Tyler, TX: A Great Place to Learn and Launch Your Medical Career
The field of health care in Tyler continues to evolve, with the construction of a new Medical Education Building at the University of Texas at Tyler and the technological advancements being made every day in health care facilities across the region.
As the medical landscape expands, so does the pool of talent, which is made up of people who choose to practice the profession they’re passionate about in East Texas. Here are a few medical professionals, some in training and others who have years of experience under their belt, who share what they enjoy most about their careers and home base.
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Vital Health Care Education in Tyler
While bigger is often better, medical student Josefina Barrera says it’s the smaller class sizes that make UT Tyler’s School of Medicine the ideal choice for those looking for a personalized learning environment. “It enhances my understanding and allows me to retain more complex concepts,” Barrera says.
When not in class or studying, Barrera says you can find her outside.
“The city and its surrounding areas provide numerous opportunities for outdoor activities, from paddleboarding at Tyler State Park to enjoying a walk in my neighborhood,” she says.
Like Barrera, medical student Kole Moulton grew up in Tyler and continues to enjoy all the outdoor amenities.
“I personally enjoy playing tennis, and I know many of my classmates play pickleball and basketball at local courts. There are also several parks where my wife and I take our dog on daily walks,” he says.
As for school offering health care education in Tyler, Moulton appreciates how invested the faculty and staff are in the well-being and education of the students. It’s their support that also allows him to explore his growing interest in the field of psychiatry.
“There are several residency programs here in Tyler, including psychiatry. So not only can I complete medical school here in Tyler, but I also have a chance to intern here, too, and further my education,” he says.
Physicians willing to mentor students are easy to come by in such a welcoming community, Moulton says, allowing him to see firsthand the direct impact medical professionals have on the residents of Tyler.
Making an Impact on Health Care in Tyler
Dr. Jamie Librizzi is one of Tyler’s newest community members, recently relocating from Phoenix after being recruited by the dean of UT Tyler’s School of Medicine to take on the role of its founding chair of pediatrics.
“This was an exciting opportunity to take a leadership role within an organization that is in a period of incredible growth and expansion,” Librizzi says. “I saw a lot of potential to make a meaningful impact.”
Librizzi is enjoying getting to know her colleagues and the wider community.
“One of the most striking aspects of Tyler that stood out to me, when I first visited and was deciding to make this move, was how incredibly friendly everyone was. That has continued to hold true now that I am a member of the community,” she says.
Having previously lived in a desert landscape, Librizzi says she is particularly enjoying the nearby lakes.
Growing a Career and a Farm
Specialized services, including in the field of oncology, are easily at hand for Tyler residents.
Stephanie Thomas, director of the Oncology Service Line at the Northeast Texas Cancer & Research Institute at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances (CTMF), says her primary goal, along with that of her colleagues at Texas Oncology-Tyler, is to increase the quality of life for patients.
“CTMT and the Oncology Institute have grown substantially in the five years that I’ve been here by adding new services, providers, imaging equipment, rural stand-alone emergency rooms, inpatient beds and outpatient clinics, just to name a few,” Thomas says.
But it’s not just the opportunities for career growth that brought Thomas and her family to Tyler; upon moving to the area in 2019, her family bought a farm.
“We chose beautiful East Texas for several reasons, including the desire to have more land, and to have our three younger children refocus some of their energy and attention from electronics to caring for and raising animals so they could better understand responsibility, especially responsibility to something other than themselves,” Thomas says.
Coming Soon: Medical Education Building
In the coming years, Tyler will welcome a new generation of medical professionals, many of whom will have had the pleasure of preparing for their careers at the soon-to-be-completed new UT Tyler Medical Education Building in the Midtown district, which will house the university’s School of Medicine.
The groundbreaking for the nearly 250,000-square-foot Medical Education Building was held in January 2023.
The facility is expected to open in 2025 and feature specialty clinics for patient care and medical training, including women’s imaging, orthopedics and sports medicine, in addition to a surgery center, interactive learning simulation centers and a gross-anatomy lab.
In addition, the planned skybridge connection to the UT Health East Texas Hospital will allow for hands-on health care education in Tyler for residents in adjacent hospitals completing their graduate medical education programs. The facility will also include a variety of learning studios, conference rooms, a library and administrative offices.
“It’s no secret that as Texas and especially East Texas continue to grow and thrive, we will need many more doctors and other health care professionals,” James B. Milliken, chancellor of the UT System said in a news release. “We’re grateful that our state and university leaders are taking the steps necessary to address this need. As a result of their commitment, the UT System and UT Tyler will deliver the outstanding education and patient care that all East Texans deserve.”
As development progresses, the first class of students is already enrolled at UT Tyler School of Medicine, East Texas’ first school of medicine and the University of Texas System’s seventh medical school. In fact, a four-year scholarship made it possible to cover their full tuition thanks to a gift from the R.W. Fair Foundation.
Get to Know Tyler
Want to learn more about living and working in Tyler, TX? Check out the latest edition of Livability Tyler, Texas.