Patty Magness’ interest in medicine was sparked early and never wavered. “My mentor was my aunt, who was a pediatrician,” Patty Magness explains. “Not only was she my pediatrician, but I spent a lot of time helping out at her clinic while growing up. I wanted to follow in her footsteps.”
A summer visit to her grandmother’s home confirmed that taking care of others came naturally to then 10-year-old Magness. “I helped my grandmother care for my aunt, who was undergoing chemotherapy. I was like a candy striper, bringing my aunt water and other small comforts. By the time I entered college, it was pretty clear that my future would be taking care of others.”
After completing her nursing degree at the University of Medical Branch in Galveston, Magness worked for many years as a bedside ICU trauma nurse in the Level 1 Trauma facility at Baylor University Dallas Medical Center. “The thing that has always driven me is knowing every patient is different,” she reveals. “You’re walking into work and you really don’t know what to expect. It’s literally different every day. Two patients can have the same diagnoses, but it’s completely different.”
After completing her graduate degree in nursing, Magness decided to look beyond the ICU, and was recruited by John Peter Smith (JPS) Hospital in Fort Worth for their revamped urology department. She found that urology was a good fit. “Even though it can be very subspecialized, urology offers the same variety. It’s different every day, every patient is different. I still very much enjoy that.”
After six years with JPS, Magness found the idea of contributing her considerable skill set to a private practice appealing. Today, she is happy to work alongside UPNT’s Dr. Jeffrey Applewhite, Dr. Lira Chowdhury and Dr. Huddleston as they help patients overcome kidney stones, incontinence and other debilitating urologic issue.
“I really like, helping folks,” she adds. “It’s rewarding knowing that we’re making positive changes that can make a difference in patients’ lives.”
When she isn’t caring for patients, Magness loves cooking and spending time with her friends and family.
