Benchtop to Bedside

One afternoon in March 2025, I opened my email to find an unexpected invitation from the Assistant Dean of Student Success at the UH Honors College. I, along with a small group of students, had been invited to attend a private lunch with Dr. David Callender, President and CEO of the Memorial Hermann Health System, followed by his Grand Challenges Forum keynote “Caregivers’ Purpose: Creating Healthier Communities“. I was honored, and a little surprised. Being recognized for this opportunity made me reflect on how far I’d come in my academic and professional journey. Going in, I was eager to learn how someone like Dr. Callender, who began as a practicing physician, evolved into a healthcare trailblazer, leading one of the largest systems in Houston.

From the moment I met Dr. Callender, his leadership characteristics showed. Despite the weight of his title, he carried himself with calm humility. He spoke with care, choosing his words with purpose and letting his ideas unfold with clarity. Even more striking was how attentively he listened. When I had the chance to ask him a question, I felt heard, fully. He made a conscious effort to make room for every student’s voice, prioritizing our questions and sharing stories even over the lunch itself. We spont most of our time asking questions and hearing his reflections on medicine, public health, leadership and purpose, leaving only a few minutes near the end to eat.

One moment I’ll never forget was the story he shared in response to my question about why he stepped back from clinical practice to focus on public health. As an otolaryngologist, he had once prepared to operate on a patient from West Texas who had throat cancer. But right before the surgery, he learned the patient’s insurance wouldn’t cover the procedure. He had to tell the man he couldn’t treat him. That moment where science met a system that failed the patient changed everything for him. He realized that no matter how advanced our medical practices become, they’re meaningless if people can’t access them.

That story anchored the message of his Grand Challenges Forum talk later that day. Dr. Callender shared sobering statistics that painted a stark picture of health inequity nationally and locally. The U.S., despite its unmatched healthcare spending, has the lowest life expectancy at birth among high-income nations, the highest maternal and infant mortality rates, and the highest rate of avoidable deaths. Right here in Houston, home to the largest medical center in the world, we see a similar disconnect:

• 23% of Harris County adults rate their health as “fair” or “poor”
• Over 25% of adults don’t get enough exercise
• 37% of residents in Memorial Hermann’s primary service area have obesity, with high cholesterol and high blood pressure close behind

Despite incredible institutions and technology, many Houstonians are still facing barriers to health and wellness. It made one thing clear: medicine isn’t enough without systems that ensure equity.

At the end of his talk, Dr. Callender challenged us with three questions:
What impact do I want to make in the world?
What problems do I want to solve?
How can I align what I love with what I do?

That challenge struck a chord. This experience reaffirmed my belief that practicing medicine must go hand-in-hand with advocating for public health. As I continue working with vulnerable populations through my service initiatives, I’m learning first-hand how the social determinants of health such as education, housing, food access, , and language barriers influence a person’s ability to live a healthy life. I want to be a physician who listens to patients just as intently as Dr. Callender listened to us. But I also want to be someone who sees the big picture, who bridges medical practice, research, and health systems to create lasting change.

As a member of the UH HonorsMed BS/MD program, I feel deeply aligned with the mission of the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine: to train compassionate, high-value physicians with a commitment to underserved communities and instill a deep understanding of the social determinants of health. Meeting Dr. Callender reminded me why I’m on this path, and how much work there still is to do.