The Joy of Serving

Dr. Ciera Ward Finds Her Passion Early in Life

Dr. Ciera Ward, an anesthesiology resident, was drawn to the field of medicine at the tender age of 5, when her mother experienced an allergic reaction that required medical attention.

“My mom was taken to the hospital and I was there for it. As a child, I wasn't able to fully process the scenario, but I saw that she was ill and that a group of people led by one man made her better,” she said of the medical team and lead physician. “After my mom was stable, that man sat down beside me and told me everything was going to be OK. I saw him as a superhero.”

From then on, Ward was certain she wanted to attend medical school and learn to save lives. As she approached high school graduation, she searched for a university with a proven track record in preparing students for medical school acceptance.

“I looked at different options and was sold on The University of Texas at Tyler when I learned that 100 percent of its chemistry graduates who applied to medical school were accepted,” said Ward, who was admitted to the University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio after completing her UT Tyler bachelor's in chemistry in 2012.

As a UT Tyler graduate, Ward said she was well prepared for her medical studies. “They say medical school is like drinking from a fire hydrant, and that is true. There is so much information to assimilate in a short amount of time. I transitioned successfully to medical school because of the rigors of my undergraduate studies and the high level of expectations UT Tyler professors had for us as students.”

An Arlington native who grew up in Tyler, Ward is in her second year of residency and first year of anesthesiology-specific training at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, serving patients in surgical and intensive care units.

“It is an absolute joy to be able to provide care to those in need of medical intervention,” she said. “My hope is to provide a better tomorrow for my patients.”