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The Texas Medical Association Medical Student Section honored Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth second-year student Kate Russell with its 2022 Student of the Year award.  

The TMA’s House of Delegates policymaking body officially announced the award in Houston during TexMed, the association’s annual conference. Russell was selected as the winner at the TMA’s virtual Winter Conference.  

“I was so surprised and honored when my name appeared on the screen at our virtual Winter Conference,” said Russell. “I have the privilege of working with a wonderful team of colleagues here at TCOM and I was humbled that they nominated me for this award. I couldn’t have done anything this year without their hard work and support!” 

Russell, who is part of TCOM’s Class of 2024, has served in numerous roles in her time in medical school. At TCOM, she has been the TMA chapter president this past year after serving as the resolution committee chair her first year.  

In the Medical Student Section with the TMA, Russell was a student representative for the Committee on Physician Distribution and Health Care Access. She served on the AMA Region 3 Resolution Review Committee and was a mentor on the TMA-MSS Inter-School Mentorship Program.  

“I am very passionate about creating equity and expanding access to health care for all Texans and Americans,” said Russell. “I am particularly interested in creative ways TMA can fight to expand Medicaid and enhance reimbursement rates for physicians so that more practices can serve those beneficiaries.” 

Russell helped organize the “Walk with a Doc” event in Fort Worth, where community members are invited to walk with physicians and medical students for exercise. The program, which started last June in Fort Worth, is supported by the Texas Medical Association.   

Her passion in medicine is neurology. Russell majored in neuroscience as an undergrad and worked for the Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program at the CDC in Atlanta while working on her master’s degree at Emory College. However, when it comes to picking a specialty, Russell hasn’t quite made up her mind yet.  

“My favorite subject has been neurology, although I have found so much of medicine interesting in my second year of medical school, so I have been considering internal medicine and keeping my mind open.” 

Since 1998, the Texas Medical Association’s Medical Student Section has recognized a member who excels in furthering the section’s goals and policies to improve Texas’ health care system. The chapter aims to engage students in organized medicine by encouraging their involvement in local county medical societies. 

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