Since high school, Dr. Mackenzie Parker has had a heart for helping children, ranging from assisting kids with special needs to children of refugees and those in foster care. As a pediatrician, she wishes to become an advocate for children and also be part of a team focused on the best outcome for the child.

Mackenzie Parker, M.D.

What this award means: It is a great honor to be selected for this prestigious award. It is especially meaningful to receive this award knowing the legacy and memory of Kurt Ian Wey that it honors.

Mentor comment: Beyond the grace and humility she brings to the field, Mackenzie has a passion to work with the most vulnerable of children. Her desire to not only lead the care delivery effort, but to do so in a patient-centered way that emphasizes shared decision-making, has been born out of years of working with special needs kids in high school, refugee children in college, and of late foster children in medical school. – Soumya Adhikari, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics 

Background and family: I come from a family who loves science, as both of my parents work in chemistry. I met my husband during college, and we were married during my second year of medical school. He works as a product manager for a tech startup.

What led to your career path: I have always loved interacting with and taking care of children. During medical school, I found that I also loved interacting with families and becoming a part of a team focused on the best outcome for a child. Pediatrics will allow me to be an advocate for kids and invest in my community to improve the health of children.

College: I graduated magna cum laude from Rice University in Houston, Texas, with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and cell biology. I had the privilege of being a counselor at a summer camp for children whose parents were diagnosed with cancer, which sparked my passion for working with kids.

UTSW activities: During medical school, I deepened my passion for advocating for children and invested in clinical research in pediatric hematology. I served as a volunteer Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care system. I also worked closely with my mentor, Ayesha Zia, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, to produce several research products in pediatric hematology.

Surprising fact: I was once a volunteer dog trainer for a guide dog organization. I spent a year and a half training a puppy to work as a Seeing Eye dog. Ultimately, the dog I trained did not make it as a service dog and is now my beloved pet.

Ultimate career goal: My goal is to become a compassionate, competent, and thoughtful pediatrician who can both come alongside patients and families in their time of need and be a source of comfort and an advocate for them in promoting healthy growth and development. 

Future plans: I will start my pediatrics residency this summer at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. I am interested in several areas of pediatrics, including hospital medicine, neonatology, and hematology/oncology.

About the award: The award recognizes a fourth-year medical student who shows empathy and compassion for sick children, has significant knowledge, and maintains a good sense of humor. Dr. Wey was a 1998 UT Southwestern graduate who died in a car accident. The award was established by family and friends to honor his life.