Member of the Month: Linda May, M.D.

TAFP Board member hopes to be voice of Texas residents

posted 7.7.14

After attending the University of Texas at Austin for her undergraduate degree, Linda May, M.D., moved to Bayamon, Puerto Rico to attend the Universidad Central del Caribe for medical school. She then completed a residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she is currently the chief resident. When given the opportunity to run for TAFP’s new Board position as resident director, she took it and was elected, hoping to not only represent the state’s resident physicians, but be a voice for them. May is also a member of TAFP’s Alamo chapter and previously the chair of TAFP’s Section on Resident Physicians.

Why did you choose family medicine, and what’s your favorite aspect of it?
I chose family medicine because it is a community-focused specialty. Family physicians are often the most trusted and serve on the “front lines” when it comes to health care in America. Family medicine is also a very rewarding field because it allows you to take care of the person as a whole, from infancy to geriatrics, while also addressing personal aspects of their health that most other specialties do not cover.

It is important for me to be a member of AAFP and TAFP because:
Both the AAFP and TAFP have provided me with valuable information regarding issues and advancements in our health fields. I look to both organizations for reliable information regarding the latest trends and topics. My local TAFP organization, the Alamo Chapter, recently hosted a panel discussion regarding the anticipated changes to family medicine as a result of the Affordable Healthcare Act. The event provided me with insightful information I would not have otherwise received.

I have also benefitted from being involved in the organizations greatly: I have had the opportunity to serve as Delegate for Texas to the National Student and Resident Conference, won an AFMRD scholarship to attend the Family Medicine Congressional Conference in Washington, D.C., last year, and currently serve as TAFP Resident Board Director.

What do you hope to accomplish by being on TAFP’s Board of Directors?
I chose to run for the resident position on the TAFP’s Board of Directors because I wanted to reach out to my fellow residents, while also being able to give them a voice on the Board. It is important to me that resident issues and perspectives be heard and given consideration when TAFP makes decisions that impact them.

What is the best lesson you have learned in residency?
As chief resident of the UTHSCSA Family Medicine Residency Program, I learned valuable lessons that extend beyond taking care of patients – providing support to new interns, managing scheduling, and negotiating resident needs with administration. I discovered the outcome is not as important as staying true to yourself and standing up for what you believe.

How do you spend your free time?
As a member of the San Antonio Museum of Art, I love attending the latest exhibits and docent tours. I studied oil painting and enjoy painting new pieces. I also enjoy spending time outdoors with my husband and our dog Chuy, a Jack Russell terrier mix.

Tell me something fun about yourself.
I have a twin sister named Carmen. My mother is from Peru and my father is from Romania. I speak fluent English, Spanish, and French, and can read Latin.

TAFP’s Member of the Month program highlights Texas family physicians in TAFP News Now and on the TAFP website. We feature a biography and a Q&A with a different TAFP member each month and his or her unique approach to family medicine. If you know an outstanding family physician colleague who you think should be featured as a Member of the Month or if you’d like to tell your own story, nominate yourself or your colleague by contacting TAFP by e-mail at swhite@tafp.org or by phone at (512) 329-8666. View past Members of the Month here.