Sonja Bartolome, M.D.

Early Influences

“I knew I wanted to be a doctor at a very young age,” Dr. Bartolome said of her early aspirations. “I did not know anyone who was a physician and was the first person in my family to graduate from college. Still, I prepared by being extremely focused on my goals.” In high school, “I taped medical school acceptance rates to my study desk to remind me of the work that it would take to achieve my dreams. Then, my focus was to make sure that if I failed at something, it would never be because I did not work as hard as I could.”

The UT Southwestern Difference

“I love solving difficult problems that improve the lives of others. In medicine, we are extremely lucky to have an intellectually stimulating career that directly serves our community. Whether it is in individual patient care or in my quality role, I love breaking down a difficult problem to its root cause and then devising a solution.”

Advice for the Next Generation

She advises the next generation of physicians to develop “focus, persistence, and resilience, which are really important qualities to embody as a young woman pursuing a career in STEMM.”