Myra Wyckoff, M.D.

Contributions to STEMM

Dr. Wyckoff is a leading expert in neonatal resuscitation. She is “a newborn intensive care specialist who cares for babies who are born too early, who are very sick at birth, and those born with problems due to impaired fetal development.” She serves as the Director of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

“I love that as one of the best high risk neonatal resuscitation teams in the country, we are focused on getting babies from often medically disadvantaged families off to the best possible start.”

Overcoming Challenges

“I didn’t let folks tell me what a girl could or could not do,” recalled Dr. Wyckoff.

“I had a math teacher in high school tell our class on the first day of trigonometry that only the boys needed to pay attention as they would be the ones to use that stuff in life. I think about half the girls in that class went on to study engineering in college just to tick him off and prove how ridiculous he was.”

Commitment to Mentorship

As a faculty member, Dr. Wyckoff sets the gold standard for mentorship. She has been honored with the Pediatric Faculty Teaching Award on three separate occasions. She hopes this Celebrating Breakthroughs Together project strikes a special chord with the next generation of women in STEMM.

“I hope it inspires young girls and women to see that they can be involved as leaders in the field of medicine in a variety of ways. They just need to figure out what they are good at and what area they find exciting and go for it!”

This passion for mentorship stems from acknowledging that the path to medicine is a difficult one. “I struggled some with physics and mechanics in college, but always sought additional help from my professors,” Dr. Wyckoff said. “Don't be afraid to ask for help. When teachers see you really want to learn, they will help you. People enjoy it when you show interest in the subject that they love.”

Advice to the Next Generation

Dr. Wyckoff also stressed the importance of perseverance to the next generation of medical providers.

“You have to have some grit too – you won’t always do great in all things, but you have to put in the effort and keep learning.”

The UT Southwestern Difference

Overall, Dr. Wyckoff values the commitment of her team and all those who make high-risk deliveries as safe as possible. “I love the mission of Parkland Hospital and the staff that will do whatever it takes to provide the best care possible,” she said. Specifically, “I love going to a very high-risk delivery with my team, which includes new doctors training to be pediatricians, and helping them learn and see the power of the techniques we use to stabilize a newborn baby’s breathing and heart rate.”