Dr. Denton Cooley

When I first started thinking about the whole college application process, I knew right away that I would like to attend the University of Texas at Austin. I had visited the campus so many times and I fell in love right away. The atmosphere is great and there are numerous opportunities available to you. The students seem so friendly and extracurricular activities are vast. Because the student body is so large, it is easy to get lost in the crowd. The only way to stand out as an individual is to get involved like by joining one of the student organizations, fraternities, sororities, or athletic teams. There is so much to learn here and it is our obligation to take all that knowledge from UT and use it to make a difference in this world.

While browsing through required readings, one of those people really stood out for me. Dr. Denton Cooley just sounded like such an amazing and powerful person. I felt like I had a lot in common with him. He started as a normal high school student from Houston, TX aspiring to be a basketball player at “a large university that would offer great opportunities scholastically and socially” (931). He knew UT would be the perfect place for him. Cooley soon joined several student organizations including Kappa Sigma, Texas Cowboys, and the basketball team. Throughout his college career here at UT and his professional career as a surgeon, he made himself known. He “graduated Phi Beta Kappa…and the University has bestowed several awards on him, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award and membership in the Longhorn Hall of Honor and the Natural Sciences Hall of Honor” (931). Dr. Cooley now resides in Houston as a world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon that has “performed nearly 100,000 open-heart operations” (931). He holds quite a few prestigious positions such as president and surgeon-in-chief at the Texas Heart Institute which he founded in the Texas Medical Center, chief of cardiovascular surgery at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, consultant in cardiovascular surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital, and a clinical professor of surgery at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. It is said that “he is at the forefront of the study and treatment of heart diseases” (931). The really amazing thing about Dr. Cooley is that even with all numerous commitments that he has, he still finds time to be a notable philanthropist. He funds professorships and scholarships here at UT because he says “I feel that I have an obligation and an opportunity to demonstrate my appreciation for what UT has contributed to my career” (932). Denton is also known for his work on 10 books and 1,200 articles.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always wanted to be a doctor but specifically, a doctor. I really feel that being a doctor is what I’m called to do. Science and Math have always been my strong points and I just love medicine. The main reason I chose Denton Cooley was because he was a doctor but that is not the only reason. After reading about him, he is someone I wish I could be and he inspires me to continue with my dream. I’m always complaining how much homework I have and I don’t know how I am going to finish it all but Dr. Cooley does so much more to do and finds time to do it all. I hope that I can find a way to do the same. I can only wish that I would become as famous as he is but only time will tell. I see how he wasn’t afraid to take on new challenges and it makes me look at myself. I have always been so reserved and have never wanted to stand out but I now realize that is what you have to do if you really want to reach the top. I definitely consider Dr. Cooley my role model. He has so many of the qualities that I want. He has taught me that if you really want something in life, you need to go for it no matter what it takes. I now realize that I can’t be scared to stand out and try new things because that is the only way I’ll be able reach my goal of becoming a doctor.