This year’s Ross Award recipients share multiple common experiences: becoming the first physicians in their families, moving to Texas while young, emerging from the dual degree M.D./M.P.H. program at UT Southwestern Medical School, desiring to practice family medicine in rural or underserved communities, and matching their residencies at Oregon Health & Science University hospitals.

Dr. Jordan Hoese

Dr. Jordan Hoese

What this award means: I am passionate and dedicated to raising family medicine’s priority not only on UTSW’s campus, but also in medical education in general. I am grateful and honored to have these efforts recognized and supported by the Department of Family and Community Medicine as we work together to build healthier populations and stronger health systems.

Mentor comment: Jordan has demonstrated an amazing commitment to family medicine and primary care since her first year at UTSW. She is a passionate advocate for the underserved. You rarely meet students with such a keen understanding of their mission in medicine as well as an unstoppable drive. – Dr. Dan Sepdham, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine and holder of the Drs. Malone V. Hill and John W. Pate Professorship in Family Medicine

Background and family: I was born and raised in California, but my family moved to San Antonio and I graduated from high school there. I majored in neuroscience at the University of Southern California, graduating with honors. My dad works in marketing, my mom is an esthetician, and I have one younger sister who currently is pursuing degrees in ecology and English.

What led to your career path: I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) when I was 12. I think I would still have ended up becoming a doctor if I didn’t have T1DM, but these experiences certainly pushed me in that direction. The person-centered approach to treating T1DM applies to a variety of chronic and acute conditions, and I want to be able to use this as a family medicine physician to help people take ownership and control over their health.

Surprising fact: I’ve run seven marathons, including two while in medical school. I ran my first one at age 14, and I am the youngest Type 1 diabetic to run a marathon. I’m also an ambassador for the nonprofit Beyond Type 1. As an ambassador, I publicly trained for and ran the 2017 New York City Marathon on a team of all-Type 1 diabetics while wearing the first closed-loop insulin delivery system. While going through my internal medicine and surgery clerkships I was able to raise more than $3,000 for education, advocacy, and cure efforts for T1DM.

Future plans: I am so excited to begin my career as a broad-spectrum family medicine physician, using strong public health and social justice perspectives to alleviate health inequity and improve individual outcomes for a variety of patients who are in rural, underserved, or resource-limited settings.

Dr. Margaret Leland

Dr. Margaret Leland

What this award means: I’ve been involved with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, the interest group, and faculty since my first year. The support and encouragement that they have offered throughout my medical school journey has been invaluable. Being recognized with the Ross Award is an honor.

Mentor comment: Maggie possesses a ferocious passion for addressing social injustices and the inequalities in our current system of care delivery. She brings a level of maturity and insight to patient care that is matched by very few students. – Dr. Dan Sepdham, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine

Background and family: I worked as an MCAT tutor and scribed in the Emergency Departments at Parkland Hospital and in suburban hospitals. My sister is a paramedic, and I sometimes got to hang out with her in the ambulance bay while I was on my emergency medicine rotation. My husband has been so supportive, giving me all the hugs I could ever ask for and never once looking at me like I was crazy for taking my flashcards to bed with me.

What led to your career path: I want to be a family medicine physician because I want to help people be healthy, but I also want to be comfortable with the atypical, the undiagnosable, and the complex patient. Family medicine encourages a broad range of interests while also teaching us how to treat unique individuals with all their idiosyncrasies.

“My husband has been so supportive, giving me all the hugs I could ever ask for and never once looking at me like I was crazy for taking my flashcards to bed with me.”

Surprising fact: I went to Hampshire College in Massachusetts and majored in international relations, which is not a typical path to medical school. I have three cats, which is probably too many cats, but I love them so much. I worked at bookstores for years, and prior to medical school I used to read more than 100 books a year.

Future plans: I want to work in a rural area and be a full-spectrum doctor – delivering babies, taking care of multiple generations of families, and even judging the high-school chili cook-off if asked.

About the award: The award, named after the Chair of Family and Community Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center from 1984 to 1993, includes a $1,000 scholarship from the Dallas Chapter of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.