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FORT WORTH – Construction has been completed on the new 100,000 square foot medical education building for the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth’s Medical Innovation District (MID).  

In episode 13 of On Site: Construction of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University hosted by Founding Dean Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., he’s joined by TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr., to discuss the medical school’s lasting impact on TCU and Fort Worth. 

“My hope is that 30 years from now when people want a doctor they say I want a doctor that graduated from the Burnett School of Medicine,” Chancellor Boschini said. “This school will elevate the entire university.” 

The pair took some time to walk through the building that is TCU’s first education building to be constructed away from its main campus on South University Drive. The 4-story building has been named Arnold Hall thanks to a major gift that established The Ashley and Greg Arnold Endowment for the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.  

Dean Flynn was able to give Chancellor Boschini an up-close look at some of the personal touches. 

“One of the things I first learned about Chancellor Boschini when I arrived at TCU is how he takes a very personal interest in building and the architecture,” Dean Flynn said.  

For Chancellor Boschini, it’s more about making sure TCU is visually present. 

“When you see this building from the street I want somebody to think this is the TCU campus,” Chancellor Boschini said. “It has the arches. It has the Ludowici tile on the roof. It has the blonde brick. It just screams Texas Christian University.” 

The building was designed by CO Architects alongside Hoefer Welker and constructed by Linbeck under the guidance of TCU Facilities Planning, Design and Construction (PDC) team. Construction crews broke ground on the medical education building in August 2022 and completed the building in June 2024.  

The building will serve as an academic hub and support 240 medical students, along with hundreds of faculty and staff. The school’s location in Fort Worth’s MID will strengthen the collaborative partnerships it has already with Baylor, Scott & White All Saints Medical Center, JPS Health Network, Texas Health Resources and Cook Children’s.  

“Our students are within walking distance of all of our clinical partners but now as our partners are letting us know they can wander over here now so it really is bi-directional and quite amazing,” Dean Flynn said.   

The collaborative model for medical education training is also an advantage for the medical students, Chancellor Boschini added.  

“You’re talking to and learning from someone who’s actually doing it,” Chancellor Boschini said.  

Inside the building, technologically advanced learning spaces, which TCU is known for on its main campus, are present in the new medical education building.  

The first floor of the building houses the two-story Amon G. Carter Inspiration Commons. It is two classrooms separated by a sky fold wall in the middle that also doubles as a whiteboard. The 7,000-pound retractable wall can open the space into one large classroom to support 120 students. The walls of the learning studio are projection walls that are coated with special paint to allow a projector to display images on the walls.   

“These are smart classrooms and have all the technology needed to train the next generation of physicians,” Dean Flynn said.  

The Burnett School of Medicine’s forward-thinking curriculum trains future physicians as Empathetic Scholars® who will be compassionate, empathetic and prepared to discover the latest knowledge in medical care and have the ability to “walk in a patient’s shoes. The medical school, which welcomed its first class of medical students in 2019, has graduated two classes of physicians that have matched in some of the nation’s top residency programs.  

The new medical education building will not only position TCU to be a leader in medical education, but also make Fort Worth’s healthcare community stronger.  

“It’s exceeded every expectation I had and I think it’s already been a huge boon to Fort Worth,” Chancellor Boschini said.  

FORT WORTH  –  Fifteen students from the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University are the newest members of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS). 

It’s the highest honor a student can get from Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.  What makes the honor so special is that students are voted on by their peers based on several scenarios. 

Burnett School of Medicine became eligible to add a chapter once the school became fully accredited.  The class of 2024, which was recognized in May, was the first Burnett School of Medicine at TCU class to get this prestigious honor.  Members are Emma DiFiore, ’24 M.D.; Jack Healy, ’24 M.D.; Anne Shirley Hoselton, ’24 M.D.; Antonio Igbokidi, ’24 M.D.;Patrick Powers, ’24 M.D.; Thomas Redman, ’24 M.D.; Sam Sayed, ’24 M.D., and Rebecca Sobolewski, ’24 M.D. 

“It’s so humbling to be in the same category as my classmates,” said Igbokidi, a psychiatry resident at UCLA. “We’re all doing the work and I’m just privileged to be a part of the Burnett School of Medicine family.” 

The class of 2025 had seven students receive this honor. They are Claire Duican, MS-4; Jason Evans, MS-4; Peyton Moore, MS-4, Sofia Olsson, MS-4; Kyung Park, MS-4; Lexy Richards, MS-4, and Anand Singh, MS-4. 

“It’s one of my most memorable accomplishments in medical school and also one of my most special moments,”  Olsson said.  “I was honored to have my classmates, who I respect so much, vote for me.” 

“I think when you are looking at a Gold Humanism Honor Society member you are looking at someone who can provide compassionate care,” Singh said. “For them to recognize my hard work is a huge deal to me and something I’ll never forget.” 

GHHS is a community of medical students, physicians, and other leaders who have been recognized for their compassionate care.  There are more than 180 chapters at medical schools and residency programs and more than 45,000 members, according to the GHHS website. 

Faculty member Ric Bonnell, M.D., said this is the number one recognized honor in medical school.  “This is something that the students will benefit from.  It will help them with interviews and residencies.” 

FORT WORTH – In Episode 12 of On Site: Construction of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University hosted by Founding Dean Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., we learn about the design of the grand staircase that boasts terrazzo flooring, a design staple across TCU’s education buildings. 

The grand staircase begins in the Forum area of the first floor in Arnold Hall and spirals up four floors, wrapped in glass, with scenic views of Downtown Fort Worth’s skyline.  

Dean Flynn is also joined by Robby Carruthers, Superintendent at Linbeck, to discuss the 22-month construction process of the new medical education building located in Fort Worth’s Medical Innovation District (MID).  

FORT WORTH – On a pleasant Sunday morning, a long line formed outside the Greater Rising Star Baptist Church in Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood where church members put down their Bibles and picked up blood pressure cuffs.

Sofia Olsson, MS-3 at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, was one of the medical students providing blood pressure screenings and checking patients for diabetes outside the church. 

With no pharmacy close by to get blood pressure readings, the services really helped this neighborhood.  “It also gave them some inspiration on how to better care for their health,” Olsson said.  

This kind of community interaction is all by design.   

It’s a part of the Preparation for Practice (P4P) curriculum that medical students at the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU begin from the moment they start medical school.  In their first year, students are partnered with local communities that include Eastside/Stop 6, Northside/Diamond Hill, and Como.  

Throughout their time in medical school, they volunteer and interact with community members to learn what issues affect them the most.  During their third year, students present a Community Impact Project that highlights an issue community members deem important.  

“Joining these communities and helping create a plan, then helping bring that plan to fruition is very special and very fun,” Olsson said.    

Mental health, sports physicals, and cancer awareness are just a few issues students have tackled alongside community leaders over the years. Thanks to generous donors more of the projects will become reality. 

“This really shows us who we are serving in the community and it really brings out our passion and empathy,” Olsson said. 

FORT WORTH – As part of the Global Health Elective, several  Burnett School of Medicine at TCU students made the long trip across the globe to Kenya and India to get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn from physicians of a different culture.   

The objective of these trips is to expose students to how medical care is given at a facility in a developing country. 

“My goal for students is for them to improve their skills and empathy,” said Ric Bonnell, M.D., Director of Service Learning at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.  “So having that experience of trying to practice medicine in a resource poor setting helps you not take for granted the things we have here.”  

Students were able to participate in daily inpatient rounds, outpatient clinics, ICU and emergency room management of patients.   

“Having these kinds of experiences opens your eyes and gives you a lot of cultural competencies,” said Hari Raja, M.D., Executive Director of Phase 1 at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.  “We see people from all over the world here in the U.S. and having that experience in seeing a different culture can really help you.” 

Raja led a group of students to Bangalore, India for a month-long elective in January. Christopher Fernandes, ’24 M.D., Michael Krantz ’24 M.D., and Prema Vyas ’24 M.D., spent time seeing patients and gaining experience at Bangalore Baptist Hospital.  They all witnessed how doctors in India handled serving patients with limited resources. 

“I’m very grateful to the school and Dr. Raji for setting this course up,” said Christopher Fernandes, ’24 M.D. “There were a number of students who went on this trip and were significantly impacted by it and it’s going to change how I interact with all of my patients.” 

The same can be said for students Sarah Person, ’24 M.D., Nicole Jamieson, ’24 M.D. and Madeline Keane, ’24 M.D. who spent a week at Ubuntu Clinic in Maai Mahui, Kenya. 

Despite having limited resources, the students said they were impressed with how the doctors in Kenya were still upbeat and happy when it came to treating patients.  

“I think this trip will really impact my future,” said Sarah Person, ’24 M.D.  “I have an appreciation for what a blessing it is to have this medical knowledge and to be a physician.  It’s all modeled at the fact that there are so few physicians in Kenya, and we were able to help.” 

FORT WORTH – Episode 11 of On Site: Construction of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University hosted by Founding Dean Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., features Texas Health Resources CEO Barclay Berdan ’76 explaining why collaborating with the medical school to create new Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency slots is vital to North Texas.  

They also talked about the medical school’s Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) curriculum and how its unique design creates distinctive learning opportunities for medical students.  

A Linbeck construction supervisor gives us an in-depth look at the library space on the second floor, which features high-end Top Akustik perforated wood panels for noise reduction. The library, which is slightly more than 1,000 square feet, inside the new medical education building called Arnold Hall has been completed and is a quiet space with scenic views of Fort Worth’s Near Southside neighborhood. 

Construction of the new 100,000- square foot medical education building in Fort Worth’s Medical Innovation District (MID) was completed in June. 

FORT WORTH – In episode 10 of On Site: Construction of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University hosted by Founding Dean Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., we get an in-depth look at the design of the third floor, known as the “super floor” of the new medical education building called Arnold Hall.   

The third floor will house the Anatomy Lab, Simulation & Technology, Clinical Skills, Student Lounge and more. 

In the episode, Dean Flynn is joined by James Marshall, M.D., Chair of Pediatrics at Burnett School of Medicine at TCU, to discuss how medical students witnessed Cook Children’s Health Care System’s rare conjoined twins’ separation surgery in 2023.   

They also talked about the medical school’s Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) curriculum and how its unique design creates distinctive learning opportunities for medical students.  

Construction of the new medical education building in Fort Worth’s Medical Innovation District (MID) was completed in June. 

Pride Month is celebrated and recognized during the month of June. During this celebration, people come together to share their support for the LGBTQIA+ community while attending fun vibrant events that depict contributions and achievements made by those in this community.

The theme for this year’s Pride Month from the National Health Institute is “Pride in Belonging.” This theme highlights the importance of recognizing, embracing and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community.

PAYWAND BAGHAL, MS1

What does Pride Month mean to you?

Paywand Baghal, a first-year medical student at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, said that Pride Month, “is an opportunity to celebrate all of the friends that I have in the LGBTQI+ community and an opportunity to extra love on each other and to uplift one another in spaces where we may not feel that love for that advocacy from everybody.” 

How do you celebrate?

Baghal said, “I love finding any events that are currently happening around me whether it’s a huge pride festival in that city or something that is maybe at a local bar or a local event community center of some sort. Any opportunity to celebrate and have some good food and drinks and get to be with my fellow queer friends.”

How can people raise awareness?

Paywand emphasized the importance of educating oneself on Pride Month. He said, it’s important “to advocate for those that are in your specific surrounding community and make sure that their voices aren’t quieted by any means, making sure that everybody is uplifted, especially during this month.”

JEANINE WILLIAMS, MS1

What does Pride Month mean to you?

Jeanine Williams, a first-year medical student at the Burnett School of Medicine, discussed what this month means to her. “Pride Month, means to me, just being able to be myself. Growing up in Jamaica, LGBT or being prideful is not something that is celebrated back home. Having that opportunity to actually celebrate myself as well as others around me, who want to be heard, who want to just be themselves, I think is very meaningful.”

How do you celebrate?

Williams talked about fun festivities back in Atlanta, Georgia, that she has enjoyed attending to celebrate pride. One of the events she mentioned she liked to go to is hosted at Piedmont Park where there are a lot of artists and markets you can shop. “I walked the Pride Parade last year with the Atlanta Hawks with my girlfriend at the time, now she’s my fiancé. It was a great opportunity to just be involved in that atmosphere and just be able to interact with others as well. There were parents out there who were giving out mom hugs or dad hugs and so, to me, that was great,” she replied.

How can people raise awareness?

Williams said it is important to be open and to hear what they have to say. Jeanine emphasized that it is crucial to listen to what the LGBTQIA+ community has to say even though you may not understand the terminology. “Especially because you may not know if someone around you is struggling with opening up about being a part of that community.”

Each year, a new group of aspiring physicians embarks on a transformative journey at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University. To honor the beginning of this pivotal chapter, we host a White Coat Celebration for our incoming medical students and their families in July.

Each student will be presented with thoughtful gifts symbolizing our support:

• A pristine white coat—their mantle of responsibility
• A suture kit—to practice the art of healing
• Diagnostic instruments—tuning forks and reflex hammers, the tools of their trade
• Essential textbooks— vital knowledge resources
• A high-quality stethoscope—to listen to the heartbeats of those they will serve

As valued members of the Burnett School of Medicine family, you have the unique opportunity to be a part of this occasion by sponsoring a white coat. With a donation of $100, you can provide one of these aspiring medical professionals with their first white coat. Moreover, we invite you to share a personal message of encouragement, wisdom, and welcome. Your heartfelt words will be printed on a gift card accompanying the white coat, to inspire them as they step forward into their medical careers.

How to Participate:

• Donate: Visit our FrogFunding Site to make an online contribution.
• Inspire: Email your message of support to a.m.delatorre@tcu.edu.

Your generosity and thoughtfulness make a profound impact on the educational experience of these students. Thank you for being a pillar of support for our Empathetic Scholars®!

On behalf of all at the Burnett School of Medicine, I want to share a heartfelt thank you to TCU, our university that has embraced and supported our School, launching it on a trajectory of great opportunity and hope.

As the School has now graduated two classes of newly minted MDs, it is moving to its new home on Rosedale Street in the heart of the medical district. This is our school’s third home since its beginning just eight short years ago – and as the saying goes, the third time is the charm. As much as we miss not being part of the beautiful fabric of TCU’s main campus, we are now in our community of brethren who deliver health care for all in our city and beyond.

Starting a new medical school is not for the faint of heart, whether for a university or those who start with a vision to graduating doctors. From our start, we were embraced with support and encouragement from many at TCU, with Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr., empowering the vision that the medical school should dream big, looking past the obstacles and peering over the horizon to help lead the future of health care. President Daniel Pullin has continued his support and collaboration from his transition from dean to president.  Early in the School’s youth, former Vice Chancellor for Finance at TCU, Brian Gutierrez, facilitated impressive visioning anticipating the need and location for the permanent home for the Burnett School of Medicine. And wonderfully, his successor, Bill Nunez has been critical to our getting to this moment in time. For more than two years, the Facilities team, including Todd Waldvogel, Jason Soileau and Jack Washington, among so many others, have accepted, and dare I share endured, embracing the wishes and needs of all who will use the building, evolving from structural concepts to function in our mission to train the next generation of physicians. And I would be remiss if I didn’t offer immense appreciation and respect to two colleagues who were the liaisons and ‘negotiators’ among the many interested parties, Brooke Ruesch and Judy Bernas. Much of what they have done falls into the last role in their job description, namely ‘duties as otherwise assigned.’

Recognizing I can’t mention all who have played significant roles in getting our medical school to this seminal moment, including Trustees, Cabinet members and every college at TCU, we at the medical school want to share our immense appreciation to all at our University and although a few miles away from the main campus, we not only feel we are an integral part of TCU, we are so proud to carry the TCU name and excellence as the first site not on the main campus.

As we work diligently to validate TCU and the Chancellor’s audacious dream to start a medical school, and now with President Pullin and Provost Floyd Wormley’s leadership, please accept our sincere respect and thank you as we move into our new home with pride to be of value to our University and community.

Stuart D. Flynn, M.D.

Founding Dean