… correcting UD‘s misunderstanding of the nature of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston:

First, disclosure: I am on the verge of graduating from UTMB with a Ph.D in ethics & medical humanities, so my affiliation most assuredly colors my views.

Second, some of my academic work involves COIs in research and medicine.

But I do think it is important to understand a bit more of the local context re UTMB. UTMB is indeed part of the UT system, but to assert that it shares in the Adzillatron and what that represents is something of an error or at least an oversimplification. Some knowledge of Texas politics is required in order to explain why. UTMB may “share” in the Adzillatron, but its share is pitiful compared to the two flagship institutions, UT-Austin, and Texas A&M. These two are both extremely wealthy institutions, with literally every other UT scrabbling for scraps. UTMB itself is near the bottom of this heap, since their very charter declares that the mission of the school is expressly to provide indigent care.

There is a perception that the regents have grown tired of this mission, such that the funds allocated to UTMB to provide indigent care have consistently crept lower. The regents very nearly ended the school’s clinical operations “due” to damage caused by Hurricane Ike. Only a well-positioned and powerful representative in the Texas Capitol prevented this from occurring.

None of this is to offer any opinion on the events surrounding Dr. Wagner. But it is inaccurate to argue that because UTMB is part of the UT system, it shares equally in the Adzillatron culture. UTMB has historically lacked the funds to even fulfill its charter; wealthy donors and endowments do not generally come UTMB’s way.

UD is very grateful to the reader for this clarification.