Rishi Kumar, MD, FACC, CMQ

Email:  [email protected]
Phone: 713-486-6586

Assistant Professor
Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
Medical Director – Organ Donor Specialty Care Unit (DSCU)
Associate Medical Director – UTHealth Houston Master of Science in Anesthesia Program
Program Director – Dual Cardiac Anesthesia/Critical Care Fellowship Track

 

Educational Philosophy

The word ‘doctor’ comes from ‘docere’ – Latin for “to teach.” I have three objectives with my teaching strategy:

A Dynamic, Experiential, and Visual Approach to Teaching

As a cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist, my teaching philosophy centers on critical thinking, hands-on experience, and visual learning. My goal is to inspire trainees to not only master clinical skills but also share their knowledge, creating a lasting impact. I combine the Socratic method with experiential learning, where real-time discussions are paired with clinical application in the OR and ICU. Here, complex concepts come to life, offering invaluable lessons that go beyond textbooks.

Mentorship, Self-Discovery, and Continuous Learning

I believe in guiding trainees to think independently, fostering self-discovery through questioning rather than simply providing answers. This approach builds clinical reasoning skills essential for high-stakes environments. Creating a safe, supportive learning environment allows trainees to ask questions and make mistakes, which are critical to growth. I also emphasize continuous review to reinforce lessons learned in practice, ensuring lasting retention of key concepts.

Building a Legacy Through Education

My ultimate goal is to teach in a way that motivates trainees to become educators themselves. By passing on their knowledge, they contribute to a cycle of growth that multiplies our collective impact. Teaching, for me, is both a privilege and a responsibility, shaping the future of medicine and cultivating compassionate, skilled clinicians.

Biography

Dr. Rishi Kumar is an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine. He completed medical school and categorical anesthesiology residency at Baylor College of Medicine, serving as chief resident and a Gold Humanism Honor Society inductee. He then completed a dual fellowship in critical care medicine and adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Kumar divides his clinical time as a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and cardiovascular ICU intensivist at Memorial Hermann’s Heart and Vascular Institute. He serves as the medical director of the organ donor specialty care unit, associate medical director of the UTHealth Houston Master of Science in Anesthesia program, and fellowship director for the dual cardiac anesthesia and critical care fellowship track. In his free time, Dr. Kumar is a tech enthusiast and enjoys creating and curating free, open-access medical education for distribution across various social media platforms and his website, RK.MD. He also developed EchoTools – a free iOS ultrasonography reference application available on the Apple App Store.

Education

  • Medical Degree – Baylor College of Medicine
  • Residency –  Baylor College of Medicine
  • Fellowship – Critical Care Medicine: Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School
  • Fellowship – Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology: Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Anesthesiology – Anesthesiology
  • American Board of Anesthesiology – Critical Care Medicine
  • American Board of Anesthesiology – Adult Cardiac Anesthesiology
  • National Board of Echocardiography – Advanced Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography
  • National Board of Echocardiography – Critical Care Echocardiography

Past & Current Educational Activities

  • Program Director – Dual Cardiac Anesthesia/Critical Care Fellowship Track
  • Co-Director – Acute Care Career Focus Track (CFT)
  • Didactic lectures for cardiac anesthesia fellows and anesthesiology residents
  • Cardiac physiology lectures for Master of Science in Anesthesia students
  • Teaching rounds in the cardiovascular ICU

Areas of Expertise

  • Diagnostic transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and point of care ultrasonography (POCUS)
  • Cardiothoracic and vascular critical care and anesthesiology
  • Perioperative and critical care physiology and pharmacology
  • Free, open access medical education over social media

Honors/Awards

  • 2017 – Robert D. Dripps Memorial Award (outstanding graduate resident in anesthesiology)
  • 2017 – Gertie Marx Award (outstanding performance in obstetric anesthesia)
  • 2019 – Anesthesiology Fellow Of The Year- Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • 2020, 2022 – Best Attending in Cardiovascular Anesthesia – Department of Anesthesiology
  • 2021 – Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC)
  • 2022 – Evan G. Pivalizza, MBChB Outstanding Clinical Instructor Award – Department of Anesthesiology
  • 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 – Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2024 – Outstanding Didactic Instructor Award – Department of Anesthesiology
  • 2024 – Inducted into the Academy of Master Educators

 Selected Publications

  • Kumar, R., Ellis, S., Salas De Armas, I. A., Patel, M. K., Akay, M. H., Bajwa, K. S., Liang, Y., & Gregoric, I. D.: Intraoperative Management for Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation With Concurrent Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Case Series. A A Pract. 15(11):e01545, 2021. (PMID: 34752439)
  • Morcous, S., Kumar, R., Patel, M., & Liang, Y.: Hypoxemia secondary to acute mitral regurgitation induced by systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve during lung transplantation. J Clin Anesth. 75:110520, 2021. (PMID: 34798702)
  • Kumar, R., Patel, M. K., Zaki, J. F., Salas de Armas, I. A., Akay, M. H., Kar, B., and Gregoric, I. D.: Intraoperative Management of Carotid Endarterectomy in Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices – The Challenge of Continuous Flow: A Case Report. A A Pract. 14(14):e01355, 2020. (PMID: 33278087)
  • Mubashir, T., Balogh, J., Chaudhry, R., Quiroz, C., Kar, B., De Armas, I., Liang, Y., Markham, T., Kumar, R., Choi, W., Akkanti, B., Gregoric, I., Williams, G., 2nd, & Zaki, J.: Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Outcomes for Patients with Chronic Heart Failure. J Cardiothoracic Vasc Anesth. 10.1053, 2020. (PMID: 32718887)