Be it performing cataract surgery or Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, for Dr. Aaron Dotson, it all comes down to precision and skillful control of the hands and mind.
Dotson, who graduated from UT Dallas in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience and minored in music at the university’s Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology, 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,” Dotson says. “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 high school in Inglewood, California, Dotson enrolled in UT Dallas’ School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences to study neuroscience. Growing up in Inglewood, an area that has faced notable drug-related crime challenges, he had always been curious about mechanisms within the brain that impact addiction to different substances. He wanted to understand what he could do to help people experiencing addiction in his local community and across the globe.
His parents, who were involved in their church’s choir during his 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 — all by the time he finished high school. This passion to play music continued as he pursued his undergraduate studies.
While enrolled at UT Dallas, Dotson tutored fellow students as a Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) leader within the Student Success Center, mentored freshmen and served as chairman of the Committee of Academic Advancement for the Black Student Alliance. He also earned the UT Dallas Presidential Achievement Scholarship and landed a spot in Yale University School of Medicine’s prestigious Summer Medical and Dental Education Program. Following graduation, he invested a year as a research assistant at the UT Dallas Center for Vital Longevity.
“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 says.
His quest to understand addiction and its neuroscience at UT Dallas 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 says. “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, Dotson founded the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS), a student organization dedicated to supporting underrepresented minority medical students, at UT Dallas. Since then, he has mentored numerous pre-medical students across the country. Many students, including some MAPS members, reach out to 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 says. “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 says. “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.”