Shelby Holt, M.D.

Surgery - Endocrine Surgery
Endocrine Surgery Treatments
Parathyroid & Thyroid Conditions

Biography

Shelby Holt, M.D., is a Professor in UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Surgery, where she specializes in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Dr. Holt serves as the Chief of the Division of Endocrine Surgery at UT Southwestern.

Dr. Holt was valedictorian of her high school graduating class in San Angelo, Texas. She completed her undergraduate degree in biology at Southwestern University, and earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, where she finished first in her class. She completed general surgery residency training at UT Southwestern Medical Center, during which time she was selected to serve as Administrative Chief Resident and was a member of the resident evaluation committee. Prior to joining the UT Southwestern faculty, she completed advanced specialty training in endocrine surgery at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Michigan.

As a faculty member, Dr. Holt is highly valued as a full time clinical educator and an expert in her field. She organized the First Annual Texas Endocrine Surgery symposium, a collaborative effort between the three University of Texas medical school campuses. She serves as Director of the Bimonthly Thyroid Cancer Conference at UT Southwestern, and she created the Multidisciplinary Thyroid Tumor Group. In the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern, she serves as the Director of the Taskforce on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as the senior faculty advisor for the Women in Surgery Program.

Dr. Holt is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, as well as a member of multiple professional organizations including the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, the American Thyroid Association, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the Western Surgical Association, the Texas Surgical Society, the Association of Women's Surgeons, and the Parkland Surgical Society.

In 2018, she was named a Super Doctor by Texas Monthly. In 2010 and 2019-2022, D Magazine recognized Dr. Holt with a Best Doctor award. She has received numerous accolades for her teaching, including the Junior Faculty Teaching Award in 2004, the Outstanding Achievement in Resident Teaching in 2012, the prestigious Snyder-Laycock Scholar Award in 2017, and the Core Clerkship Student Teaching Award in Surgery in 2008 and 2016.

Meet Dr. Holt

Endocrine surgeon Shelby Holt, M.D., performs nearly 400 thyroid and parathyroid surgeries each year, making her one of the highest volume, most experienced specialty trained endocrine surgeons in North Texas. Dr. Holt treats a wide range of thyroid and parathyroid diseases, including hyperparathyroidism, thyroid cancer, and thyroid nodules.

With thyroid and parathyroid surgery, the experience of the surgeon has a direct impact on patients’ outcomes. Dr. Holt’s expertise is validated by the large number of referrals she receives from other physicians, including highly complicated cases that other doctors can’t or won’t treat.

A D Magazine Best Doctor, Dr. Holt prides herself on offering comprehensive, compassionate patient care in addition to technical expertise. It’s one of the reasons she chose to focus on thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

“It is very rewarding to make a significant impact on my patients’ lives with very well-tolerated endocrine surgical procedures, “she says.

Dr. Holt was at the forefront of establishing UT Southwestern Medical Center’s multidisciplinary thyroid cancer conference and the multidisciplinary thyroid tumor program to discuss research and treatment options to achieve patient-focused solutions. She also coordinates a multidisciplinary tumor clinic where she monitors and treats endocrine cancer patients.

“We have dedicated radiologists, endocrinologists, and pathologists who are experts at imaging and diagnosing thyroid and parathyroid diseases and cancer – a critical first stop in the treatment process. We all work together as a team to provide the best patient care,” Dr. Holt says.

As a surgical resident at UT Southwestern, Dr. Holt was encouraged to specialize in endocrine surgery. After fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Michigan, she joined UT Southwestern’s faculty and is now the Chief of the Division of Endocrine Surgery.

Dr. Holt credits her team’s multidisciplinary approach to care as key to the success they’ve achieved at UT Southwestern.

In her research, Dr. Holt constantly seeks better ways to treat patients. She studies parathyroid and thyroid surgery outcomes and multidisciplinary approaches to the management of benign and malignant thyroid disease.

Dr. Holt is also active in training surgical residents and fellows, and she has been acknowledged with multiple teaching awards. She works very closely with physicians in the community. She is dedicated to optimizing the care of endocrine tumor patients in North Texas by providing access to the specialized care at UT Southwestern.

Education & Training

Fellowship - University of Michigan (2000-2001), Endocrine Surgery
Residency - Parkland Health and Hospital System (1996-2000), General Surgery
Internship - Parkland Health and Hospital System (1995-1996), General Surgery
Medical School - University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston (1991-1995)

Professional Associations & Affiliations

Western Surgical Society
Texas Surgical Society
American College of Surgeons
American Association of Endocrine Surgeons
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
American Thyroid Association
Assocation of Women Surgeons

Honors & Awards

D Magazine Best Doctor, 2010, 2019-2022
Snyder-Laycock Scholar Award for Clinical Excellence 2017
Student Teaching Award in Surgery 2016
Outstanding Achievement in Resident Teaching 2012
Core Clerkship Student Teaching Award in Surgery 2008
Junior Faculty Teaching Award 2004, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Surgery
Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society 1994, University of Texas Medical School, Houston
Valedictorian of Graduating Class 1987, San Angelo Central High School