University Medical Center Foundation

Meet the Physicians

El Paso is the only place in the nation with a new four year medical school, a new University Medical Center environment and a new Children's Hospital on an international border with unique opportunities for research.  This is attracting an elite group of physicians from all over the country, indeed, all over the world, eager to be part of building new programs and new services.

This exciting expansion of clinical services in our community means more doctors, better care and more opportunities for our children.  Meet the physicians who are changing the face of medicine in our community.

Born to Lead - Dr. Veronica Mallett

“Be a leader” were the words Dr. Veronica Mallett heard from her parents every day as a child. The words still resonate each morning as she enters her office as the Founding Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine. Which is why Dr. Mallett, a professor and MD credits her parents with her success in building her career.

“My mother grew up in the Old South and believed that what an education can offer is something that cannot be taken away.” The youngest of three in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Mallett and her siblings were rewarded for good grades. “We got a dollar for an A, 50 cents for a B and a spanking for a C!” she smiles. “Growing up, expectations were universal in my house. I consider my parents to be some of the original feminists because there were no differences in what they expected from each of us, male or female.” Her parents, both teachers, lead by example. Her mother earned her PhD at the age of 50.

This lack of stereotyping gave Dr. Mallett the assurance that she could succeed in whatever field she chose. At age nine when her ballet teacher revealed to her that she did not have the body of a ballerina, she searched for her true calling. At age eleven, she had an inkling of things to come. Her pediatrician was a woman.  “In those days, a female doctor was a rarity.” This uncommon exposure was the catalyst that opened her eyes to a new dream.

At Michigan State University Mallett earned her MD in the College of Human Medicine. After a few hands-on experiences as a resident, the tough decision of choosing a specialty was clear. “I’ve never looked back,” she says on choosing Obstetrics and Gynecology. “I feel like I should be paying my patients and not the other way around,” she said with enthusiasm. While at Wayne State, Dr. Mallett pursued additional training by way of a fellowship. Now licensed as a specialist, this fellowship gave her further experience to sub-specialize in otherwise neglected areas of OB/GYN medicine, those affecting older women. “Looking around there were no specialists in procedures for bladder repair and urinary incontinence which are issues affecting women later in life.” Because of its scarcity, Dr. Mallett is one of few OB/GYN doctors with this sub-specialty.  Many procedures standard to her practice are services many women previously had to leave El Paso to receive in other cities.

Dr. Mallett views the Founding Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology as the perfect combination of academic medicine, patient contact, teaching residents and administrative responsibilities. “The founding aspect of this Chair is what drew me.” This once in a lifetime opportunity for the doctor was appealing because of the long-awaited changes El Paso is experiencing in healthcare. “The ripple of change caused by an elevated standard of care in the community is going to transform this generation and the advances we’ll see in 10 years will be astounding.”

When asked about the accomplishments in her career, Dr. Mallett reflects on the two truths she was raised with: being a leader and pursuing an education. Never having a formal mentor, “I sought guidance and council from people I admired and whose judgment I trusted.” Now she is the one providing that wisdom.

 

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