“You have the drive to align your work with a greater purpose.”
Michael and Susan Dell, 2024
Each incoming Dell Medical School student is gifted their white coat by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. Every coat is embroidered with a message to the class from the Dells, offering inspiration and a reminder of their guiding purpose over the coming four years.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SCHOLARSHIP DONORS
Many students in Dell Medical School’s Class of 2028 receive scholarship support generously contributed by:
Allison Baker Endowed Scholarship in Medicine
Ardith Arlene and Otis Alton Barron, Sr. Endowed Scholarship
Bipin Avashia M.D. Scholarship
Class of 2020 Scholarship
Dr. Pat and Mary Martha Oles Endowed Scholarship
Elwood "Woody" J Eichler, M.D. Endowed Excellence Fund for Dell Medical School
Huffines Scholarship
James L. Street Endowed Scholarship
Jerome & Joanne Ravel Endowed Scholarship
Julius Frederick Kramer, M.D. Endowed Scholarship
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Moreland Family Endowed Scholarship
Morris S. & Laura L. Gottesman Endowed Scholarship
Peter & Claire Buenz Scholarship
Robert B. Allison & Thomas D. Kirksey, M.D. Endowed Scholarship
Susan M. Cox, MD & Douglas N. Morris Endowed Scholarship
Thos. H. Law & Jo Ann Law Endowed Medical Scholarship
William Powers, Jr. Endowed Scholarship
Dell Medical School Scholarship Fund Supporters
Learn more about supporting future physician leaders at dellmed.utexas.edu/support
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Welcome
Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D.
Dean, Dell Medical School
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Frank and Charmaine Denius Distinguished Dean’s Chair in Medical Leadership
Keynote Address
Alejandro Moreno, MBBS, MPH, J.D., MACP
Assistant Dean of Clinical Integration, Department of Medical Education
2024 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Recipient
White Coat Ceremony
Travis Crook, M.D.
Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Department of Medical Education
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
The Dell Medical School Hippocratic Oath
Beth Nelson, M.D.
Interim Vice Dean of Education
Interim Chair, Department of Medical Education
Sr. Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education
Professor of Medical Education & Distinguished Teaching Professor
Closing Remarks
Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D.
ABOUT THE DEAN
Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D.
Dean, Dell Medical School
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Frank and Charmaine Denius Distinguished Dean’s Chair in Medical Leadership
Claudia F. Lucchinetti, M.D., is dean of Dell Medical School and senior vice president for medical affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, the anchor of an emerging integrated academic health system in one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.
An internationally recognized neurologist, Lucchinetti led a 2014 landmark study describing patterns of tissue damage in early multiple sclerosis that pivotally refined medicine’s understanding of the disease. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious John Dystel Prize for MS Research.
Before coming to UT, Lucchinetti spent nearly three decades working as a researcher, clinician and educator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she was dean of clinical and translational science and director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science; neurology department chair; a professor; and a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors and Board of Trustees.
Lucchinetti earned her medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago and, after an internship at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, completed a neurology residency and a fellowship in neuroimmunology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Alejandro Moreno, MBBS, MPH, J.D., MACP
Assistant Dean of Clinical Integration, Department of Medical Education
2024 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Recipient
Alejandro Moreno is a practicing physician and attorney. He is a professor of internal medicine and the assistant dean for clinical skills integration at Dell Medical School, where he directs the four-year longitudinal Developing Outstanding Clinical Skills (DOCS) course.
Moreno specializes in internal medicine and has spent his career in medical education. He is also an expert in the care of refugees and victims of torture. He is a master of the American College of Physicians, for which he currently serves as the Texas Southern chapter governor and vice chair of the Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee.
WHITE COAT CLOAKING CEREMONY
Travis Crook, M.D.
Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Department of Medical Education
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Travis W. Crook, M.D., serves as the associate dean of student affairs at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. In this role, he leads the team responsible for all aspects of the student experience at Dell Med, including admissions, orientation, academic and career advising, progression through medical school, student well-being and professional development, residency match and graduation.
A native Texan, Crook received bachelor’s degrees in biological sciences and psychology from Clemson University in South Carolina before returning to his home state for his medical education and training. He received his M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and stayed in Houston to complete his residency training in pediatrics at Texas Children’s Hospital. Clinically, Crook is a board-certified pediatric hospitalist and focuses his care on the patient experience, evidence-based medicine and clinical reasoning.
Crook came to Dell Med in the spring of 2024 from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Throughout his decade-plus career in medical education, he has always endeavored to keep the student experience at the forefront of medical education. During his time at Vanderbilt, Crook received numerous teaching honors and worked tirelessly to better the students’ curricular journey.
HIPPOCRATIC OATH LEADER
Beth Nelson, M.D.
Interim Vice Dean of Education
Interim Chair, Department of Medical Education
Sr. Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education
Professor of Medical Education & Distinguished Teaching
Professor
Beth Nelson, M.D., serves as the interim vice dean of education and senior associate dean of undergraduate medical education at Dell Medical School. She works closely with the faculty and administration to deliver Dell Med’s innovative curriculum designed to educate the leaders transforming health care and improving the health of our community.
A native Texan, Nelson received her bachelor’s degree from Rice University and her medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and she has more than 20 years of experience in medical education and curriculum design.
Process and outcomes driven, she and her team work to create and evaluate the effectiveness of the Dell Med curriculum using the principles of continuous quality improvement. Participation in several national grants allows the curriculum to be applied at other innovative medical schools.
In addition to her administrative leadership, Nelson practices general internal medicine within the community care system. She works directly with the internal medicine residents and their patients.
DOCS FACULTY
Swati Avashia, M.D., FAAP, FACP, CTropMed®
Assistant Associate Professor, Department of Population Health
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Assistant Program Director, Family Medicine Residency Program
Menaka Jayasundera, M.D., FACP
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Thomas Lasater, D.O., M.S.
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Alefiyah Malbari, M.D., FAAP
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Medical Education Chief, Division of Ambulatory Pediatrics
Lysbeth Miller, M.D., MACP
Co-Associate Chair for Education, Department of Internal Medicine Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Maria C. Monge, M.D., FACP
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Medical Education
Alejandro Moreno, MBBS, MPH, J.D., MACP
Assistant Dean of Clinical Integration, Department of Medical Education
Director, Developing Outstanding Clinical Skills (DOCS) Longitudinal Course Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Kumar Pandian, M.D., FAAP, FACP
Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Scott Selinger, M.D., FACP
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Courtesy Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health
Brooke Wagen, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education
Developing Outstanding Clinical Skills (DOCS): The Developing Outstanding Clinical Skills integrated curriculum is where the students learn the art of doctoring. Dell Med students learn diagnostic and clinical skills in tight-knit teams of five students partnered with one faculty mentor. This deep time spent learning from an experienced practitioner equips students to become compassionate and effective physicians in the community.
TOWER SOCIETY
Menaka Jayasundera, M.D., FACP
Dorcas Ayooluwa Abiara
Michelle Khong
Priya Mahableshwarkar
Hayes Wold Miller
Riya Shah
Thomas Lasater, D.O., M.S.
Chinyere S. Agba
Courtney Heiser
Sarah Kassam
Ryan Leung
Kevin Sheth
Lysbeth Miller, M.D. MACP
Salma Abuhamda
Grace Andres
Ebun Omoniyi
Ryan Quinn
Edwin Ruiz Fuentes
Kumar Pandian, M.D.
Imaal Ahmed
Andrew Austin Aranda
Sumin Michelle Choi
Reid Olson
Kwisha Patel
Brooke Wagen, M.D.
Suhritha B. Bolisetty
Katherine Cavanaugh
Elkan Gbadebo
Alexis Gregg Lam Nguyen
CAPITOL SOCIETY
Swati Avashia, M.D., FAAP, FACP, CTropMed®
Nevaeh Amor Gomez
Joseph Cole McGrath
Emily Kathlin Richard
Noor Shabaneh
Merry Wang
Alefiyah Malbari, M.D., FAAP
Kaitlyn Castro
Anish Ganesh
Wadiah N. Khan
Thao T. Le
Ria Nuna
Aubrie L. Rich
Maria Monge, M.D. MAT, FAAP, FACP
Jermiah P. Crowder
Esha A. Gupta
Curtis M. Patillo
Shreya Rajachandran
Philip Swigon
Alejandro Moreno, MBBS, MPH, J.D., MACP
Cheyenne Ahamed
Kristin Ewurekua Ankoma-Sey
Briana Y. Azad
Jake Foster
Andrew W. Tang
Scott Selinger, M.D., FACP
Karim Aloul
Fatema M. Dohadwala
Uriel Ibarra
Monica Kumari Malhotra
Madeline Petrikas
DELL MEDICAL SCHOOL HIPPOCRATIC OATH
I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this pledge:
I will respect the autonomy, dignity and privacy of my patients.
I will practice my profession with conscience and in accordance with best medical practice.
I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy and understanding may outweigh the benefits of surgery and medications.
I will not permit bias, prejudice or other societal constraints to impact my responsibility to my patient, and I will be vigilant in addressing health inequities.
I will avoid the traps of overtreatment and advocate for those without access. I will always put patients and their families ahead of personal economic gain.
I will prevent disease and promote health. I will advance health in my community beyond the walls of the clinic and hospital.
I will collaborate with all members of the health care team to provide comprehensive care to my patients and the community.
I will recognize the limits of my knowledge and skill and seek the help of others when needed.
I will work to improve the quality and safety of the health system through innovation, collaborative leadership and teamwork.
I will attend to my own health, well-being and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard.
If I do not violate this oath, I will live honored knowing that I have returned to society the great investment and trust it has placed in me.
Written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna (edited by the inaugural class of Dell Medical School)
ABOUT THE WHITE COAT CEREMONY
The first White Coat Ceremony led by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation took place in 1993 at the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, where Dr. Arnold Gold was a Professor of Clinical Neurology and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics.
Taking the Hippocratic Oath serves to welcome first year medical students to the healthcare profession, and it provides a powerful emphasis on the value of humanism and scientific excellence at the core.
Today, a White Coat Ceremony or similar ritual takes place at 99% of AAMC-accredited schools of medicine in the United States, medical schools in 19 other countries, over 450 schools of nursing and in several physician assistant programs.
The Gold Foundation provides “Keeping Healthcare Human” lapel pins to be worn on the white coats of each medical student at the ceremony. The pins serve as a visual reminder to students that in order to deliver the best care to their patients, compassion and empathy must be the hallmark of their clinical practice.
