Dr. Tyler Morwood

Dr. Tyler Morwood’s journey toward becoming a physician has been fueled by his faith and a love for family and small towns. So, it’s no coincidence that this year’s recipient of the TAFP (Texas Academy of Family Physicians) Dallas Chapter Outstanding Graduate Award chose to specialize in family medicine. Dr. Morwood, the eldest of five children, said his upbringing in Beaver, Utah, laid the foundation for his passions.

“I’ve had a hunch since about age 18 that I would end up in medicine. Then a series of experiences during two years of church missionary service and four years of college at Brigham Young University confirmed this decision,” said Dr. Morwood. “Since committing to the medical profession eight years ago, I have known more than anything else that I want to serve as a physician for a community like the one in southern Utah where I was raised.”

In addition to his parents, Dr. Morwood considers numerous UT Southwestern faculty and staff members among his most important mentors during his medical education.

“I’ve worked with several excellent family medicine doctors over the past decade, including during my third-year family medicine clerkship in Waco, Texas, and my rural preceptorship in Spearman, Texas. Those experiences helped me determine that a family medicine residency would offer me the best preparation for my own future rural practice.”

This mentor’s sentiments echoed both his love for families and caregiving.

“Tyler has an uncommon passion for family medicine. He will be the family doctor your parents and grandparents remember so fondly – the cradle-to-grave caregiver, the doctor who still takes a call in the middle of the night or might even make a home visit,” said Patti Pagels, Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies and Family and Community Medicine.

Dr. Morwood’s years in Medical School were busy. They included a 2015 fellowship in community health with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, service as a LIFE (Leaders in the Fight for Every Patient) student group officer, and work as primary investigator on a community health project for Parkland Hospital’s Camp CHAMPS (Choosing Healthy Activities, Meals, and Positive Self-Esteem) during which he organized curriculum for and instructed a weeklong course with adolescents in three underserved communities of South Dallas. 

An avid trivia buff and amateur photographer, he will complete his residency at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, and hopes to someday work as a rural general practitioner near his family in southern Utah. In addition to learning general clinical skills during his residency, he plans to seek additional training in obstetrics and emergency medicine.