TARRANT COUNTY PHYSICIAN (19)
January/February 2021
now; currently, she is working for an
accountable care organization. Though
she misses taking care of patients, there
are many advantages to her current role.
“I can advocate for more people in an
administrative role than in a primary care
practice, where I might have one to two
thousand charts, so I can affect one to
two thousand lives in practice,” shares Dr.
Self. “Now I can affect many more lives.”
One of her focuses is improving the patient
experience in post-acute settings.
While the change may seem dramatic,
Dr. Self has been involved in organized
medicine her whole career and has seen
the impact of physicians advocating
for their profession. She has been a
longtime member of TCMS. In the early
2000s, she helped to review cases for
the Public Grievance Committee. Dr.
“DR. ANGELA SELF IS AN AMAZING COLLEAGUE WHO I HAVE
THE PLEASURE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH ON MANY PROJECTS.
SHE IS COMPASSIONATE, HONEST, HARDWORKING, AND HAS
EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST AT HEART. I HAVE THE UTMOST
CONFIDENCE THAT SHE WILL REPRESENT TARRANT COUNTY
MEDICAL SOCIETY WITH DIGNITY, COMPASSION, AND WILL BE
AN OVERALL AMAZING LEADER.” - Neerja Bhardwaj, MD
Self became more involved during the
2014 Ebola crisis. She was impressed
by the way TCMS, TMA, and the AMA
worked together to protect patients
and physicians, and she knew that was
something she wanted to be a part of.
“Ever since then, I’ve made attending
TCMS’s monthly board meetings part of
my job negotiations!”
Dr. Self Is an active member of the
TCMS Board of Advisors and the Women
in Medicine Committee; she also attends
TMA and TCMS meetings whenever
possible. “(TCMS board member) Gary
Floyd says, ‘Good doctors take care of
their patients. Great doctors take care of
their patients and their profession,’” says
Dr. Self. “Being part of organized medicine
is helping to take care of your profession.
When doctors go down to Austin and
speak with lawmakers in their white coats,
it changes the way that we are viewed.”
Her fellow physicians look forward to
seeing her in this new role as president.
“Dr. Angela Self is an amazing colleague
who I have the pleasure to work
closely with on many projects. She is
compassionate, honest, hardworking, and
has everyone’s best interest at heart,” says
Neerja Bhardwaj, MD, a palliative care
physician practicing in Dallas. “I have the
utmost confidence that she will represent
Tarrant County Medical Society with
dignity, compassion, and will be an overall
amazing leader.”
In the next year, Dr. Self hopes to grow
physician membership and participation
in the Medical Society. She believes in
the power of banding together to give
doctors a voice for their profession and
their patients. She also wants to serve as
a resource, particularly for independent
physicians who are struggling with
the fallout from COVID-19. She thinks
providing opportunities to connect with
other physicians is an important part of this
support. “Talking with other doctors who
have experienced the same things helps,”
shares Dr. Self. “I’ve been there.” All of this
ultimately comes together for one purpose:
to serve patients excellently and effectively.
When advising those who are
considering going into Medicine, Dr. Self
encourages getting as much exposure
as possible before taking the leap. “Make
sure you have fully answered the ‘why’ for
medical school,” says Dr. Self. “Make sure
it is something you are passionate about.”
Shadow a physician, work as a scribe—
whatever it takes to make sure you have
found your calling in life. It isn’t an easy
path, but it can be incredibly rewarding.
“There is nothing else I would rather do.”
When Dr. Self is not working or
attending meetings, you might find
her volunteering at the Cornerstone
Assistance Network. Even though she
doesn’t currently practice in a clinic, Dr.
Self still enjoys getting to treat patients,
especially those who are struggling to
access care. In her free time, Dr. Self
loves traveling and going to live concerts.
Last year she was able to attend the Eric
Clapton Guitar Festival. “It was amazing
and made me realize that I love the Blues.
I didn’t know I loved the genre before
that!” A highlight of her trips is always
searching for the best lattes in hole-in-thewall
cafés. Dr. Self loves coffee—she even
runs a blog to talk about her caffeinated
discoveries (you can read some of her
stories at coffeebyangela.com).
She enjoys going on these trips (when
there isn’t a pandemic!) with friends and
family. Dr. Self has the most fun when her
daughter can come along, but Whitney is
pretty busy these days. She is currently
working on completing her undergraduate
degree with the goal of applying to
medical school in the near future.
We are excited to support Dr. Self as
she prepares to lead us as we serve
the citizens of Tarrant County and the
community of Medicine.