Elizabeth Paulk, M.D.

Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Program

  • Distinguished Professorship in Palliative Care, in Honor of Steven Leach, M.D.
  • Internal Medicine - General Internal Medicine
  • Palliative Medicine

Biography

M. Elizabeth Paulk, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Paulk earned her medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at UT Southwestern.

Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, she joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1999.

Dr. Paulk’s clinical interest is in the field of palliative medicine. She was the founder of palliative medicine programs at UT Southwestern and currently serves as the Medical Director of ambulatory and inpatient palliative medicine programs for the Parkland Health & Hospital System. She also has a strong interest in graduate medical education.

She is Program Director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program and Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. Her educational and scholarly activities have been recognized with fellowship in the American College of Physicians and the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She has delivered a number of invited lectures and published numerous academic articles.

Her research interests include palliative care and mitigation of disparities in health care, particularly in end-of-life care. She serves as a member of the Graduate Medical Education Committee on Environment for Training, Innovation and Recruitment Excellence (ENTIRE) and is Co-chair of the LGBT Business Resource Group. She is also one of the founders of UT Southwestern’s Health Equity Discussion Group.

In 2018, she received UT Southwestern’s President’s Award for Diversity and Humanism in Clinical Care for her efforts to improve racial equity on campus.

Education & Training
  • Medical School - Emory University School of Medicine (1992-1996)
  • Internship - UT Southwestern Medical Center (1996-1997), Internal Medicine
  • Residency - UT Southwestern Medical Center (1997-1999), Internal Medicine
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Honors & Awards
  • President’s Award for Diversity and Humanism in Clinical Care 2018, UT Southwestern
  • Champion of End-of-Life Care 2005, Texas Partnership for End-of-Life Care
  • Circle of Life Award, Citation of Honor 2002, American Hospital Association
  • Project on Death in America Faculty Scholar 2001, Soros Foundation
  • Safety Net Award, Honorable Mention 2001, National Association of Public Hospitals
  • Above and Beyond Award 2000, Parkland Memorial Hospital Auxiliary
Books & Publications
Research
  • Minority Access to Care
  • Palliative Care

Clinical Focus

  • Palliative Medicine

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