Be it cataract surgery or Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, for Dr. Aaron Dotson BS’15, it all comes down to precision and skillful control of the hands and mind.
Dr. Dotson, a UT Dallas neuroscience graduate who minored in music at the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology at the University, is an eye surgeon currently completing his surgical fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at UC San Francisco.
“I chose to minor in music because piano and music will always be my first love,” Dr. Dotson said. “It helped keep me grounded while tackling these very rigorous pre-med classes. And even now, as a surgeon, that is still the case.”
After graduating from his high school in Inglewood, California, Dr. Dotson enrolled in UT Dallas to study the brain and neuroscience. Growing up in Inglewood, he had always been curious about how the brain works and the mechanisms underlying it that impact addiction to different substances. He wanted to understand what he could do to help his community locally and across the globe.
His parents, who were deeply involved in church singing during childhood, passed down a deep love for music to him. Their support for his music education over the years enabled him to master the piano, guitar, flugelhorn, alto saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, and flute by the time he finished high school. This passion continued to drive him as he pursued his undergraduate studies.
Dr. Dotson worked as a Peer Lead Team Learning (PLTL) leader within the Student Success Center. Following graduation, he invested a year as a research assistant at the UT Dallas Center for Vital Longevity. He served as a freshman mentor and became chairman of the Committee of Academic Advancement for the Black Student Alliance. He also earned the UT Dallas Presidential Achievement Scholarship and was among 80 undergraduates nationwide participating in the Yale University School of Medicine’s Summer Medical and Dental Education Program.
“I think of UT Dallas so much; I think of all of the mentors who have shaped me into the person, physician, and surgeon that I am today,” he said.
His quest to understand addiction and its neuroscience at UTD led him to pursue medical education at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
While in medical school, he completed a rotation in ophthalmology, where he explored the anatomy, function, and diseases of the eye. He fell in love with the specialty mainly because it allows for surgeries that can significantly impact a person’s life quickly.
“Every single thing we’re doing on our examination, I’m using my hands,” he said. “With a cataract surgery, I can change lives within 15 to 20 minutes. It’s just like being at the piano. It’s just like music.”
Shortly after earning his undergraduate degree, Dr. Dotson founded the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS) at UT Dallas, a student organization dedicated to supporting underrepresented minority medical students. Since then, he has mentored numerous pre-medical students across the country. Many students, including some MAPS members, reach out to Dr. Dotson to seek guidance on their journey to medical school. He helps his mentees by reviewing their personal statements and CVs, doing practice interviews, and offering valuable advice.
“My goal in life is to recruit as many people as possible to go into medicine, specifically ophthalmology,” he said. “I don’t want anything in return except for the texts, phone calls, and emails saying, ‘Aaron, I made it.’ That’s what makes me happy.”
In his downtime, whether to recharge after a long day in surgery or to nurture his lifelong passion, he turns to the piano.
“If you have a love, a passion, or a hobby before you get into college, don’t lose that,” he said. “Study that even further while you are in college and take advantage of that opportunity. That’s something that I decided to do, and I’m very grateful for the education and training, and I feel like being a musician has made me an even better surgeon.”
Dr. Dotson recently joined Bass School Dean Nils Roemer as a guest on the “Spool” podcast to talk about the impact of music and mentorship in his life. Catch up on their conversation on YouTube.