Hear from Dean LaTanya J. Love, MD, as she reflects on her path from aspiring pediatrician to academic leader
In every health care university, there are leaders whose journeys, passions, and commitments shape the experiences of students and the future.
The new Beyond the CV series looks past the bios of the deans leading UTHealth Houston’s schools to explore their personal motivations, defining moments, and guiding philosophies.
In this first installment, LaTanya J. Love, MD, dean of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and the H. Wayne Hightower Distinguished Professor in the Medical Sciences, reflects on her path from aspiring pediatrician to dual-board-certified physician and now academic leader with a career built on curiosity, compassion, and a deep dedication to learners.
Why did you pursue a career in your specialization?
I went to medical school thinking that I was going to be a pediatrician. I was always fascinated by children, recognizing that you can really impact children’s behaviors, nutrition, and health at an earlier age.
But when I was a third-year medical student, my favorite rotation was not pediatrics; it was internal medicine. I had a lot of admiration for the internists; they were some of the smartest physicians I had ever met. However, I still really enjoyed pediatrics and couldn’t decide if I wanted to take care of adults or children. I decided to do both. I did a combined residency right here at McGovern Medical School in both internal medicine and pediatrics. And I’m still double-board-certified.
You’ve accomplished so much in your career. How do you keep evolving professionally and stay motivated?
I’m somebody who is a lifelong learner, and I really love being part of an academic health science center. I’m so inspired by the learners around me, by the faculty around me, by all the brilliant minds that we have here on our campus.
I also stay curious, and I want our students to stay curious. I am always learning, very receptive to feedback, and really open for a challenge. You never know what a day may bring, but I’m ready to tackle whatever comes my way — whatever the challenge — put out any fires, and most of all, just continue to learn from the great people here at McGovern.
Tell us about a proud moment in your career where you greatly impacted a student and why it means so much to you.
My proudest moments are when I see my former students and former residents wearing their long white coats. They are now physicians, and they are taking care of patients.
As a matter of fact, I recently had a former resident take care of my daughter. We had to go to the emergency room for something minor, and it was such a joy seeing the amazing care they provided. When you trust your family with one of your former trainees, that’s a true testament to the quality and caliber of students and trainees we have here. It makes me smile, but it also makes me feel old.
What are you most looking forward to as you begin your tenure as dean?
I’m continuing to look forward to learning more about all of the amazing things we have going on here at McGovern Medical School. Every day is so fascinating. I get to meet a new person or talk with somebody that I’ve known for a long time about something they are getting ready to do, a project they’re involved in or a research project they have going on.
I also look forward to continuing to enhance all three of our missions, clinical, education, and research. We have accomplished so much, but there is still so much to do. I look at this as McGovern Medical School 2.0. What is next? What is coming?
I know that our future is very bright. We’re going to continue to enhance our partnerships with our clinical partners, Memorial Hermann and Harris Health, and we are going to continue to look for innovative ways to evolve our education. As our medical students and trainees are evolving, so is our curriculum, and so is the way we deliver education. We are setting our sights on pioneering some incredibly innovative research. We want to expand what we’re doing and expand our research portfolio. I feel like the best is yet to come for McGovern Medical School.
What do you think makes UTHealth Houston and your school unique compared to others?
There are so many things that are fantastic about McGovern Medical School and that make it so unique. People often ask me why have I stayed here for so long, and I say there are two reasons. The first is the people.
We have some of the top clinical faculty, researchers, and educators in the country, and we are somewhere patients are being referred to from all over the state, all over the country, and all over the world to see our doctors. It’s amazing, the things that happen at our school, and it is amazing being a part of this every day.
The other reason is because we a part of the world’s largest medical center. I tell every student when they start how fortunate they are that the Texas Medical Center will be their classroom for four years. We see things that are our bread and butter but also those medical zebras. The things you just don’t see every day. It is really amazing being a part of the world’s largest medical center.
Also, it is great being part of a health science center where we have seven schools that allow for some amazing collaboration with our colleagues. The possibilities are endless.
What qualities do you want graduates to leave with as they pursue their next steps in their career?
I want graduates to be the type of doctors you want taking care of you… or your patients. The goal is to train compassionate and empathetic doctors who are curious learners that continue to be curious even after they leave McGovern Medical School.
We also want them to embrace lifelong learning and to train the next leaders in health care. They are doing some amazing things. I am so inspired by this generation of learners. I tell them one day you’re going to be our boss.
What excites you most about the future of medicine and medical education? And how is the school preparing for the future?
What excites me is that I know our future in medicine is bright. And how do I know that? Because of the students and residents we are training, and the fellows.
We are at a turning point in medical education, especially with today’s technology and how artificial intelligence is going to play a role in the future. I want our students to use that technology to enhance the patient care experience, especially as a way to enhance their efficiency when taking care of patients. We want to look at it as, How we can be innovative, but with a human touch? We know it will never replace the human element, but it can help us to do our jobs more effectively and efficiently.
I also look forward to our students, faculty, and staff, thriving in their roles and making sure McGovern Medical School is a place that when you come to work, you enjoy your job 90% of the time — at least 90% of the time, if not more. I say this to our students as well. I want them to thrive here and know that our future is bright.
Finally, tell us one thing about yourself that most people don’t know and that you wouldn’t mind sharing.
I’m left-handed. A lot of people don’t know that. Another thing people might be interested in knowing is that I met my husband at McGovern Medical School on my first day of residency. When I say McGovern Medical School is part of my family, it literally is, because I met my husband here. We happened to be behind each other in the line to get our badges. I love to tell everybody that I met the original Dr. Love right here.
People may also not know that my brother was also trained at McGovern Medical School. He did his residency here. His wife did her residency here in emergency medicine. McGovern Medical School is a part of our family. Not just my personal family, but also my extended work family.