Dr. Rebecca Olvera, MD

Cook Children's Southwest

About Dr. Olvera:

Dr. Olvera remembers visiting her newborn baby sister at the hospital after she was born. "My sister was actually born on my birthday and my father stopped at the store to buy me a gift. I imagine because everyone had forgotten it was my birthday! I picked out a Fisher-Price doctor's kit which was black in color. My dad asked if I wanted the red one and I said no. The red one was a nurse's kit, there was no difference except color. My dad just figured I would like the kit in my favorite color. I was just stubborn I guess, and wanted mine to say 'doctor.' Since that day I knew I wanted to become a physician."

As a child, Dr. Olvera loved seeing her pediatrician in the office. "I looked forward to all my visits, and even that of my siblings." Unfortunately, at age 11 she developed a chronic illness. She was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and spent way more time than she wanted in pediatric hospitals during her preteen years. "However," she notes, "it was that experience that gave me a unique perspective for caring for patients, including how children live with a chronic illness and how to be empathetic towards others.

Dr. Olvera attended Texas A & M University in College Station for her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cell Biology. She received her medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and completed her pediatric residency at Texas A & M Health Science Center at Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas.

It was during residency that she became interested in pediatric oncology and decided to pursue a fellowship in hematology/oncology. Dr. Olvera completed a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at UT Southwestern. She served as Chief Fellow in her final year of residency and stayed on an additional year as an assistant Instructor.

Dr. Olvera initially joined Cook Children's as a pediatric oncologist. However, having small twin boys at the time, she found it difficult to maintain that perfect work-life balance and chose to return to general pediatrics. She has been at Cook Children's Southwest primary care office since 2007.

Dr. Olvera is the proud mom of not one but two sets of twins with the oldest being the boys and the youngest girls. She loves baking, biking, reading and going to the movies as a family.