Working hard and giving back are two philosophies that have guided Dr. Emily Magallanes throughout her life. As a new physician, wife, and mother of two young boys, the pace it seems will only get more hectic now. But Dr. Magallanes enjoys the challenge and looks forward to a career in family medicine where she can help people of all ages and develop long-term patient relationships.

Dr. Emily Magallanes

What this award means: “It’s always nice to be recognized, but this award is especially meaningful because it validates the philosophy I have lived by for the past four years – it’s more important to take good care of your patients than to make yourself look good on rounds.”

Mentor comment: “Emily was very strong during her clerkship and actively sought feedback to improve. She consistently would get glowing comments from patients and showed an ability to be empathetic, aware of a patient’s social context and physical and emotional needs. She is a hard worker, team player, dependable, honest, and earnest. Her commitment to nutrition and primary care are impressive.” – Dr. Zaiba Jetpuri, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine

Background and family: “I grew up in Kennesaw, Georgia, raised by my two wonderful parents with five talented siblings. My parents taught us to work hard. I can’t remember a single Saturday that I wasn’t scrubbing toilets, pulling weeds, doing laundry, or mudding sheetrock. At Brigham Young University, I met my husband through my job teaching Spanish to missionaries. He substituted in my class one summer. We were married the next year, right before medical school, and now have two beautiful boys who are ages 2 and 6 months. Being a mom has been the most rewarding experience of my life.”

What led to your career path: “Throughout my childhood, I was the kid who wanted to watch PBS specials and Netflix documentaries about natural disasters and public health crises. Something about them really lit my fire and gave me the desire to make a difference in the world. As a teen, I was present for the births of my two youngest brothers. My mom’s midwife, Teri, was so inspirational in the way she took care of my mom and educated our whole family about pregnancy and childbirth. In the summers, Teri would travel with her family to do medical missions, which I thought was just amazing. For the longest time, I wanted to be just like her. Somehow, despite all of these early influences, it still took me a long time to realize that medicine was the right path for me. It took me even longer to decide on family medicine, but I’m so glad I did – having the opportunity to take care of all age groups and all conditions and to develop longitudinal relationships with patients is just perfect for me.”

UTSW activities: “One of my most meaningful experiences has been the opportunity to evaluate a new medical student elective, Culinary Medicine. I believe physicians are not getting enough education about nutrition and lifestyle habits that are the root cause of many diseases contributing to morbidity and mortality in our country. We just recently published some of our earliest findings and are in the process of evaluating recently collected data.”

Surprising fact: “During high school I danced with the Little General Cloggers, a group from my hometown that performed old-style clogging routines. Every summer we danced at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.”

Future plans: “I am so excited to have matched to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for a residency in family medicine! I plan to pursue training in full-scope family medicine, including surgical obstetrics and lifestyle medicine. I would love to work at an academic center in the future where I would have opportunities to teach medical students and residents.”

About the award: The TAFP (Texas Academy of Family Physicians) Outstanding Graduate Award is given by the Dallas Chapter to one student annually.