challenges and obstacles he faced, Dr. Coss-Bu feels his unconventional and lengthy path was worth it. “My six years in research helped to pave my career after I completed my clinical training,” he recounts. It also positioned him for his appointment to Director of Research in the Section of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and the oversight of research conducted by the section’s fellows and faculty.

Throughout his career, Dr. Coss-Bu has demonstrated a keen interest in mentoring students and trainees, a duty that always has been important to him. Early on, he benefitted from exceptional mentors like Dr. Fernando Stein, a revered Texas Children’s pediatrician and critical care specialist who played an influential role in Dr. Coss-Bu’s professional growth. Dr. Stein also instilled in him a responsibility to help others. “He taught me early on by always saying, ‘Jorge, what we do for you guys, you need to continue doing this for others,’” he explains. Thus began Dr. Coss-Bu’s decades-long legacy of mentorship.

He continues to grow this legacy as Director of Research, a role in which Dr. Coss-Bu demonstrates his genuine interest in people and his desire to serve others. As he explains, “Leadership is one of my commitments, and I have learned the art and science of leadership from our Chief of the Section of Critical Care at Baylor, Dr. Lara Shekerdemian. She gave me the opportunity to be Director of Research for the Section, a position I still hold. And in this capacity, I can continue helping and guiding people in their quest for academia.”

You can find Dr. Coss-Bu today advising a continually rotating mix of medical and dietician students from Mexico or providing career guidance to fellows and young faculty in his section. He also encourages his proteges to give back through mentoring others, as was modeled for him.

On July 1, 2020, Dr. Coss-Bu celebrated a remarkable 30 years of service at Texas Children’s and Baylor. He smiles when asked what motivates him to stay and says, “It’s a combination of factors.” These two institutional homes became his northern star after his initial visit in 1985, and he speaks of his gratitude to Baylor for helping him through the many arduous and lengthy immigration requirements. Moreover, it is here where he was afforded the training opportunities not available in Mexico that proved foundational to building an impactful and rewarding career. “Baylor was good to me, and the support of pediatrics chair Dr. Ralph Feigin when I arrived was very important to my ability to pursue my dreams and goals,” he asserts.

Like many Baylor alumni who preceded him and who now follow in his footsteps, Dr. Coss-Bu came to Houston three decades ago with no resources and was given the opportunity to work and live here and to establish himself as a leader in his specialty. He believes deeply in giving back to Baylor, the institution that supported him and that does so much for the community and for students. To show his appreciation, he makes regular philanthropic donations, something he calls a mindset. “It doesn’t have much to do with the amount of money you have. And it’s not about how much you can give. It’s more about you wanting to support and to help,” he emphasizes. This is a message he conveys to colleagues and other alumni.

We are indebted to this outstanding physician-scientist for his devotion to helping critically ill children and for his unwavering support of an alma mater that is so proud of who he is and what he contributes to the world. Thank you, Dr. Coss-Bu.

Alumni Spotlight: Robert Wilson Crosthwait, Jr., M.D. ’59

The Robert Wilson Crosthwait, Jr. Scholarship at Baylor College of Medicine was established by his daughter, Gay Grunfeld in 2020.

The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships in support of tuition and fees with a preference for students with learning disabilities or who belong to the LGBTQ+ community.

Fifteen years ago, on June 21, 2005, the world lost a great physician and community leader. Our family lost its heart, soul and conscience.

Robert Wilson Crosthwait, Jr., known his entire life as “Bobby,” was born on June 25, 1934, in Waco, Texas. He was the son of a surgeon and the grandson of two prominent surgeons, both of whom served as presidents of the Texas Surgical Society.  Bobby’s grandfather, Dr. W. L. Crosthwait, founded the Crosthwait Clinic and dedicated himself to serving the East Waco community, which earned him the moniker “Dr. Jesus.” He was eventually joined in practice at the Clinic by his son, Dr. Robert Wilson Crosthwait, who was educated at Baylor College of Medicine. Bobby’s other grandfather, Dr. K.H. Aynesworth, served on the Board of Regents of the University of Texas and founded the Texas Collection at Baylor University.

Although born into privilege and a medical dynasty, Bobby struggled in school. He could not read until sixth grade. He was sent home from the prestigious Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, out of fear that his failure there would lead to being drafted for military service for the Korean War. When he returned to Waco High School, his parents considered that they might be able to purchase a gas station where he could work upon graduation. Bobby later came to understand that he had an undiagnosed learning disability called dyslexia.

While attending Waco High, Bobby fell in love with Carol Turner, a longtime family friend who would eventually become his wife of 49 years. In a small town twist, Carol had been delivered into this world by Bobby’s father, Dr. Crosthwait, who was a last-minute substitution for Bobby’s grandfather, Dr. Aynesworth.

After high school, Bobby’s parents half-jokingly offered him a car if he could get into medical school, never believing it possible. But his love for Carol and his determination to succeed overcame his scholastic challenges. Bobby finished Baylor University in three years and then drove his new car to Baylor College of Medicine to begin medical school in 1955. Bobby married Carol in 1956 and graduated from Baylor with honors in May 1959.

Bobby completed a six-year cardiovascular and thoracic surgical residency under Baylor giants Dr. Denton Cooley and Dr. Michael DeBakey, from whom he learned the early open-heart surgery techniques and with whom he published academic papers. At the completion of his residency, Bobby decided to return to Waco and practice with his father. In doing so, he gave up prestige and compensation, but he always felt it was worth it.

Bobby became a leader in the Waco medical community. He immediately took steps to improve outdated equipment and techniques in the local hospitals and to recruit talented new physicians to Waco. In 1972, he worked with his partner, Baylor College of Medicine graduate Dr. Robert T. (“Rob”) Angel, to create an open-heart surgery program at Providence Hospital in Waco. To achieve open-heart surgery in Waco, they also had to open a cardiac catheterization lab. Bobby and Rob felt strongly that people in Waco and the surrounding towns should not have to drive hours to receive this life-saving surgery. Bobby also played a critical role in establishing and supporting the Waco Family Medicine Residency Program. These programs required significant fund-raising and effort and are still operational today.

Bobby sometimes called himself a tradesman because he spent so much time standing and operating. He wanted his three daughters to have a superb liberal arts education, which he missed by completing his undergraduate degree so quickly. Although he sent his children to Wellesley College and Vanderbilt University for their undergraduate degrees and to Columbia University, the University of Texas, and the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University for graduate school, Bobby was never a school snob. In fact, if anyone denigrated the school that accepted them he would say, “There is more there at that school than you can learn. So go get ‘em.”

He worked hard to educate himself in history, politics and art. At home, he typically relaxed with a book. He presented papers to the Philosopher’s Society of Waco and became a vicar of the Episcopal Church. Towards the end of his life, he became more open about his learning disability and spoke to local groups about this issue. He took his life motto from the Gospel of Luke: “Unto whom much is given, much is expected.” Luke 12:48.

Bobby died of lung cancer at age 70 and never got to see his family grow to include LGBTQ+ individuals. Bobby’s granddaughter is a proud trans woman who continues the Crosthwait-Aynesworth medical legacy as a physician and who is setting up a family medicine practice in Oregon, where she lives with her wife. Bobby would havesupported making medical education more inclusive to all and would have been proud to have the scholarship benefit an LGBTQ+ student.

Alumni Spotlight: Theresa Tran, M.D., M.B.A.,’13

As the eldest of four daughters and with immigrant parents who resettled in Texas after the Vietnam War, Theresa Tran, M.D. ’13, M.B.A., is used to turning obstacles into opportunities. Inspired by her family’s sacrifices, she has always pushed herself to excel and to elevate those around her. “I have always seen myself as the daughter of immigrants,” she says. “My Vietnamese American heritage is what drives me. I work to make my grandparents and parents proud. Everything I do to improve the lives of others is because my grandparents gave up their comfortable life so that when they came here, we’d be able to have the freedom to do what we wanted to do and to believe in what we wanted to believe in. I owe a lot of what I do as a physician nowadays to that heritage and that story. I never want that to become something in vain.”

Dr. Tran has encountered closed doors all her life, but her family’s immigrant experience has empowered her to open many of them. Her dedication to preserving her heritage has taught her that she must do her best to ensure everyone, no matter their background, is treated with dignity.

Gathering the Tools to Empower Herself
Her hard work and determination carried her from a childhood in Arlington, Texas, where she didn’t always feel at home, to the University of Dallas. There, she studied Business Leadership and Spanish, which gave her the knowledge and confidence to pursue an unexpected dream –medical school.

Dr. Tran not only planned a volunteer study abroad trip to serve impoverished Hondurans, but she also founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to fund other premed students wishing to volunteer there. While abroad, she decided to pursue emergency medicine, which would enable her to help anyone, anywhere, at any time, especially underserved populations.

Yet Dr. Tran knew, like many doctors, that business-minded individuals helm most hospital administrations instead of physicians, a scenario that addresses financial pressures but can undermine compassionate patient care. To gain both medical expertise and business skills, she applied to several M.D./M.B.A. dual degree programs. She ultimately chose the M.D./M.B.A. dual degree program at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University, which taught her to understand both the human body and the business realities facing hospital systems.

It’s also where she encountered the setbacks that pushed her evolution into becoming an even more insightful physician-leader. Dr. Tran still remembers failing to meet the submission deadline for the research paper she had hoped would secure her a coveted publication credit before residency. To make sure she wouldn’t have to share the credit, she had rejected help from a younger student. But her workload grew heavier, and she ended up missing the deadline.
Her mentor laid it out clearly: she had let her ego get the better of her, and now she had nothing to show for her research. If published, her work could have helped many, but she had slammed the door in her own face by refusing help.

“I was very selfish with that opportunity,” Dr. Tran recalls. “I remember reflecting on that and thinking, ‘I never want to be that person again.’”

Empowering an ER by “Upending the Hierarchy Triangle”
After completing her residency at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Tran returned home to Baylor, determined to become the most adaptive leader she could. Once she started as an emergency physician at Ben Taub Hospital, she used “servant leadership” to develop and elevate her team. She set aside rigid hierarchy and cultivated a collaborative atmosphere where all team members, regardless of rank, felt valued. Their contributions were acknowledged and lauded. Instead of taking sole credit for their work, she encouraged her team members to take ownership of their successes. “It’s in those tiny little interactions where I think leadership is most effective and not just in making sweeping organizational changes,” Dr. Tran explains.

Ben Taub is seeing results. Her communication skills help her lead multidisciplinary teams with an ER’s limited resources. To keep operations running smoothly, she pitches in with “dirty work” like cleaning beds and ensures that even “simple” tasks, such as sanitization, are respected. At the onset of the coronavirus outbreak, Dr. Tran led a collaborative initiative to develop a PPE safety monitoring system. This new paradigm empowers a dedicated team member to bar entry to any individual attempting to enter resuscitation bays without appropriate PPE, no matter the person’s position, no questions asked.

By consulting a range of physicians, residents, nurses and technicians, this initiative helps ensure all team members can care for critically ill patients without risking their own health. She quotes President Truman: “‘It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.’”

Empowering Others to Know Their Worth and Realize Their Potential
When she’s not on shift at Ben Taub, Dr. Tran serves as assistant professor of emergency medicine at Baylor and as director of the same Baylor-Rice M.D./M.B.A. dual degree program from which she matriculated. She recently began an administrative fellowship, where her M.B.A. skills aid her in understanding the nuances of hospital administration. Drawing upon her business communications skills, she regularly networks with Texas lawmakers and advises them on pending medical legislation. She even helped edit a recently proposed bill to benefit physicians statewide.

As she tells her students, her joint M.D./M.B.A. degree has helped her open many doors for herself and others, from designing academic programs to implementing new ER protocols. Soon, she hopes to expand recruitment for the program and thus contribute to Baylor’s commitment to diversity. But most of all, Dr. Tran wants to use her leadership to advocate for her patients, colleagues and students and to teach them their worth. “When I know what I want and what I am worth, it projects onto others,” she explains.

“Sometimes it’s so hard to advocate for yourself if you’re a minority or feel like you don’t belong. You’ll take what you can get. But I advise them to start at the other end: ‘What value do you see in yourself? What do you want? Don’t settle outside of that.’”

By holding open the doors she has walked through, Dr. Tran again inverts the traditional leadership structure to shape her students into the kind of doctors for whom she would want to work. By beckoning her patients, colleagues and students to walk through, she shows them how they can find new doors to open.