Family Medicine
Faculty Profiles
Rodney Young, M.D.
Dr. Rodney Young is an associate professor and regional chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. He has also previously served as associate director of pre-doctoral education and as associate residency director.
Dr. Young received his B.S. from Abilene Christian University, his M.D. from TTUHSC, and completed his residency at TTUHSC in Lubbock, where he also served as chief resident. He also completed a faculty development fellowship at the Family Practice Faculty Development Center of Texas in Waco. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Dr. Young has held numerous leadership positions in local, regional, and national medical organizations. He currently serves the Texas Medical Association in their house of delegates, and as a member of the committee on physician distribution and healthcare access. He is a past chairman of the young physician section and the committee on continuing education and currently serves on its subcommittee on accreditation. He was an active member of the TMA workgroup on physician education loan repayment that developed the legislative reforms to the physician education loan repayment program passed in the 2009 legislative session. He has previously served on the Texas delegation to the American Medical Association, on the TMA Board of Councilors, and on the executive council of both the resident and fellow section, and the medical student section of the TMA. He is a past member of the board of directors of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians and is a past president of the Potter-Randall County Medical Society. He also serves as secretary/treasurer of the Panhandle chapter of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and as program director for their spring and fall CME weekends. He is a member of both the American and Texas Academies of Family Physicians, the American and Texas Medical Associations, the Potter-Randall County Medical Society, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and the Association of Departments of Family Medicine.
Dr. Young has received numerous teaching awards from both residents and medical students, including the Barton Freeman, MD Memorial Faculty Award for family medicine resident education, and the Mario Feola, MD outstanding faculty award for medical student teaching. He was a top 20 graduate from Texas Tech School of Medicine, and a magna cum laude graduate from Abilene Christian University. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed published abstracts, posters, chapters and journal articles, and served as a peer-reviewer for the Journal of Family Practice, the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, and the Family Medicine Digital Resources Library.
Dr. Young is proudest of his role as a husband and father to two beautiful and active young daughters. He most enjoys spending time with his girls, but also loves football and golf when he can find the time..
Timothy J. Benton, M.D.
Dr. Timothy Benton is an assistant professor and Director of our Family Medicine residency program. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Dallas Baptist University in 1989 and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 1994. Dr. Benton completed his residency training in family medicine at the University of Texas Health Center at Tyler in 1997, where he received their Academic Excellence award.
Dr. Benton is board certified in family medicine and has a special interest in hospice/palliative medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, the Texas Medical Association, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and the Potter-Randall County Medical Society. He was most recently in private group practice in Amarillo before joining the department. Prior to that, he received the annual People's Choice Award for favorite physician on 3 different occasions from the Plainview Daily Herald while in practice there. Since joining the department in 2004, Dr. Benton has had numerous peer-reviewed publications in print and online, as well as serving as a peer-reviewer for American Family Physician and BMJ point-of-care monographs.
When he's not working, Dr. Benton is an avid runner, training for his first marathon, and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter.
Frank Hromas, M.D.
Frank Hromas, M.D. is our clerkship director and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
Dr. Hromas received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. He worked as a chemical engineer and manager with Exxon Chemical in Houston for many years, before returning to study medicine. He also received his law degree from the University of Houston School of Law, and his M.D. from Texas Tech University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the Texas Tech Department of Family Medicine in Amarillo.
Dr. Hromas is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, the Texas Medical Association, and the Potter-Randall County Medical Society. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Among the honors he has received are: Texas Academy of Family Physicians Essay Award, Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation Scholarship.
Jerry Kirkland, M.D.
Dr. Jerry Kirkland is an assistant professor and Associate Residency Director. He received his Bachelor of Sciences degree from Texas A&M University, his Doctor of Medicine degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and his MBA from Texas Tech University. He completed his residency training in Family Medicine at the Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, TX. Dr. Kirkland worked as a private family physician in Pampa and later in Amarillo for many years before joining the department
Dr. Kirkland has special interest in inpatient care, having initially worked as a full-time hospitalist when he joined the department. He is passionate about resident and student education, and bringing the best available evidence to the bedside. He also enjoys using his education and experience to teach the business of medicine as well. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Dr. Kirkland is a proud husband and father of 2 talented young men, and a devoted (yet surprisingly tolerable) Aggie.
Morgan McCaleb, M.D.
Morgan McCaleb, M.D., has been with Texas Tech at Amarillo since 1994. Before coming to Texas Tech in Amarillo, he was in private practice in Amarillo for many years. Dr. McCaleb received his BS degree from West Texas State University and his MD degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed an internship at Louisiana State University Medical Center at Shreveport, LA and his residency in Family Medicine at Austin State Hospital in Austin, TX.
Dr. McCaleb is a member of the American Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, and the Potter-Randall County Medical Society. He is also a member of Alpha Chi National Honor Society. He has been Chief of the Family Medicine Department at Northwest Texas Hospital and served as Chief of Staff at Northwest Texas Hospital from 1989-1990.
Beverly D. Nixon-Lewis, D.O.
Dr. Beverly D. Nixon-Lewis is an assistant professor of Family and Community Medicine, and is the Regional Chief Medical Information Officer for the School of Medicine. She came to Texas Tech in 1999 from South Plains Health Provider in Plainview, where she completed her service in the National Health Service Corps. Dr. Nixon-Lewis was our residency program director from 2002-2008 before stepping down to focus her administrative efforts on our EMR program.
Dr. Nixon-Lewis grew up in Hereford, Texas, and graduated from West Texas State University (now WTAMU) in Canyon. She received her Doctor of Osteopathy degree from the University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences in Des Moines, IA and completed an AOA approved internship at UMDNJ in Stratford, NJ. She subsequently completed her family medicine residency at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, MI, where she also served as chief resident.
After finishing her residency, she joined the faculty at Henry Ford, and completed a faculty development fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is also a recent graduate of the National Institute of Program Director Development, jointly sponsored by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors.
Dr. Nixon-Lewis is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the Potter-Randall County Medical Society, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors.
She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has particular professional interest in women's healthcare and office-based procedures. Her husband, Doug, is a local neurologist who is also active in our teaching program, and they have 3 sons. Dr. Nixon-Lewis loves sports and is a year-round outdoor enthusiast.
Mohammed Samiuddin, M.D.
Dr. Mohammed Samiuddin is an assistant professor and is the Program Director of the Mary E. Bivins Geriatric fellowship. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Deccan College of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India. Dr. Samiuddin then completed both his residency training in Family Medicine and his geriatric fellowship here at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Amarillo.
Dr. "Sami" enjoys treating patients of all ages, and has special interest in the acute care of the elderly. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Geriatric Society, and the American Medical Directors Association. He is board certified in Family Medicine and holds a certificate of added qualifications in geriatrics jointly issued by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dennis Zoller, M.D.
Dr. Dennis Zoller is an associate professor and geriatrician in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
Dr. Zoller received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Aurora College in Aurora, IL and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. He completed his family medicine residency at the University of Illinois at Rockford in 1979.
He came to Texas Tech from Billings, MT, where he was staff geriatrician at the Deaconess Billings Clinic, and medical director at multiple geriatric care facilities.
Dr. Zoller has authored or co-authored articles on the physiology of aging, graded exercise testing in a family practice office, and a wellness program model for family practice residency programs.
He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and holds a certificate of added qualifications in geriatrics jointly issued by the American Boards of Family Medicine and Internal Medicine.
Dr. Zoller has been recognized for his teaching excellence with the 2004 Barton Freeman, M.D. Memorial Faculty Award, presented annually to the faculty member selected by the residents for outstanding teaching.