Dr. Khoi Trinh

Encouragement and support are words Dr. Khoi Trinh frequently uses when talking about his journey as a Vietnamese immigrant who graduated from some of the best educational programs in the state.

Because friends, community members, and teachers believed in him, Dr. Trinh had the perseverance needed to blaze his own personal trail and tackle the most daunting tasks – the latest being UT Southwestern Medical School – despite not having the background so many other classmates had.

“Khoi has shown remarkable grit and determination in getting where he is today,” said Dr. Dan Sepdham, Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine and one of Dr. Trinh’s mentors. “He is the first member of his family to graduate from college, let alone go to medical school. As such, he has firsthand knowledge of what it means to be underserved and has a passion for helping patients from similar backgrounds.” 

Dr. Trinh is the recipient of the 2018 Eliot Goldings Award in Rheumatology, which recognizes the most outstanding medical student in rheumatology. The award honors Dr. Eliot A. Goldings, a faculty member in the Division of Rheumatic Diseases who died in 1988 at age 40. Dr. Goldings joined the Division in 1978 and distinguished himself as a scholar, teacher, and clinician.

“The rheumatology rotation at Parkland Hospital was one of the most interesting and rewarding times I had this year, and I am very grateful to be chosen for this award,” Dr. Trinh said. “A lot of times you’re dealing with patients whose symptoms are not clear. It’s often a mystery and I like that.

“Also at Parkland, the patient population can present a lot of challenges beyond medicine. You may have social or personal issues, but I loved interacting with our patients.”

Dr. Trinh’s parents – father Nguyen Trinh and mother Thu Khuat – immigrated to Houston in 1992 when he was 2 years old. They found work in the oil and gas industry and also ran a small restaurant as Khoi grew up along with his younger brother, Dan, born three years after the family arrived in the U.S.

“Early on, I had no clear direction or guidance with what to do for a career,” he said. “Luckily, I was fortunate enough to meet great mentors in the community and later in college who helped me discover my interest in medicine. My experiences with them helped me realize my passion for helping patients and my desire to pursue a career in primary care.”

He attended Alief Kerr High School, whose curriculum allows students to seek out a variety of peer and teacher input and work at their own pace, following given deadlines. Students are taught in big centers, where those from grades 9-12 together learn their different core subjects.

From there, he went to Rice University, where he received degrees in chemistry and biochemistry before applying to medical school. At UTSW, Dr. Trinh was a member of Sprague College. He plans on making family medicine a career. His determination has inspired others, as his brother is now studying computer science at the University of Houston.

“Khoi has a particular interest in giving back to his cultural community. He has worked with a nonprofit organization that helps other Vietnamese immigrants obtain the skills and knowledge required to pass naturalization exams,” Dr. Sepdham said. “I expect Khoi is going to become an outstanding primary care physician and make significant contributions to the care of the community in which he resides.”

Dr. Sepdham holds the Drs. Malone V. Hill and John W. Pate Professorship in Family Medicine.