From captain to counselor: guiding the next generation of military physicians
Baylor College of Medicine is fortunate to have many talented faculty members among its ranks who lead through purpose and direction, inspiring others, particularly trainees, to achieve their goals. One example is Timothy Porea, M.D., ’92, Fel. ’00, M.P.H., professor of Pediatrics in the Hematology-Oncology Division, and associate medical director of the Clinical Division of the Cancer and Hematology Center at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH).
When he’s not seeing patients, Dr. Porea lectures second-year medical students going through their core pediatric rotations, coordinates hematology-oncology electives, and advises and mentors pediatric residents and fellows in the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology program.
One of the most significant ways he leads students mirrors his time as a Baylor student, when he was part of the U.S. Military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP), which covers medical school costs with a student’s commitment of military service after graduation. Despite having no prior military experience or a family history of career service, he participated in the program, going on to enjoy a 22-year career in the Navy, where he served as a pediatrician and later as a pediatric hematologist-oncologist, caring for the children of military families from San Diego to Okinawa. In 2014, Dr. Porea retired at the rank of Captain, but he wasn’t done serving others.
When he returned to Baylor to teach and treat patients at TCH, Dr. Porea knew he had an opportunity to assist students who were following his same journey.
“The military is great because they pay for your school, but you don’t get a lot of guidance about how to navigate the HPSP,” Dr. Porea said. “When I came back to Baylor, I reached out to Student Affairs and told them I’d love to give the benefit of my experience to any students going through the program now.”
Today, Dr. Porea provides HPSP students—representing all branches of the Armed Forces—much-appreciated guidance and advocacy. His advice imparts practical knowledge grounded in first-hand experience and a deep understanding of the military’s unique demands, especially in navigating red tape when it comes to getting all necessary HPSP paperwork properly submitted. Dr. Porea also was instrumental in encouraging the College to recognize HPSP students with an official Commissioning Ceremony on Graduation Day.
He has become so influential that he now mentors 20 to 40 military-bound students each year at the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, the Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine and the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston.
When asked about assisting these students, Dr. Porea said: “I deeply appreciate Baylor’s support, and I’m proud of the students who raise their hands now to serve. It is crucial that the military has good doctors to care for our active-duty personnel, our dependents and retirees. These students are embarking on dual careers in the military and medical communities, two careers that, while very honorable, both contain their share of unknowns. And it’s great that there are people willing to do that.”
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