UTMB’s Department of Otolaryngology has established a strong reputation for excellence, known for high-quality patient care, safety, and an outstanding roster of faculty physicians and Advanced Practice Providers.
The department’s new chair, Nausheen Jamal, MD, recognizes the value of these strengths and more – and she is eager to build up these facets of the department and gain even greater recognition for its multitude of assets.
“There is a lot of great stuff that happens in the department, both clinically and academically, from a scholarship standpoint,” she says. “I think it's important that our peer departments around the country, in Otolaryngology and in other disciplines we work with very closely, become more aware of some of the really important work that's being done here.”
Dr. Jamal joined UTMB this month, having previously led the Department of Otolaryngology at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine. There, she also served as Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official to the ACGME and NRMP.
She attended the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate and returned to her hometown of Houston to attend Baylor College of Medicine. She completed her residency at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY, and her fellowship in laryngology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Since moving back to the Houston area, she has taken note of the way that the area’s numerous healthcare institutions market their services. While some employ more aggressive tactics than others, she believes UTMB’s breadth of services and record of high-quality care offer an advantage that more patients should know about.
Otolaryngology works closely with several other specialties on combined cases, including neurology, neurosurgery, thoracic surgery, and general surgery. The department’s services are also dependent on referrals from Primary Care. Dr. Jamal says these service lines have an opportunity to align their efforts so there is greater awareness of all UTMB’s strengths in these critical areas.
“We need to the capitalize and take advantage of those competitive edges and make sure that we're building up our services and our brand ahead of those competitors,” Dr. Jamal says.
Dr. Jamal also aims to elevate UTMB’s profile on a national stage, supporting more of the department’s faculty and other clinicians in representing UTMB as speakers and panelists at professional conferences.
As she settles into her role as chair, Dr. Jamal is also excited to continue her clinical practice in laryngology. She plans to divide her time between League City and Galveston and will set up her outpatient clinic at the UTMB Ear Nose and Throat Clinic in League City. She anticipates beginning to see patients in October.
For Dr. Jamal, not only does the move to UTMB represent an opportunity to contribute to UTMB’s growth in a highly competitive market, it is also a homecoming for her. Her family is local to the greater Houston area, and she is excited for her two children to get to know the area as well.
“It's really important to me that my kids have an opportunity to see where and how I grew up and will learn to love the city and the island as I loved them growing up,” she says. “And I am really hoping to be able to connect with both colleagues and patients in that regard.”