Patricia Watson named head of humanities at College of Medicine

Patricia Watson, MD, will serve as head of the Department of Humanities in Medicine at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. Since 2016, Watson served as interim head of the department. Watson is a member of the College of Medicine’s charter class, which entered the college 40 years ago.

Watson completed residencies in psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education and the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas. A board-certified psychiatrist, Watson served for several years at a psychiatric practice in Houston. Her interest in medical education and its impact of future doctors prompted her to return to the College of Medicine.

She joined the college faculty in July 2015, where she developed the medical curriculum, served as a faculty senator and in the student promotions committee. Watson serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Humanities and as director of the Humanities Ethics Altruism Leadership (HEAL) curriculum. The HEAL capstone course provides fourth-year medical students tools to transition from clerkship to residency, emphasizing principles such as medical ethics, communication and leadership.

“I am delighted to have Patricia serve as the permanent head of the Department of Humanities in Medicine. As interim department head, she created and implemented innovative pedagogic techniques to teach essential concepts to our students in the areas of ethics, professional behavior, leadership, inter-professional communications and cultural competencies,” said Carrie L. Byington, MD, dean of the Texas A&M College of Medicine, senior vice president of the Texas A&M University Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health services at The Texas A&M University System. “We are fortunate to have such an outstanding scholar and educator take on this leadership role for the college.”